Demi Moore Reacts to Her First-Ever Oscar Nomination: ‘Beyond My Wildest Dreams’

Demi Moore is celebrating her first-ever Oscar nomination.

Moments after she was named one of the five performers up for Best Actress at the 2025 Academy Awards on Thursday, Jan. 23, the star of The Substance shared her reaction to the news.

“Being nominated for an Oscar is an incredible honor and these last few months have been beyond my wildest dreams,” Moore, 62, said in a statement.

“Truly there are no words to fully express my joy and overwhelming gratitude for this recognition. Not only for me but for what this film represents. I am deeply humbled,” she continued.

“This is a time of incredible contrasts and right now, my heart is with my friends, family, neighbors and community here in L.A.” she added, referencing the destruction in many parts of the city.

“The fires have devastated so many lives but to see the way our community has united leaves me in awe of the resilience and compassion that defines us, and this moment is a reminder of how incredible we are when we stand together.”

In the pitch-black horror comedy The Substance, Moore — who has previously starred in hits like Ghost, St. Elmo’s Fire and A Few Good Men — plays an actress named Elisabeth Sparkle. She’s abruptly fired from her exercise show when her creepy boss (Dennis Quaid) decides to hunt for younger talent to be the face of the series.

Desperate to stay relevant, Elisabeth starts taking a mysterious drug known as the Substance, which causes her body to create a younger version of herself, Sue (Margaret Qualley). 

Elisabeth and Sue must alternate their time in public — one week for Sue, then one week for Elisabeth — but things go horribly awry when the balance is upset.

The film has earned Moore some of the best reviews of her career, not to mention a Golden Globe win for best actress in a comedy or musical film.

The actress, who began her career four decades ago, was visibly emotional while accepting the honor.

“I really wasn’t expecting that. I’m just in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor,” she said on stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, adding that a producer once dismissed her as a “popcorn” actress.

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“At that time, I made that mean that this wasn’t something that I was allowed to have, that I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged. And I bought in, and I believed that, and that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it, maybe I was complete, maybe I’ve done what I was supposed to do,” she continued

“And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance, and the universe told me that you’re not done,” Moore said, in one of the most touching moments of the night.

The other four women up for Best Actress are Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo, Anora‘s Mikey Madison, Emilia Pérez‘s Karla Sofía Gascón and I’m Still Here‘s Fernanda Torres.

The 2025 Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will air live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu.