New film "The Substance" pushes Demi Moore to physical extremes

The new Demi Moore film is a so-called "body horror." The actress has filmed many intense and sometimes even disgusting scenes. This has taken a toll on her own body.

In the horror movie "Substance," Demi Moore plays Elizabeth Sparkle, a movie star who, struggling with time, turns to a mysterious drug. Thanks to it, she can clone herself. Her younger version can enjoy life, but only for a few days. After the set time, the women have to switch. The film is receiving many positive reviews, although no one hides that it is a shocking and, at times, even repulsive film in which Demi Moore plays the role of her life. The actress openly admits that filming was a torture that took a toll on her body.

Both actresses are now conducting many interviews to discuss the behind-the-scenes work on the highly anticipated film. In an interview with the "L.A. Times," Moore said: "To give you an idea of the intensity, my first week that I actually had off, where it was just Margaret working, I got shingles. And I then lost, like, 20 pounds. You have to walk away feeling that you put it all on the table. It called for it, and it’s what you want to bring to it."

Just to remind you, shingles is an infectious disease caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox. It can become active when our immune system is weakened. Symptoms initially resemble a cold; skin problems appear—a rash, redness, and blisters.

Margaret Qualley, who in "The Substance" plays the younger version of the star, admitted in the same interview that she, in turn, developed severe acne that accompanied her throughout the filming period.

"The Substance" is a brutally honest depiction of the entertainment industry, simultaneously challenging established norms of beauty and desire. The horror that takes place in women's lives translates to their bodies. And as it turns out, even the actresses playing the leading roles felt it on their own bodies.

Moore admitted in an interview with "Variety" that some scenes were particularly difficult for her. The actress was forced to perform 45 heavy takes of one of the most emotional scenes in the film - hiding signs of ageing while getting ready for a date. The 61-year-old actress admitted that working with director Coralie Farroat, known for her long creative process, was exceptionally demanding. "My face was just raw," Moore recalls. Eventually, the makeup artist's intervention ended the lengthy recordings when the star decided she couldn't go on any longer.