Demi Moore's best performances, from ‘St. Elmo's Fire' to ‘Ghost' and beyond

CNN

26-02-2025

'The Substance' has paved the way for what could be Demi Moore's first Oscar, but as the actress has candidly shared during her award season sweep, the road to this career-defining moment has been long.
With her beautifully expressive face and uniquely gravelly voice, Moore has actually been capturing moviegoing audiences' attention and admiration for decades, starting in the 1980s when she ran with the Brat Pack.
Moore's career can even be used as a guide for a walk down Hollywood memory lane. In order of release, here are some of her most quintessential screen performances:
After a handful of roles in smaller films and two years on 'General Hospital,' Moore hit it big with this similarly soapy Brat Pack film, in which she portrayed Jules, a fun-loving but somewhat unstable party girl who secretly does care what her absentee dad and 'stepmonster' think. For those gunning for a sequel, there's reason to be cautiously optimistic, at least according to Moore's costar Rob Lowe.
With her pageboy haircut and look of bottomless grief, Moore redefined the role of a leading lady for 90's audiences in this blockbuster supernatural thriller/romance hybrid. When it comes to classic Hollywood romance, few moments compare to the provocative pottery scene she shared with Patrick Swayze, set to the timeless 'Unchained Melody.'
Along with 'A Few Good Men' (which deserves an honorable mention on this list), 'Proposal' was Moore's most successful followup after the hit 'Ghost.' It became a pop-culture phenomenon in its own right thanks to Moore's chemistry with both Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford, with a little help from the incredible track 'No Ordinary Love' by Sade.
While definitely a bit dated through the lens of 2025, Moore stole the show in this twisty corporate thriller based on a Michael Crichton novel that saw her play a vindictive executive who commits sexual harassment against her male subordinate (Michael Douglas).
This beloved dramedy followed four female friends both as adults and children, with much of the story told in flashback and narrated by Moore. Costarring Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Melanie Griffith, Christina Ricci and Thora Birch, among others, love for this buddy movie – and the love these actresses have for each other – remains strong to this day.
Moore continued to dominate the 1990s with this physically demanding and mold-breaking performance, in which she played the first female Navy SEAL. The Ridley Scott-directed film also showcased Moore's chiseled appearance with a shaved head that marked the totality of her transformation.
In what could be considered her Bond villain moment, Moore switched gears and played a bad guy who gave new meaning to the term badass in this successful franchise followup. Starring Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz, this movie had it all – action, adventure and a bikini scene so memorable that Moore and Barrymore revisited on the latter's talkshow last year.
Moore reteamed with her fellow Brat Pack-er Emilio Estevez for this underrated political drama that reconstructs the night that politician Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. The star more than held her own in an ensemble that included Helen Hunt, Laurence Fishburne and Anthony Hopkins.
A rousing war cry against misogyny and ageism, Moore's portrayal of an established Hollywood star facing down an industry trying to discard her – and the drastic measures she takes to remain relevant in their eyes, as well as her own – became the buzziest allegorical film in a long while. It's also one of the few horror films to ever gain significant recognition from the Academy.