- Thursday, April 24, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
At the 2025 TIME100 Summit in New York City, iconic actress Demi Moore delivered a powerful message about aging, growth, and the evolving narrative for women in Hollywood. Moore, who stars in the buzzworthy film The Substance, opened up about what aging truly means to her, drawing a clear line between growing older and “being old.”
The 62-year-old actress, celebrated for her long-standing influence in film and fashion, spoke with TIME’s editorial director Lucy Feldman about her role in changing how mature women are portrayed on screen. “I’ve been thinking lately about how aging and being old are not the same thing,” Moore said. “And somehow we’ve confused that—when in reality, aging is a tremendous gift.”
Moore, who plays a character grappling with ageism and bodily transformation in The Substance, said the experience shaped how she views her own journey. “You could not pay me to be 21,” she stated. “As good as it might sound, it was torture.” Instead, she said she’s found peace and freedom in embracing her current chapter in life.
The Ghost star, whose name appeared among frontrunners for the Best Actress Oscar this year, also addressed her awards season experience with humility. Though she lost to Mikey Madison, Moore said the outcome only strengthened her belief in a higher purpose. “Should I have won? It’s not how I hold it. Everything in life is happening for me, not to me,” she explained.
“There’s, of course, disappointment,” Moore admitted. “But I also immediately recognize that there is something greater that I am to be in service to—even if I don’t yet know what that is.”
View this post on Instagram
She praised Madison’s winning performance, calling it “incredible,” and emphasized that losing doesn’t mean the story is over. “The message here is that there’s more work to be done. This issue is not complete,” she added, referring to broader representation of older women in cinema.
Moore’s powerful remarks reflect a wider cultural shift. More women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are being seen and heard in film, television, and media—not as relics of the past, but as complex, vibrant individuals with new stories to tell. “We’re not ending,” Moore said. “We’re evolving.”
Her role in The Substance has earned her critical acclaim, not just for her performance but for bravely exploring themes of self-worth, physical change, and the social pressures surrounding beauty. Moore’s presence at the TIME100 Summit reaffirmed her position as not only a film icon, but a thought leader on aging, identity, and female empowerment.
Hollywood icon Demi Moore has been crowned People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Woman of 2025, proving that beauty is timeless. At 62, Moore becomes one of the oldest stars to receive this title, featured on the magazine’s May issue cover. Her resurgence in Hollywood, especially with her Oscar-nominated performance in The Substance, has made this recognition especially meaningful.
In her candid interview with People, Moore reflected on her evolving relationship with her body. She acknowledged past struggles with body image and the pressure she once placed on herself for perfection. “I tortured myself for years, really just punishing myself,” she said. Now, she embraces a more intuitive and accepting mindset, stating, “I know the difference today is that it doesn’t define my value or who I am.”
Moore, who began her career as a model and rose to fame with films like Ghost and Indecent Proposal, now celebrates her age with pride. “I have a greater appreciation for all that my body has been through,” she said. This milestone marks a shift in Hollywood’s beauty narrative — from youthful obsession to celebrating enduring grace, strength, and self-love.
