Demi Moore ‘knew’ she’d lose the Oscar to Mikey Madison: ‘I didn’t feel gutted’
Demi Moore is getting candid on a substantial loss.
The star, 62, reflected on losing the Best Actress award at the 2025 Oscars to Mikey Madison.
Moore was up for her role in “The Substance” against Madison, 26, for “Anora,” Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked,” Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez,” and Fernanda Torres for “I’m Still Here.”
Looking back on the moment at the Academy Awards right before they announced Madison as the winner, Moore told Time magazine Wednesday, “I leaned over and whispered to my manager, ‘I think it’s going to Mikey.’ ”
The actress said it was a gut instinct.
“I don’t know why I knew, but I did,” she continued. “I was so centered and calm. I didn’t feel gutted. I didn’t feel any of those kinds of things. I just trusted, and am in trust of, whatever is going to unfold.”
Of course, Moore would have loved to take home the trophy after snatching the SAG Award, Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award during this statue season for playing actress Elisabeth Sparkle in the sci-fi flick.
“The physical, human part that has ego, of course, has disappointment,” the “G.I. Jane” star told the outlet. “It certainly would have been wonderful to have won.”
The internet went into a frenzy after watching Madison win over Moore in March.
While a video of the “Ghost” alum gritting her teeth as the “Scream” vet’s name was called made its rounds on social media, Moore quickly recovered by giving Madison her flowers.
“This is very surreal,” the young actress said in her acceptance speech. “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible.
“I just want to recognize and honor the sex worker community,” Madison, who played a sex worker in the film, continued. “Yes. I will continue to support and be an ally. All of the incredible people, the women that I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this incredible experience.”
She added, “I also just want to recognize the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking work of my fellow nominees. I’m honored to be recognized alongside all of you. This is a dream come true.”
Two months before, Moore took home her first Golden Globe after over 40 years in the industry.
“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 began. “And I’m just so humbled and so grateful.”
“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress. 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 and made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged and I bought in, and I believed that.
“That corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it,” Moore admitted. “Maybe I was complete, maybe I’d done what I was supposed to do.”
However, all that changed when the horror/sci-fi film, which also starred Margaret Qualley, found her.
“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,’ ” Moore said. “And the universe told me, ‘You’re not done.’ ”
Before concluding her speech, Moore addressed the audience.
“I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting. In those moments, when we don’t think we’re smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or successful enough, or basically just not enough: I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.’ ”
