What the Hell Happened to Demi Moore?

Demi Moore  was launched to stardom along with the rest of the Brat Pack.  But while her colleagues’ careers were cooling in the 90’s, Moore’s star kept rising.  By the middle of the decade, Moore was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.  But soon after her career peaked, Moore walked away from it all to focus on her personal life.

So, what the hell happened?

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As a child, Demi was cross-eyed. She underwent two surgeries to correct her vision.

Demi Moore came from humble beginnings.  Her parents separated before she was born – a fact she did not discover until she was 13.  She was cross-eyed as a child and also suffered from a kidney dysfunction.  When Moore was 15, her mother left her husband and moved to Hollywood to work for a magazine-distribution company.  Two years later, Moore’s adopted father took his life.

Moore with her first husband, Freddy Moore.
Moore with her first husband, Freddy Moore.

At the age of 16, Moore moved out on her own.  She dropped out of high school during her junior year to pursue a career in entertainment.  Three weeks before her 17th birthday, she met rock musician, Freddy Moore who was married to another woman.  Six months later, at the age of 17, Demi Moore married the recently divorced rock star.

Freddy Moore was the lead singer for a band called the Nu-Kats.  Moore and her husband co-wrote three songs together.  The band is best known for one of those songs, It’s Not a Rumor.  Demi appeared in the video.

The song was not a hit, but it received a lot of play on MTV in the early 80s.

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Demi Moore – Oui Magazine – 1981

In 1981, Moore lied about her age in order to pose for the cover of the adult magazine, Oui.  According to Moore, “only posed for the cover of Oui—I was 16; I told them I was 18.”  There were pictures of Moore inside the magazine, but Moore claimed they were re-purposed from a European fashion shoot.

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Demi Moore – Oui Magazine – 1981

That does look European if you ask me.

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Demi Moore – General Hospital – 1982-1983

From 1982-1983, Moore appeared on the daytime soap opera, General Hospital.  Moore played investigative reporter, Jackie Templeton.

All of this was pre-Brat Pack.

Demi Moore - Blame It on Rio - 1984
Demi Moore – Blame It on Rio – 1984

Moore’s first major role came in the 1984 comedy, Blame it On Rio.  Moore played Michael Cain’s daughter on a family getaway.  As this is a remake of a French farce, sexual high-jinks ensue between Cain and his best friend’s daughter.

Blame It On Rio bombed at the box office which can probably be blamed on the terrible reviews it received.

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Demi Moore – No Small Affair – 1984

Later that year, Moore starred opposite Jon Cryer in the comedy/drama, No Small Affair.

Cryer played a 16-year old photographer who gets swept up with a 22-year-old singer played by Moore.  Moore’s character is your run of the mill manic pixie dream girl getting Cryer’s character into trouble so he can learn important life lessons.

At one point in the movie, Cryer and Moore pass a billboard featuring Diana Ross.  Moore’s character comments on how Diana only needs one name, “Diana”.  She wonders allowed if that will ever happen to her.  While her character does gain some measure of fame by the end of the movie, Moore may as well have been talking about herself.  One day, she would be known as “Demi”.

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Demi Moore – St. Elmo’s Fire – 1985

In 1985, Moore officially joined the Brat Pack with St. Elmo’s Fire.

The movie focused on a group of friends who have just graduated from college.  They relationships are tested as they try to adjust to adulthood.  Emilio Estevez played a waiter who romances a hospital intern played by Andie MacDowell.  Andrew McCartrhy played Estevez’s roommate, a writer with a secret crush on Ally Sheedy’s character.  Sheedy and Judd Nelson play a couple of yuppies in an upwardly mobile relationship.  Rob Lowe played a former frat boy who is struggling with family life and Demi Moore played the party girl of the group.  Mare Winningham played the friend who helps all the others out.

St. Elmo’s Fire had the good fortune to come out just four month’s after John Hughes’ similarly themed high school coming-of-age drama, The Breakfast Club.  Although the two films are not linked in any meaningful way, St. Elmo’s Fire was regarded as a kind of follow-up film.  It was another ensemble coming-of-age film this time focusing on recent college graduates.

Several studios passed on St. Elmo’s Fire.  According to director, Joel Schumacher, “the head of one major studio called its seven-member cast ‘the most loathsome humans he had ever read on the page.'”  Finding seven young stars proved a challenge.  Hundreds of actors were interviewed.  Sheedy, Estevez and Nelson were recommended to producer  Lauren Shuler Donner by John Hughes.  Schumacher said he had to fight the studio over the casting of Estevez, Nelson, and McCarthy.

At the time of filming, Moore had a drug problem like the character she played in the movie.  Schumacher became frustrated with her when she showed up to work high.  He made her go into rehab to finish the movie.

St. Elmo’s Fire received mostly negative reviews.  It opened in fourth place at the box office behind Rambo: First Blood Part II which had been in theaters for six weeks.  That doesn’t sound like the most auspicious opening, but St. Elmo’s Fire went on to gross close to $40 million dollars on a $10 million dollar budget.  It cost more and grossed less than The Breakfast Club.  But it was still the 23rd highest grossing movie of the year.  And despite being viewed as inferior to John Hughes’ movie, St. Elmo’s Fire has become a Gen-X favorite on video.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the movie.  But as someone who grew up in the 80’s, I can feel St. Elmo’s fire burning in me.

(If you’re a Gen X-er, that song is now stuck in your head.  Sorry about that.)

