Margaret Qualley on ‘Substance’: “My Butt Had More Screen Time Than My Face”
As the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell and former model Paul Qualley, Margaret Qualley undoubtedly possesses movie-star looks; however, she humorously remarked that in the 2024 film The Substance, her other, ahem, features largely overshadowed her face.
“I think my butt got more screen time than my face,” the actress quipped in a cover interview with i-D magazine on Thursday, April 17.
Interestingly, The Substance explores the unsettling self-torment women face in their relentless chase of an unrealistic ideal of perfection. The film intertwines elements of camp, body horror, and feminine rage, starkly highlighting the grotesque aspects of our culture’s obsession with beauty.
The story follows Elisabeth (Demi Moore), an aging fitness instructor on television who is offered the opportunity to transform into a younger, seemingly “more beautiful” version of herself, Sue (Margaret).
The film requires a bi-weekly switch between the two identities. However, this process heightens the dysphoria experienced by both women, resulting in jealousy and igniting a harmful cycle of self-punishment without any winners.
To embody Sue, Margaret, 30, indicated that her preparation was primarily physical, which included working with a trainer. She shared, “I did a lot of yoga to try to achieve maximum symmetry in my body, aiming to feel almost newborn.”
This description resonates particularly well given that her character emerges from Moore’s spine, reminiscent of childbirth.
Margaret further explained that the film’s raw portrayal of blatant eroticism allowed her to fully embrace her character, even though Sue serves as a sharp satire of the impossible beauty standards.
Mubi Demi Moore’s The Substance is making waves at the Cannes Film Festival. The provocative feminist body horror film premiered on Sunday, May 19, earning an 11-minute standing ovation, despite being labeled “disarmingly grotesque” by Variety. Moore, 61, portrays an aging Hollywood actress who ingests a drug that transforms her into a younger version […]
“I was 28, striving for perfection,” Margaret reflected, adding, “It’s part of a broader narrative. It’s alright if you find me unlikable. In fact, that’s the intention.”
Margaret, who was trained in the pursuit of perfection, spent much of her formative years aspiring to be a professional ballerina before transitioning to modeling and eventually acting. “Ballet, especially, demands perfection. It’s all about control, and there’s a defined way of doing things,” she remarked in her i-D interview.
“I feel my role in The Substance represented my Saturn return,” she elaborated. “It allowed me to confront the issues I’ve dealt with my entire life in a substantial way, but with the opportunity to approach it differently than I did at 16 when I was modeling. I wasn’t kind to myself then.”
The performance ultimately culminated in a full-circle moment, as it led her back into the dance world, featuring in a choreographed segment on stage at the 2025 Academy Awards in March.
“It was surreal because Mandy Moore — the choreographer, not the actress — is someone I would drive three hours to Atlanta to attend her class, and I would dance my heart out just to get her attention to bring me on stage,” she recounted.
“Then, fast forward 20 years, and I finally captured her attention. It was incredibly surreal and so much fun.”
