20 years later, Demi Moore reflects on her bikini that went around the world.
The actress played the lead role in the 2003 sequel to Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and remembered the discussion at the time about her supposedly age-defying appearance.
“Interestingly, I felt (criticism) more when I turned 40. I had done ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and there was a lot of talk about that scene in the bikini and it was all very exaggerated, a lot of talk about my appearance,” Moore told Interview magazine in conversation with Michelle Yeoh. “And then I realized there seemed to be no place for me. I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. It was more like I felt like I’m not 20, I’m not 30, but I wasn’t what they perceived as a mother yet.”
The Substance star added that she even questioned her place in Hollywood as Full Throttle was her first film in years. Later, after its release, she took another break.
“Where do I fit in? It was a time that didn’t feel dead, it felt flat,” Moore said of her career. “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that when I’ve encountered something that I don’t understand is a limitation. (…) There was a moment, I have to say, when I started to question whether this is really what I’m meant to be doing. Maybe this part of my life is done. Not even over, but done. Then I realized if I’m going to question it, I have to give it energy so I know for sure.”
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was an action comedy directed by McG. Lead actors Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu were joined by Moore in the sequel; Moore’s character Madison Lee was created specifically for her. However, the film itself received numerous Golden Raspberry Awards, with Moore winning Worst Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, but lost to co-star Liu for her role in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1.
Now Moore revealed that she actually wanted to focus more on the action genre, especially after her leading role in “GI Jane”.
“Being part of my generation, I was desperate to find an action movie and I felt like the reaction I was getting was polite but that I was crazy,” Moore said. “And then I saw the world of action movies opening up for the next generation of actresses. It was uplifting and inspiring to see things changing.”
Moore recently told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio that her role as aging actress Elisabeth Sparkle in her Cannes-winning film “The Substance” embodies the plight of being a woman in the patriarchy, and not just in Hollywood.
“If we ignore the fact that it’s about an actor, (the film is more about) the desire for recognition, to be seen and appreciated, to belong, and what it means to feel rejected and not good enough, that there’s something wrong with you,” Moore said. “When you add in the aspect of aging – which is really about our inability to control – (it becomes) an exploration of a lack of self-acceptance. What really spoke to me was the unique way in which (writer-director Coralie Fargeat) tells this story.”
She added of the film: “What I love is that this was a rich, complex, demanding role that gave me the opportunity to really push myself outside of my comfort zone and at the end of it feel like I’ve discovered something new and evolved not just as an actress but as a human being. And so if there’s any hope, it’s really just to re-engage in some ways. I feel like for a long time I took a real step back and really questioned whether or not I should be doing this. That was part of my waking up.”