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Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Demi Moore – St. Elmo’s Fire – 1985

Before I move on, let’s pause a second and explain the Brat Pack to those who are too young to remember it.  Because the truth is, they haven’t had anything quite like it.  In the mid-80’s, coming-of-age comedies and dramas were quite popular.  These films prominently featured a group of young actors and actresses.

Some members of the Brat Pack are open for debate.  But if you appeared in either The Breakfast Club or St Elmo’s Fire, you were either a member of the Brat Pack or you were Mare Winningham.

For the most part, the Brat Pack had a short reign over Hollywood.  The label adversely affected their careers.  Many struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.  But while Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald saw their careers fizzle, Moore only grew more popular.

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Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore

In 1984, Moore filed for divorce from her rock and roll hubby.  The divorce was finalized in 1985.  Following her divorce from Freddy Moore, Demi became engaged to fellow Brat Packer Emilio Estevez.  They planned to marry in 1986.  But instead, the wedding was called off.

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Demi Moore – About Last Night… – 1986

In 1986, Moore starred in no less than three films!  The first was “About Last Night…” a romantic comedy/drama based on  the  David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago.

Moore starred opposite Rob Lowe as a couple whose relationship starts as a one-night stand.  Elizabeth Perkins and Jim Belushi co-starred back before Jim Belushi’s name was code for “do not watch this”.

“About Last Night…” received mostly positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office.  More importantly, it showed the Moore was capable of doing more adult roles than the typical John Hughes movie.

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Demi Moore – One Crazy Summer – 1986

Moore’s next film was the zany John Cusack movie, One Crazy Summer.  One Crazy Summer was the follow-up to director Savage Steve Holland’s Better Off Dead.

Both films received mixed reviews at the time of their release.  But their zaniness set them apart from a lot of other 80’s teen comedies and they have developed a small cult following.

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Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez – Wisdom – 1986

Moore’s last film of 1986 was the ironically titled Wisdom.

Wisdom was a crime drama written, directed, and starring the multi-talented Emelio Estevez.  Moore and Estevez were engaged at the time, so her presence in Wisdom is somewhat excusable.

How bad is Wisdom?  (Spoiler Alert: Turns out it was all just a dream.)  Wisdom was an embarrassing bomb both critically and commercially.  Fortunately for Moore, as writer, director and star, Estevez took the blame for it.

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Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

In 1987, Moore married her second husband, Bruce Willis.  At the time, Willis was still on the TV show Moonlighting.  Die Hard, which would cement Willis as an action star, wouldn’t come out until 1988.  Willis was eight years older than Moore.  But he still had a little hair left.  It wouldn’t last long.

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Demi Moore and Michael Biehn – The Seventh Sign – 1988

In 1988, Moore starred in the apocalyptic thriller, The Seventh Sign.  Moore played an expectant mother whose unborn baby may or may not signal the apocalypse.  Michael Biehn played her husband.

The Seventh Sign received mostly negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

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Demi Moore – We’re No Angels – 1989

In 1989, Moore appeared opposite Sean Penn and Robert De Niro in the comedy, We’re No Angels.

Moore played a prostitute whose deaf-mute daughter is rescued by escaped convicts pretending to be priests.  Oh, and the whole thing takes place during the Great Depression.

It’s probably no surprise that We’re No Angels got mixed reviews and was a bomb at the box office.  But who cares?  The point is that while her colleagues were floundering in the likes of Weekend at Bernies, Moore was getting to work with De Niro and Penn.

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Demi Moore – Ghost – 1990

Up until this point, Moore had never appeared in a movie that was both a critical and commercial hit.  That changed in 1990 when she starred opposite Patrick Swayze in Ghost.

No matter what you think of the movie (personally, I don’t care for it), it’s impossible to deny its cultural impact.  The image of Moore and Swayze making sexy pottery while Unchained Melody plays on the soundtrack is iconic.

Expectations for Ghost were non-existent.  Neither Moore nor Swayze was considered a box office draw at the time.  The movie was a mash-up of genres, part comedy, part tear jerker, part super-natural thriller.  And it was directed by Jerry Zucker of Airplane! and The Naked Gun.

And yet, somehow, Ghost was a hit.

Believe it or not, Ghost was actually nominated for Best Picture in 1990!  Whoopi Goldberg took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.  For her part, Moore was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

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Demi Moore and Chevy Chase – Nothing But Trouble – 1991

Moore followed up Ghost with a string of box office disappointments in 1991.  The first was the aptly titled Nothing But Trouble.

Nothing But Trouble was a big-budgeted comedy written, directed and starring Dan Aykroyd.  It is exhibit A in the argument that Dan Aykroyd should never be allowed to have that much creative control over a picture.

Nothing But Trouble wasn’t just a bomb and a critical failure.  It became a cautionary tale.  But much like Wisdom could be blamed on Emilio Estevez, Aykroyd (and to a lesser degree an increasingly lazy Chevy Chase) took the fall.

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Demi Moore – Mortal Thoughts – 1991

Next came the crime thriller, Mortal Thoughts.  Moore played a woman who’s best friend was suspected of killing her husband (played by Moore’s real-life husband, Bruce Willis).

Personally, I saw Mortal Thoughts at a screening along with Thelma and Louise.  Both featured rape as a key plot point and Harvey Keitel as a well-intentioned cop investigating the murder that follows.  Whereas Thelma and Louise was entertaining, Mortal Thoughts was just kind of depressing.

Of the three films Moore released in 1991, Mortal Thoughts fared best.  But it still got mixed reviews and did so-so box office.

moore - the butcher's wife
Demi Moore – The Butcher’s Wife – 1991

Moore finished out the year with the romantic fantasy film, The Butcher’s Wife in which she played a psychic who marries a butcher and then falls in love with Jeff Daniels while using her clairvoyance to help the kind of sleepy, rustic town full of eccentrics that only exists in movies like The Butcher’s Wife.

The Butcher’s Wife bombed and Moore was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award.

Of everything Moore did in 1991, she was best known for this:

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Demi Moore – Vanity Fair Cover – 1991

The Aug 1991 cover of Vanity Fair featured a very pregnant (and very naked) Moore.  The cover was extremely controversial at the time with some claiming it sexualized pregnant women while others claimed it was liberating.  The image became iconic and has been parodied repeatedly.  In a way, it did more to make Moore famous than the movies she was starring in.

Moore - A Few Good Men
Demi Moore – A Few Good Men – 1992

In 1992, Moore rebounded with a supporting role in A Few Good Men.  She got third billing.  But at least she was in an Oscar-nominated courtroom drama instead of a Dan Aykroyd courtroom comedy.

A Few Good Men received good reviews and was a much-needed hit at the box office.

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Demi Moore – Vanity Fair cover – 1992

Moore followed up her infamous Vanity Fair cover with another cover in 1992.  This time, she was naked except for body paint that suggested she was wearing a suit.

Moore - Indecent Proposal
Demi Moore – Indecent Proposal – 1993

A Few Good Men helped stop the free fall Moore’s career was in.  But an A-List star is expected to deliver hits in starring roles.  With Adrian Lyne’s Indecent Proposal, Moore did just that.

The movie co-starred Moore and Woody Harrleson as a young couple whose relationship is threatened when a wealthy businessman played by Robert Redford offers them one million dollars to sleep with Moore’s character.

This totally plausible scenario became a cultural touchstone as women across America asked their husbands and boyfriends if they would whore them out for a million dollars and millions of husbands and boyfriends lied.

Indecent Proposal got mixed reviews.  But it turned into an event movie that reshaped Moore’s career.

Moore was nominated for both an MTV Movie Award and a Golden Raspberry.  Which I think says a lot about the MTV Movie Awards.

moore - disclosure
Demi Moore – Disclosure – 1994

The 90’s were a strange time.  Michael Douglas was the king of dark, sexy adult thrillers.  So it makes perfect sense that he and Moore would co-star in a movie after the success of Indecent Proposal.

Disclosure was based on a novel by Michael Chrichton.  Chrichton actually sold the rights to the novel for $1 million dollars before it was published.  It turned out to be a mix of 90’s buzzwords like “sexual harassment” and “virtual reality” without really having much to do with either one.

Reviews for Disclosure were mixed.  But it was another hit that helped cement Moore’s image as a sexy screen vixen.

moore - scarlet letter
Demi Moore – The Scarlet Letter – 1995

Given Moore’s screen image, it probably makes sense that she was next cast in a sexy adaptation of The Scarlet Letter.

What doesn’t make sense is why anyone would want to make a sexy adaptation of Hawthorne’s tale of Puritanical hypocrisy.  There was nothing sexy about The Scarlet Letter, but the makers of the 1995 adaptation completely missed the point.

Infamously, the movie changed the downbeat ending of the novel.  In the novel, the adulterous priest dies for his crimes.  But in the movie, he saved by a tribe of politically correct Indians!  It’s a WTF momement if ever there was one.  But so was reimagining The Scarlet Letter as a tale of sexual liberation.

Not surprisingly, The Scarlet Letter received scathing reviews and bombed at the box office.  Moore continued her streak of Golden Raspberry nominations.

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Melanie Griffith and Demi Moore – Now and Then – 1995

In 1995, Moore also appeared as part of the ensemble in the girl power flick, Now and Then.

Now and Then told the four childhood friends who reunite as adults to relive the summer of 1970 when the girls bonded in a tree house.   Moore played a science fiction author who narrates the film.  Rosie O’Donnell played the tomboy of the group.  Christina Ricci played her character as a child.  Rita Wilson played the pregnant friend who still lives in her family home.  And Melanie Griffith played the rich friend who goes on to be a successful actress and has multiple marriages.  That had to be a stretch!  Her younger self was played by her Paradise co-star, Thora Birch.

O’Donnell said that originally her character was meant to be a lesbian.  But dialogue was later lopped in to give her an off-camera boyfriend.  Moore’s daughter, Rumer Willis, played her character’s younger sister.  Kirsten Dunst was offered a role as Rita Wilson as a child but she turned the part down when she learned she would need to gain weight.  The supporting cast included Cloris Leachman, Hank Azaria, Bonnie Hunt, Janeane Garofalo and Brendan Fraser in an uncredited cameo.

Critics panned the sappy coming-of-age drama.  Roger Ebert dismissed it as a “gimmicky sitcom”.  Despite the critical drubbing, Now and Then opened in second place at the box office behind Get Shorty.  It went on to gross nearly $30 million dollars on a $12 million dollar budget.  Over time, the movie has developed a cult following and at one point there was talk of turning it into a TV series.

moore - the juror
Demi Moore – The Juror – 1996

Moore started off 1996 with another thriller opposite Alec Baldwin in The Juror.

Moore starred as a single mom called to jury duty.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt played her son.  Baldwin played a mob enforcer who tries to convince Moore to sway the other jurors.  Anne Heche played Moore’s best friend whom Baldwin murders to send a message.

The Juror continued Moore’s losing streak with critics and audiences alike.

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She also did voice-over work in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beavis and Butthead Do America.

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Demi Moore – Striptease – 1996

Moore’s big movie in 1996 (and one I believe lead to the end of her career) was Striptease.

Moore was paid $12.5 million dollars to star in the racy comedy which at the time made her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.  There was a lot of buzz around Striptease due to Moore’s paycheck and her nude scenes.  It seemed like every time you turned on the TV, Moore was explaining the research and training that went into the role.

And yet, the movie stunk.  As a comedy, it wasn’t funny.  And despite the fact that Moore had been voted MTV’s Most Desirable Female for several years, the scenes of Moore stripping weren’t very sexy.  In short, nothing about the movie worked.

Following in the high-heeled footsteps of Showgirls, Striptease got terrible reviews and bombed at the box office.  And as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, a naked Moore took the blame.

Striptease cleaned up at the Golden Raspberry Awards including a “win” for Moore as Worst Actress.

Moore - GI Jane
Demi Moore – GI Jane – 1997

For Moore’s next role, she returned to the kind of 90’s headlines that made Disclosure a hit.  This time, it was the issue of women in the military in Ridley Scott’s GI Jane.

GI Jane is a pretty by-the-numbers military flick.  It’s like An Officer and a Gentleman if the “gentleman” in question was the world’s highest paid actress.

By this point, beating up on Moore was a national past-time.  Reviews were bad, probably worse than the film deserved.  And the movie bombed in the US.  The fact that it was a hit overseas was cold comfort.

Moore won another Golden Rassie.

GI Jane and Striptease were a one-two punch of high profile disappointments for Moore.  In the span of two films, Moore had become something of a punchline.  Her response was to walk away into semi-retirement.

Moore - Deconstructing Harry
Demi Moore – Deconstructing Harry – 1997

In 1997, Moore also appeared as part of an ensemble in Woody Allen’s critical misfire, Deconstructing Harry.

Everyone wants to be in a Woody Allen movie at some point in their career.  Despite being one of Allen’s weaker efforts, Deconstructing Harry featured an all-star cast that included Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Elisabeth Shue, Tobey Maguire, Stanley Tucci, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Robin Williams.

Stock Picture, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

In 1998, Willis and Moore separated.  They filed for divorce in 2000.  The couple remained friendly.  They have three daughters together.

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Demi Moore – Passion of Mind – 2000

Her next movie was 2000’s Passion of Mind.  Moore played dual roles of two women who dream about each other’s lives.

Even though few saw the film, Moore was nominated for another Golden Raspberry.  Moore’s co-star Joss Ackland described her as being “not very bright or talented”.

moore - charlie's angels 2
Demi Moore – Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle – 2003

In 2003, Moore attempted a comeback with Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.  On paper, this seemed like a smart career move.  Moore played the villain which meant the film’s success or failure didn’t rest on her shoulders.  Also, a sequel to a popular film seemed like a sure thing.

Unfortunately, the first Charlie’s Angels was one of those movies that was a hit in spite of the fact that nobody liked it very much.  The sequel got approved even though there really wasn’t any demand for one.  Like the original, the sequel got bad reviews.  Unlike the original, Full Throttle was not a hit.

And Demi Moore won another Golden Raspberry.  Those guys really had it in for her!

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Demi Moore and family

Also in 2003, Moore began dating actor Ashton Kutcher.  Kutcher was fifteen years younger than Moore.  The couple married in 2005.  It was not at all unusual for Moore, Kutcher and Willis to be seen together.

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Demi Moore – Bobby – 2006

In 2006, Moore appeared as part of the ensemble in Bobby, a fictionalized account of the assassination of Bobby Kennedy.

Bobby was written and directed by Moore’s former fiance and Wisdom auteur, Emilio Estevez..  The fictional retelling of the final hours of Bobby Kennedy keeps popping up in WTHH articles.  It co-stars Heather Graham, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater and Sharon Stone.  Plus a few other actors who are sure to be featured in future articles.

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Demi Moore – Mr. Brooks – 2007

The next major role for Moore was in the thriller, Mr. Brooks, opposite Kevin Costner.  It was a return to the genre that made Moore a superstar.

But both Moore and Costner’s stars were fading.  Mr. Brooks represented a base hit rather than a full-on comeback for either star.

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Demi Moore – Margin Call – 2007

Since then, Moore has appeared mostly in direct-to-video releases.  She had a small part in the 2011 film, Margin Call.

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Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher

Also in 2011, Moore and Kutcher announced that they had separated.  Kutcher filed for divorce in 2012.  The divorce was finalized in 2013.

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Demi Moore – LOL – 2012

In 2012, Moore appeared opposite Miley Cyrus in the the coming of age movie LOL.

LOL started filming in 2010 but production was halted for over a year.  It finally received a limited release solely for the purpose of fulfilling a contractual obligation.

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sean1966
11 years ago

Funny. As for Striptease, I had high hopes at the time. And not to see Demi’s sweater monkeys – but rather the movie was taken from one of my favorite writers – Carl Hiaassen. The book was very good, the movie was not. Besides, fake boobies are a turn-off.
Anyhow, maybe soon you could remind readers who was in the Brat Pack. I grew up in the 80s and I have honestly forgotten.

