The Substance Cast & Character Guide

The substanceIts tight focus on its main character benefits the dark horror satire about the entertainment industry. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance focuses on an aging celebrity actor who finds herself out of a job after being forced out of her TV show. Desperate to regain her notoriety, she reluctantly starts using a mysterious black market drug that creates a second, younger version of herself. The substance is largely focused on the back-and-forth that erupts between the two versions of the celebrity, steadily exposing their internal fears and darker impulses.

The film keeps its focus primarily on its main character, Elizabeth. An aging star who fears her golden days are behind her, Elizabeth’s decision to embrace the substance as a solution to her problems only sets her up for far more horrifying results. The main cast of the body horror film The substance is limited to only three actors, but the film’s crude view of Hollywood is released by several up-and-coming character actors. Here are the stars of The substance And where did you see them before?

Demi Moore as Elizabeth

Age: 61

Active since: 1981

Actor: Born in Roswell, New Mexico, Demi Moore is the star of The substance. After making her debut in 1981 in films like Choice And shows how General HospitalMoore became one of the infamous “brat pack” and found her big break in films like St. Elmo’s Fire And About last night…. Demi Moore’s biggest hit remains Ghostwho co-stars in alongside Patrick Swayze. Steadily shifting into more art-house films and supporting roles over the years, Moore has remained a consistent movie star in Hollywood for four decades.

Character: in The substance, Demi Moore plays longtime Hollywood star Elizabeth. A popular entertainer who broke big decades before the present, the film’s plot is set in motion when Elizabeth is fired from her longtime role headlining a workout TV show. Desperate to regain her youth and success, Elizabeth uses the mysterious substance to create a secondary version of herself. However, Elizabeth’s jealousy and insecurities lead her steadily to desperate acts of rebellion and frustration with her younger counterpart.

Margaret Qualley as Sue

Age: 29

Active since: 2011

Actor: The daughter of fellow actor Andie MacDowell, Margaret Qualley was born in Kalispell, Montana. After her cinematic debut in Gia Coppola’s drama Palo Alto, Qualley found her big break with the role of Jill Garvey on HBO The leftovers. In the subsequent decade, Qualley was nominated for several awards, including an Emmy for her performance as Ann Reinking in Fosse/Verdon and a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Alex in Service.

Character: Sue is the younger version of Elizabeth What is created thanks to the substance. Although the two initially share an opinion, Sue’s enthusiastic embrace of her youth and celebrity status quickly leads to conflict between her and Elizabeth. As the film progresses, Sue becomes increasingly confrontational with her counterpart from afar, and becomes more committed to remaining the dominant personality.

Dennis Quaid as Harvey

Age: 70

Active since: 1975

Actor: Born in Houston, Texas, Dennis Quaid spent the early years of his movie career in films like Breaking away And The night the lights are out in Georgia Before Found his big break with The right stuff. Dennis Quaid’s career has varied over the years from romantic period pieces like Far from heavenCrime dramas like TrafficFantasy epic like Dragon HeartAnd family film fare like The parent trap. His most recent roles have included the voice of Jaeger Clade in Disney Strange world and playing former President Ronald Reagan in Reign.

Character: Harvey is a television executive and one of the antagonists of The substance. Harvey, a self-centered and surface-level executive who shifts from grossly rude to sickeningly positive between scenes, unwittingly sets the film’s events in motion by jumping at the chance to replace Elizabeth as the host of her workout show. Harvey quickly becomes enamored with Sue’s potential as a star, and he appears throughout the film as the personification of the entertainment industry’s predatory and heartless approach to actors and stardom.

The supporting case of the substance

Although The substance is primarily focused on Elizabeth and SueThere are several other notable performers in supporting roles that help flesh out the entertainment world that these women are a part of. Hugo Diego Garcia (Death and other details) briefly appears as Diego, one of Sue’s romantic partners. French actor Oscar Lesage (Monassist spade) appears as Troy, another young man encountered by Elizabeth and Sue.

Garr Abrams (Marinette) plays Oliver, one of Elizabeth’s neighbors, Highlighting the film’s views on casual sexism and harassment Experienced by women. Robin Greer (The snake queen) appears briefly but in an important role as the unnamed nurse who introduces Elizabeth to the concept of the substance. But for the most part, The substance Remains firmly focused on Elizabeth and her attempts to regain her lost youth and success as a star.