After four decades of acting in rom-coms, legal dramas and crime thrillers, Demi Moore is finally getting her flowers. The seasoned actress has come a long way since she skyrocketed to fame in the ’80s, having won her first Golden Globe Award for her performance in The Substance. And now, Moore is officially an Academy Award nominee. Following her Golden Globe win, she wrote on Instagram, “Woke up this morning still in shock but full of so much joy, love, and gratitude for this honor and recognition. I am so deeply humbled.”
The actress and producer is best known for her role as Molly Jensen in the 1990 film, Ghost, and more recently, Moore made headlines with her anthology series, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, but there’s more to the star than her many acting credits. For instance, she’s a New York Times Best Selling author, and she’s quite passionate about philanthropy, having supported charities like UNICEF, Free the Slaves and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. In addition, she’s the proud mother of three daughters: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
Following the release of Moore’s tell-all memoir, Inside Out, Rumer said in a statement, “I think so many women have watched her, and just as her daughters watch her, as this beacon of strength and this kind of leader. What I really respect about her is that she is never the victim in her stories…She’s allowing herself to show everyone that you can go through some really difficult, hard things, and you can still be someone who is thriving and taking accountability.”
Keep reading for all the details on Moore, from her career beginnings to her impressive net worth.
Fast Facts
Early Life & Rise to Fame
Demi Moore (originally Demi Gene Guynes) was born to Virginia King and Charles Foster Harmon Sr. in New Mexico in 1962. However, she was raised by her mom and stepfather, Dan Guynes, who married Virginia when Moore was just three months old. The pair welcomed Moore’s half-brother, Morgan, in 1967, and she also has three half-siblings (James, Charlotte and Charles Jr.) from her father’s other marriages. As it turns out, Moore learned that Guynes was not her biological father at age 13. In 1991, she told Vanity Fair, “My dad is Dan Guynes. He raised me. There is a man who would be considered my biological father who I don’t really have a relationship with.”
During the ’70s, Moore moved to L.A. and signed with the Elite Modeling Agency and enrolled in acting classes after befriending her neighbor, Nastassja Kinski—a young actress who encouraged Moore to pursue the same field. While chatting with W magazine about Kinski’s influence, she recalled, “I could feel that she had something—this comfort in herself—and I wanted what she had.”
Fortunately, Moore hit the ground running during the early ’80s, securing her first credited role in the 1981 film, Choices. After landing a few other movie roles, she joined the cast of General Hospital in 1982 and rose to fame while playing the role of Jackie Templeton.
Moore’s film career reached new heights after she starred in the 1984 comedy, Blame It on Rio, and she found even more success with St. Elmo’s Fire. But in addition to acting, Moore also dabbled in songwriting. After meeting and marrying her musician boyfriend, Freddy Moore (more on this later), the duo co-wrote three songs together, and Moore even appeared in the music video for one of their songs, “It’s Not a Rumor” (performed by the Nu-Kats).
Top Movies & TV Shows
Moore is known for quite a few of her teen and coming-of-age films, including Blame It on Rio, St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night and No Small Affair. She had her big breakthrough after starring in Ghost, followed by multiple box office hits like Striptease, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure. As a result, she became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood in the ’90s, per MTV.
Since then, Moore has appeared in titles like Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, The Joneses, Very Good Girls, Empire, Brave New World, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and Landman. But now, it appears the actress is in her Renaissance Era, because her recent portrayal of Elisabeth in The Substance is easily one of her most noteworthy performances to date.
The Substance, which follows an aging Hollywood star who turns to a black-market drug to recapture her youth, has been praised by critics for its strong performances and thoughtful exploration of beauty standards and female identity.
Moore told Heavy Cinema, “It was an absolutely unique way of delving into this subject matter, one that scared me just enough that I knew it would push me out of my comfort zone. And it was also just a richly complex character to play that I can say I certainly hadn’t seen come across my desk before. I think it was something where I felt like it was also exploring this idea of not just aging, but that violence that we can have against ourselves, which I feel is such a human relationship relatable issue that we all share.”
Personal Life
Moore has been quite vocal about her star-studded dating history and previous marriages. In 1980, at just 18 years old, she tied the knot with Freddy Moore, but she parted ways with the musician after four years, noting in her memoir that the marriage served as a distraction from grieving the death of her father.
In 1987, she got married to fellow actor Bruce Willis, whom she described in her memoir as “cocky, dark and handsome” when they met. Only four months after their first encounter, the pair got married and welcomed three daughters: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. Unfortunately, after 11 years of marriage, they split up in 1998 and finalized their divorce in 2000, but they’re still close friends to this day.
Moore then went on to tie the knot with Ashton Kutcher in September 2005—about two years after they started dating. However, the marriage fell apart when Kutcher became “less and less present,” per her memoir. The couple separated in 2011 and finalized their divorce in 2013. In response, Kutcher tweeted, “I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail.”
In addition to her marriages, Moore was previously engaged to her St. Elmo’s Fire co-star, Emilio Estevez, after two years of dating on and off. However, they never made it down the aisle. Moore has also dated Rob Lowe, Jon Cryer, Oliver Whitcomb, Harry Morton, Sean Friday and Daniel Humm.
Family & Children
Moore is the proud mom of three children, and all have followed in her footsteps professionally. The eldest, Rumer (36), is an actress and singer who shares a daughter, Louetta Isley, with her ex Derek Richard Thomas. The second eldest, Scout (33), is a singer, actress and producer who tends to keep a lower profile, and Tallulah (31) is an actress and entrepreneur.
All three siblings have appeared with their parents at red carpet events, and it’s no secret that they’re Moore’s biggest supporters.
Following Moore’s Golden Globes win, Moore caught a glimpse of her family’s enthusiastic cheers after the ceremony and told Entertainment Tonight, “Everything I do is for them, it’s for my daughters, for my daughter’s daughter. And I hope in that same way that that translates for all women. I am just so grateful that I get to be a part of paving a new pathway, a new way for women and how we can be seen, the things that we can do, and I’m not the answer but I get to be a small piece.”
Personal Style
Moore’s got an eye for fashion, and it’s evident every time she steps out on the red carpet. The actress usually opts for bold and shimmery ensembles that range from glamorous textured gowns to bold suits. For instance, one of her most memorable looks is the black-and-red Oscar de la Renta dress at the Los Angeles premiere of The Substance in 2024. The metallic paillettes created a stained glass effect, making the actress look like a walking piece of art.
Another standout ensemble? Her dazzling swan dress from the premiere of Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. The gorgeous Balmain number doubled as a tribute to Truman Capote’s famous 1966 Black and White Ball.
Net Worth
Demi Moore is worth a staggering $200 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. She built her fortune through her film work, sponsorship deals, real estate, producing and a very lucrative divorce settlement.
Fun fact: By 1995, Moore became the highest-paid actress in the world, thanks to the success of Striptease and G.I. Jane. For the former film, she earned $12.5 million and for the latter, $11 million. Since then, she’s been a vocal advocate for equal pay in Hollywood.
As for her divorce settlement with Willis, it accounts for nearly half of her net worth. According to Hello! magazine, Moore received $90 million in cash and real estate. One of the properties was a luxury New York apartment near Central Park, and per Architectural Digest, she sold it for $45 million. Moore also owns properties in Hailey, Idaho, and a home in Beverly Hills that she purchased for $3.15 million in 2003.
Career Achievements & Awards
Given her lengthy career, it comes as no surprise that Moore has earned so many accolades. Just for her work in The Substance, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress. Additionally, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Additionally, Moore earned an Emmy nomination for her role in If These Walls Could Talk. Her work in Ghost scored her a Golden Globe nod and the Saturn Award for Best Actress.