Sid
Sid
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

In the E! True Hollywood story about Demi, I recall seeing a clip of an old 80s interview where she said something like “I don’t belong in any ‘Brat Pack’!”. I would love to find this (apparently it was re-aired in January because of all the publicity surrounding Demi’s hospitalization, but I didn’t catch it then). Demi certainly was not flattered by the Brat Pack label, and rightfully so. She was so above the rest of those mediocre, unappealing actors in the group. Her career would have gone down the tubes if she stayed with Estevez (Why she ever agreed… Read more »

Roger L
Roger L
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I was working in theatres at the time that The Outsiders came out (1983) and the term was definitely being bandied around then. And the young girls came in droves. Cruise and Swayze and Dillon quickly left the core circle while Downey, Hall and Moore kept circling each other’s films. It seemed the appearance of Estevez, Lowe or Ringwald in any movie seemed to brand it a BP film (Fresh Horses, Youngblood) regardless of who else was in it.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

I wonder if Striptease was the movie that began the sudden decline of Demi Moore’s film career? It came out while she was still in her prime (her last really big role during her prime years was G.I. Jane in 1997) but back then, it’s arguable that you couldn’t do a lot of nudity in Hollywood and still be taken seriously. Plus, she and Bruce Willis were getting divorced around that same time, which was pretty big news in the tabloids.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago
Reply to  sean1966

Top Ten Terrible Decisions to Play Terrible Strippers: http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/top-ten-terrible-decisions-to-play-terrible-strippers.php 8. Demi Moore in Striptease The age old debate as to whether you prefer fake breasts to real can pretty much be summed up by watching this film. Once the subject of an Indecent Proposal, we can see exactly how the money was spent. She comes bursting on to the stage with her manufactured mammaries exploding from her chest to the shock and awe of the audience. I thank God the movie was not in 3D, else people would have been killed. If those guns were on G.I. Jane, we would… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

10 Awful Movies You Only Watched For The Nude Scenes: http://whatculture.com/film/10-awful-movies-you-only-watched-for-the-nude-scenes.php/7 5. Striptease Who? Demi Moore Way back in 1996, Demi Moore accepted a gigantic pay cheque to play Erin Grant, the stripper star of Andrew Bergman’s infamously terrible comedic drama, a role which obviously required certain amounts of nudity. Sadly for Moore, not even the long awaited sight of her cavorting naked in front of Burt Reynolds was enough to make the film a success, because it’s so disjointed and never quite knows what it’s supposed to be. Even more sadly for the star, most of the blame lies… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  sean1966

10 Absolute Worst Flops In Movie History http://whatculture.com/film/10-absolute-worst-flops-in-movie-history.php/6 Striptease (1996) Based on a decent novel by Carl Hiaasen, Striptease is a dumbed-down-for-the-masses vehicle for Demi Moore, who got $12.5 million to play a stripper who wants to regain custody of her daughter from Robert Patrick, a slimeball who steals wheelchairs to make a quick buck. Even though she dances like Elizabeth Berkeley in Showgirls, Moore comes to the attention of Dave Dilbeck (Burt Reynolds), a Congressman with a weakness for titty bars and murdering his opponents, causing her to wonder aloud, “How did I get so popular?” (how, indeed?). When… Read more »

sean1966
11 years ago

The photo you used in your article – I only recognized Demi and Judd. And I’m sorry – who the hell is Mare Winningham?

sean1966
11 years ago

Umm…talked to Mare. She said that she hasn’t had a decent role since St. Elmo’s Fire because you dislike her so much. Time to let that go.
Two suggestions for your ‘what the hell happened’…Aly Sheedy (nutty girl) and Lori Petty (used to be hot, looks like a meth-head now)

tbob1
11 years ago

Never been on the Demi bandwagon. That raspy, whiny voice just rubs me the wrong way I guess. Can’t think of a single movie I’ve seen with her in it that was enhanced by her role. It doesn’t surprise me at all she was nominated for so many rasberries and was in so many flops. GI Jane actually had some potential but it was too preachy and she wasn’t right for the role. Viggo Mortensen made that movie watchable with his small role. Nope, can’t say I miss Demi. My recollection of the Brat Pack in addition to Demi is:… Read more »

Jake
Jake
11 years ago

I’m surprised that Demi’s relationship with Ashton Kutcher was only one sentence here because that, I felt, became as famous as her Vanity Fair cover

Johnny88
11 years ago

You mentioned Whoopi Goldberg here, one of my favourite actress qhen I was a kid. Will you ever write a WTHH about her?
Wonderful article and wonderful blog 🙂
Personally I always liked Demi Moore, but she made a string of very bad choices after “Ghost”

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Johnny88

https://lebeauleblog.com/2011/05/05/what-the-hell-happened-to-val-kilmer/#comment-7008
Oscar aside, Whoopi was always more of a personality than an actress. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a talented actress. But she is a big personality who could be hard to cast. Factor in age, race and having a unique screen persona and I imagine roles became harder to come by. However, she did successfully transition into being a TV personality on The View and other shows.

James
James
11 years ago

It’s hard to pinpoint where Demi went wrong. Maybe she was badly advised. Her best movies in my opinion were “About Last Night” and “Ghost.” In both movies she came off as very sweet, innocent and vulnerable. She should have stuck to those kinds of roles, instead of trying to become some feminist icon. She has had a piss poor career since 2000, with the exception of the arthouse independent “Flawless.” There’s no denying that her career was going in decline after Striptease, but I really think that her lengthy retirement after “G.I. Jane” is what hurt her career the… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago
Reply to  James

Rene Russo (whom I suggested to Lebeau on his Facebook page to do a “WTHHT” on eventually) is another high profile actress (who ironically, made her breakout role in “Lethal Weapon 3” when she was almost 40) of recent times who arguably made the mistake of disappearing from films (after she made “Yours, Mine and Ours”) for 5-6 years before resurfacing in “Thor” (which was really more or less, a glorified cameo appearance as Thor’s stepmother, Frigga).

