Landman Star Demi Moore Understands What It's Like To Feel 'Despair' Over Aging

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Demi Moore has been a sex symbol for longer than many of us have been alive. But that means that she has lived with the pressure to keep up her good looks for decades. However, her role as an aging star in "The Substance" showed she's not alone. "I think there's an aspect that we all have experienced, which is compare and despair," she told People in 2025.

In her 60s, Moore has found incredible success in "Landman" and "The Substance," showing no signs of slowing down. However, she hasn't been immune to the negative effects of the comparison game. "It's that harsh, self-critical judgment. And everyone who's in the public eye does face a little more judgment and harsher external criticism," she said. The extent her "Substance" character is willing to go to regain her youth struck a chord with a lot of viewers — including herself. "I think the thing that was so relatable is really that violence we can have against ourselves," she added.

This isn't the first time Moore has reflected on the violent nature of her relationship with her image. In her 2019 memoir, "Inside Out," one of Moore's confessions about her life included her struggles with an eating disorder. In a 2024 interview, she compared her treatment of her body to actual violence. "[Hollywood pressure] moved me to a place of such torture and harshness against myself, of real extreme behaviors," she told Elle. While not always easy, aging has actually helped.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Like all of us, Demi Moore has her bad days. "It doesn't mean that sometimes I look in the mirror and don't go, 'Oh God, I look old,' or 'Oh, my face is falling,'" she said in the People interview. She acknowledges the emotion and lets it go. That's one of the gifts that has come with age. "I know the difference today is that it doesn't define my value or who I am," she said. The "I Love Boosters" star also explained to the outlet how she trusts her body instead of "[trying] to control it."

Besides, Moore's many life struggles have taught her to look at her body for the strong vessel that it is. "I have a greater appreciation for all that my body has been through that brought me to now," she said. Elsewhere on "The Substance" press tour, she spoke about being part of a new norm for women in Hollywood. Speaking to Today in 2024, Moore discussed how she focuses on the present, adding, "And what I feel from that is an excitement of possibilities. That we're defining a new, I don't want to say a generation, but we are what the future is for women."

Moore, who has three daughters from her marriage to Bruce Willis, takes pride in the knowledge that she may leave a better reality within the entertainment industry for the future. "I don't want there to ever be in their minds that there is an end. To me, this is the most exciting time of my life," she said.