Demi Moore has made a stunning comeback at the Golden Globes, clinching the best actress award for a role in a body horror film that has revitalized her career.
The 62-year-old actress delivered a heartfelt speech upon receiving her award, sharing with the audience that she was “at a low point” before landing the role in “The Substance.”
Moore described the award as a celebration of “the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong.”
The ceremony also saw wins for other films such as “Emilia Pérez,” “The Brutalist,” and “Wicked,” while “Baby Reindeer” and “Shōgun” claimed the major television awards.
Regarded as the season’s first major awards ceremony, the Golden Globes are viewed as a reliable predictor of Oscar winners.
A standout moment of the evening was Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres winning best drama actress for her outstanding performance in “I’m Still Here,” surpassing Hollywood heavyweights like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.
Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes divide many of their categories into dramas and musicals/comedies. Moore secured the best actress award in the musical/comedy category.
Once a regular at the Globes during the 90s and early 2000s, Moore has only this year won her first award. In “The Substance,” she portrays a woman who exchanges her body for a younger, more attractive version.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Moore expressed her shock at winning amid such strong competition, including nominees like Mikey Madison of “Anora,” Cynthia Erivo from “Wicked,” and Karla Sofía Gascón from “Emilia Pérez.”
“I’ve been doing this a long time, over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor,” Moore said.
“Thirty years ago, a producer told me I was a ‘popcorn actress’ and at that time, I took that to mean that awards weren’t something 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.”
“I bought into that, and I believed it, and it corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it, maybe I was complete. I had done what I was supposed to do.”
“And as I was at a low point, I received this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script called ‘The Substance,’ and the universe told me that I wasn’t done,” she added.
In other news, “Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes a gender transition, swept four awards, becoming the top film of the night.
Karla Sofía Gascón, accepting the best musical or comedy film award, encouraged the audience to embrace their true selves, proclaiming, “I want to say to you, raise your voice and say, ‘I am who I am, not who you want me to be.'”
Her co-star Zoe Saldaña, upon winning best supporting actress, shared an energetic speech filled with gratitude, celebrating the solidarity among the nominees.
“I’m so blessed to be sharing this moment with my fellow nominees,” she said. “I know this is a competition, but all I have witnessed is us showing up for each other and celebrating each other, and it’s just so beautiful.”
The film also secured awards for best original song and best non-English language film. Director Jacques Audiard, accepting the latter, expressed hope that “Emilia Pérez” would serve as a beacon of light in challenging times.
“The Brutalist,” an expansive film about a Hungarian architect rebuilding his life in the US post-World War II, took home three awards, including best drama and best actor for Adrien Brody.
Director Brady Corbet, winning best director, acknowledged that the film was unconventional in terms of box office appeal.
Sebastian Stan was awarded best actor in a musical or comedy for his role in “A Different Man,” portraying a man with a severe facial deformity who undergoes a dramatic transformation.
Kieran Culkin edged out Jeremy Strong, his “Succession” co-star, to win best supporting actor for his role in “A Real Pain,” a story about two cousins traveling across Poland in remembrance of their grandmother.
Although “Wicked” did not win in the major categories, it received the box office achievement award, following in the footsteps of last year’s nominee, “Barbie.”
Upon receiving the award, Jon M Chu, the director of “Wicked,” honored the film and stage musical’s dedicated fans, who cherish the origin story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
“This is for you, the fans out there, who came to the movie theaters, brought your friends and family, we saw your videos, your singalongs, your makeup, hair products, bakery items,” he said.
“It shows us how important making this stuff is, in a time when pessimism and cynicism rule the planet, that we can still make art that is a radical act of optimism.”