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

I do agree w/ the assessment that what “killed” Rene Russo’s career as a major, A-list star was in part her age. She kind of fell into the Sharon Stone (who like Rene, became a household name/major star relatively late in their lives)/Kim Basinger category of being sex symbols, who arguably hit their supposed expiration dates after reaching certain age. Obviously, the lengthy hiatus from movies hurt also. I never really thought or considered Rene Russo to be a major box office star on her own like you can easily say that Demi Moore was at her peak. It seemed… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Whatever happened to Rene Russo?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120426082121AAEa7Bg
She doesn’t act much anymore, she’s in her 50s and probably aged past the roles she was once known for – the femme fatale. There are younger actresses who can do those roles. Sad but that’s Hollywood.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Rene Russo, Where Have You Gone? http://news.moviefone.com/2009/08/07/rene-russo-where-have-you-gone/ Actors and actresses drop out of the limelight all the time, and such is the nature of Hollywood that no one ever really stops, notices, and thinks to hire them. It’s depressing and terrifying, to say the least. The reason I started worrying about Rene Russo is actually quite bizarre. It was thanks to Jennifer Aniston, who didn’t pacify my feelings on Pumas by hiring Michael Sucsy to direct her in Goree Girls. Yes, I’m a hypocrite — one minute I’m railing against her persistent lonely girl rom-coms, and the next I’m all… Read more »

James
James
11 years ago

Also, notice that Demi didn’t get any Razzie nominations until she did the naked pregnant magazine cover? I think that’s what made so many people want to see her fail. Prior to that, she’d been in some truly horrible movies like Wisdom and Parasite. The Razzies never nominated her for those, yet they nominated her as worst actresss for The Butcher’s Wife, The Juror and Passion of Mind — all of these are solid, great performances. The Razzies lost all credibility with me when they nominated her for those movies. I don’t think she’s a bad actress, and I’m sad… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Chick Flicks: 10 Feminist Friendly Blockbuster Movies: http://whatculture.com/film/chick-flicks-10-feminist-friendly-blockbuster-movies.php/10 2. GI Jane GI Jane is the only film on this list that overtly deals with sexism. While I love a movie where a woman doesn’t have to prove herself to men and she is respected just as well as they are, I realize that is an idealized view and real life is not like that. GI Jane tells the story of Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, played by a bulked up Demi Moore as a woman attempting to make it in Navy SEAL training and struggling to overcome the sexism present in the… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  James

COMMENTARY TRACKS OF THE DAMNED:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/charlies-angels-full-throttle,22286/
Crimes
Assuming Charlie’s Angels somehow justified a sequel
Trotting out the name “Helen Zaas” as the pretext for a punishing gauntlet of posterior-themed quips
Ratcheting up to headache-inducing levels everything that was obnoxious about the first film
Replacing a wasted Bill Murray with a wasted Bernie Mac
Sadistically attempting to resurrect the career of Demi Moore

AARON
AARON
11 years ago

I think her getting breast implants was what led to her downfall…even today and moreso then…women in general dislike other females with big fake boobs. Since most of her audience was female and she started off with a girl next door image the fake boobs and the becoming a sexual predator turned off a lot of her target demographic.

AARON
AARON
11 years ago
Reply to  AARON

*Meant to say “becoming a sexual predator in dicslosure”

daffystardust
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  AARON

For anyone who was aware of the Mamet play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” which “About Last Night” was based on, the movie was a little disappointing. It wasn’t nearly as dark as it should’ve been.

daffystardust
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  AARON

A lot of the source material is actually in the film, but the original play was not in a full-length 2 act form and had to be “fleshed out” to make a whole movie. In doing this, they also extended the relationship between the two leads from about 9 weeks to around a year long. Most significantly, in the film Danny and Debra get back together at the end, creating a “happy ending” that runs completely counter to the whole concept of the original play. While Danny is a little disgusted by his friend Bernie by the end of the… Read more »

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  AARON

7 years late but got to say it… I dont think women have problem with cosmetic surgeries… they made Kardashians and Jenners famous after all

schiala
schiala
11 years ago

I caught About Last Night on cable recently too. I’d go as far as to say she deserved an Academy Award nomination for that performance. Surprisingly enough, Ebert gave the movie 4 out of 4 stars in his review.
One title that wasn’t mentioned was “If These Walls Could Talk,” the HBO movie that she produced and acted in. I think the whole thing is on YouTube unless it’s been taken down. Really powerful, disturbing and thought-provoking, and contains her best performance.

Reggie
Reggie
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

If These Walls Could Talk is simply something you have to see. You won’t be able to get it out of your mind for days.

malboroman
malboroman
11 years ago

You more or less ofrgot to mention she plays opposite John cryer in the movie No Small Affair.Which also contain a few now famous actors and actress= Tim Robbins JEnnnifeffer tilley and the fat guy from cheers I think charlie sheen was sort of a member of the brat pack.”My first line on ferris bueller was:Drugs?I thought they asked me how i wanted to get payed” Considering its charlie,thats probably closer to the truth than we realize. I also found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xpmADbaNrE on the tube.Interview with all the stars of breakfast club excapt for Emilio Who seem to never be… Read more »

Sid
Sid
11 years ago
Reply to  malboroman

I recently saw that movie for the first time. It was much better than I expected. The whole movie is a fun ride. I was surprised how good it was, really. Demi shows a range of abilities in her performance, and yes, she cries in it. Robbins and Tilly have tiny parts as Cryer’s classmates, which is ironic because they are both several years older than Demi, who’s playing the “older woman” in this film.

conneeconehead
11 years ago

Demi Moore was fabulous in General Hospital. Home with a newborn at the time, I began watching of all things a soap opera and it was because of her. It seems when Moore hit the big screen, she became very full of herself. Moore lost the vulnerability in her acting style that I had admired so much. Moore also did way too much publicity, and all of it self-serving. As far as the fake boobs accusations, Moore once said that after having and breastfeeding three children, her breast size increased. Having done the same and going from a B cup… Read more »

daffystardust
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

sometimes I wish we had a “like” button here

daffystardust
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Boy Lebeau! You really aim to please! I honestly had no idea that “likes” were an option here. That was just my way of saying I thought your joke was awesome.
That being said, the “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” may prove fun!

conneeconehead
11 years ago

Laughing my ass off!!!! You are too funny

Sid
Sid
11 years ago

She was only in her mid-30s when her career tanked. Too soon. I’m probably one of the few people who has actually seen Passion of Mind. If you’re a fan of hers, you’ll love it. In the end, at least she can say she was in one of the most successful movies of all time. People will still be watching Ghost 50 years from now.

Brian
Brian
11 years ago

I have to agree about Striptease being a lousy film. It was tonally uneven. I haven’t read the book, but it is said to be good. They tried to make it funny, why? No one goes to see a movie called “Striptease” for laughs. The poster had her posing naked with a serious face. That’s misleading. I, as a fan of hers, was disappointed. It could have been a good film. It wasn’t sexy at all. The first dance she did was very, very hot, but the context of the film just ruins it. Ving Rhames is in the movie,… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Brian

Hollywood Career Killers: 15 Movies That Helped Do Away With Major Tinseltown Players: http://styleblazer.com/141888/hollywood-career-killers-15-movies-that-helped-do-away-with-major-tinseltown-players/8/ Demi Moore’s shot at sex-symbol status drove Striptease. The 1996 satire–about an FBI accountant (Moore) turned stripper who gets involved in a child custody battle and corrupt politics—had two major problems. First, the film was supposed to be a hot vehicle for Moore, but wound up being more trashy and weird than sen-sual. Secondly, the film’s satire was undermined by a studio’s request for a more frothy comedy. This turned what was supposed to be a dark satire into a sleazy sex comedy. Even worse, Moore… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

The Top 10 Career Killing Movies: http://www.zimbio.com/The+Top+10+Career+Killing+Movies/articles/BQcssfK2Pcp/8+Demi+Moore+Striptease #8: Demi Moore, ‘Striptease’ By Jake on July 23, 2009 Striptease (1996) Year of Release: 1996 Budget: $50 million Domestic Box Office: $36 million What the Critics Said: “Who told Demi Moore she can act? She can’t. End of discussion.” – Eric Brace, The Washington Post Coroner’s Report: Demi Moore had become one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood after the smash hit Ghost, earning a reported $10 million in flicks such as Indecent Proposal, A Few Good Men, and Disclosure, when she signed on to star in 1996’s Striptease. Pre-release publicity… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Brian

They Didn’t Quite Make It Big, But Made Good Nevertheless: 15 Actors Who Barely Missed The A-List: http://styleblazer.com/132765/they-didnt-quite-make-it-big-but-made-good-nevertheless-15-actors-who-barely-missed-the-a-list/5/ Michael Biehn got his first major role in 1981 in The Fan, a slasher that had him as a stalking aging starlet Lauren Bacall. The film tanked, but Biehn got a second stab at leading man with James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator. Biehn played Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future and the hero of the film. Despite his leading role, Biehn’s performance was overshadowed by a career defining turn from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the title role. Luckily, Biehn got a… Read more »

Chris
Chris
11 years ago

Ah, Blame It On Rio..I actually liked this film, not sure why the critics didn’t. Of course, I’m a big Michael Caine fan, and he was absolutely great in this. Demi had a pretty insignificant part, as I remember, not much screen time at all.

Chris
Chris
11 years ago

“The original New York magazine article that coined the term was more inclusive and included the cast of The Outsiders as well.”
As I recall, EVERYONE was in The Outsiders, so I think that may be too wide of a filter to use for determining Brat Pack membership. I mean, you would then have to include people like Ralph Macchio, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and even Leif Garrett(!)

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I think Brat Pack became shorthand for the teen heartthrobs who didn’t quite make it- Lowe, Nelson, and Estevez.
Cruise and Swayze escaped because of their success- as did Charlie Sheen.
I mean- how is Sheen not a Brat Packer(?)- his brother was one and he went to high school with Lowe. He certainly partied with them.
He isn’t because he only had a cameo in Ferris- and Platoon and Wall Street made him big.

Christopher
Christopher
11 years ago

I think the Vanity Fair cover provided a boost to her career, at first. Ultimately, it was more of a detriment. Also, choosing the implants (the massive size and showing them off) at a time when she was already established was a poor move. It deflated the boost her career had received up to that point. The fact that she lied about the implants (later admitting to having them removed) and blaming the new size on her children didn’t sit well with women.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Also, from what I’ve gathered, Demi at the peak of her notoriety, gained a bit of a reputation for being a diva. For instance, she became known for demanding ridiculous sums of money for films, resulting in the nickname ‘Gimme’ Moore. Also, there’s an infamous story about her demanding two private jets when on a shoot. One to carry her and her entourage and the other her luggage. In one case, she threw a tantrum because the plane was too small and her luggage would have to be stacked rather than fit next to each other and refused to continue… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I think that after looking further into stuff like this, Demi kind of “Debra Wingered” (I’m sure that Winger’s “self-imposed exile” was due in part to filmmakers tiring of putting up w/ her BS) herself out of the game (i.e., he didn’t simply remove herself from the spotlight to raise her kids in Idaho).

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

I think that another one of Demi’s problems during her ’90s heyday was that she arguably repeatedly made the mistake of doing films with scripts that were already in bad shape (e.g. “Striptease”). Perhaps, Demi also put a bad taste in the public’s mouth by exposing too much and oversaturating herself with provocative fare like “The Scarlet Letter”, “Striptease”, “If These Walls Could Talk”, and “G.I. Jane” (and to a lesser extent, “Disclosure” and “Indecent Proposal”). Unfortunately, people more than likely weren’t flocking to theaters solely for her. In movies where she was the only well known name (when compared… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

Another way to look at this is that you can argue that Demi perhaps, made the mistake of relying on her looks more than actually trying to develop her acting abilities by stretching her skills. In the process, Demi often played the “butch” testosterone laden type of woman (or what others have said, she decided to make her out to be some sort of “feminist icon” for the ’90s). Maybe, there also wasn’t really a (sometimes, what would be considered “iconic”) role that Demi made “her own”. Come to think of it, the biggest hits in Demi’s career (i.e. “Ghost”,… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Movies that destroyed careers: http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=590162 Posted – 02/13/2013 : 5:23:26 PM Demi did it to herself. Her movie “G.I. Jane” was in males’ faces with the whole “We can do what we want!” BS. I therefore, think that she ruffled a lot guys’ feathers with her attitude. But she also reinforced that role with Michael Douglas when she played his boss, who basically owned and destroyed men at will in “Disclosure” (which came before “G.I. Jane”). If your movies are designed to make a point to a group that not many people may believe or support, then I am off… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

I’ve also heard the argument that “The Scarlet Letter” was way more damaging to Demi’s career than “Striptease” and/or “G.I. Jane” because it showed that Demi was really unable to do intense drama.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?s=d09ea62a7b7b166fdb1c673112b2f0e1&p=65029401&postcount=16

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Top 10: Career Killing Films: http://themediahole.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/top-10-career-killing-films.html 9) Striptease (Demi Moore) Following 1990’s Ghost, Demi Moore found herself as both the highest paid and highest sought after actresses in Hollywood, following her appearance in roles in the critically acclaimed films Indecent Proposal, A Few Good Men, and Disclosure, however Moore’s star has since taken a wane from the high days, and her role in this 1996 drama being seen as one of the major reasons for that. Striptease sees Moore as a former FBI secretary whom after losing a custody battle takes up the role as a stripper as a means… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

ACTORS WHOSE CAREERS WERE KILLED WITH ONE MOVIE: http://screencrush.com/movies-that-killed-actors-careers/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_76862 14 ‘Striptease,’ Demi Moore We didn’t know it at the time, but 1996’s ‘Striptease’ was the beginning of a downturn in Demi Moore’s career that she would never recover from. The film was meant to be the perfect showcase for Moore’s star power and beauty. (She earned a them record $12.5 million payday for the role.) Instead, it was a critically reviled flop. Her following movie — 1997’s ‘G.I. Jane’ — barely broke even and Moore starred in barely seen movies until 2003’s ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.’ Can you name a… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

STRIPTEASE (1996) http://www.cinefilestv.blogspot.com/2014/11/striptease-1996.html Written & Directed By: Andrew Bergman Based On The Book By: Carl Hiaasen Cinematography By: Stephen Goldblatt Editor: Anne V. Coates Cast: Demi Moore, Burt Reynolds, Armand Assante, Ving Rhames, Robert Patrick, Rumer Willis, Paul Guilfoyle, Pandora Peaks, Barbara Alyn Woods, Siobhan Fallon, Jose Zuniga, Frances Fisher, Keone Young Erin Grant loses care and custody of her daughter when she’s divorced from her husband Darrell, a small-time thief. Struggling for money, she is a dancer at a nightclub, where one night Congressman Dilbeck (in disguise) attacks another member of the audience. A spectator, who recognizes Dilbeck and… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

I think that at the end of the day, Demi for various reasons became “box office poison”. The people who fell in love w/ her in stuff like “Ghost” and what not ultimately turned on her. It really all started once she decided to perhaps become the “Madonna of acting” (I know that Madonna has acted too, but you know what I mean) in terms of being trying to come off as edgy and controversial. The problem was that Demi for all intents and purposes, had a knack for poorly choosing scripts (it really went downhill for her w/ “The… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

I really don’t think that Michelle Pfeiffer is a fair enough of a comparison or contrast because most of the comments that I’ve read on this site regarding why Michelle landed her own WTHHT was her own self-imposed hiatus from films (from 2002-2007 if I’m not mistaken). I posted elsewhere, that maybe another factor in why Demi hasn’t been able to really maintain a truly respectable career in her older years is her much public relationship w/ Ashton Kutcher as well as her overall “cougar image” (Demi ironically, seems to be hurting herself more by not accepting that she’s getting… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I didn’t realize until this post that GI Jane only broke even. It seemed to get a lot of attention- but I guess it annoyed men into not seeing it in the theaters.
More proof to me that Moore was bigger than her movies and that publicity doesn’t always translate to success.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

I wonder if Demi kind of regretted turning down Sharon Stone’s “star making” role in “Basic Instinct” and tried to make up for that by making all of those highly sexual or provocative type of movies (one of them incidentally featured Michael Douglas):
http://styleblazer.com/100782/14-actressess-who-declined-a-leading-role-in-a-blockbuster-movie/9/

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