Demi Moore has recently explained why she took the role of a stripper in 1996’s Striptease.
Speaking with Variety, Demi said, “Take Striptease: There was an interesting kind of judgment placed on a woman who worked as a dancer, but the idea was that this was a woman trying to take care of her child in the best way she could.”
Reflecting on her role in 1997's G.I. Jane, Demi stated, “I thought, 'If a woman is skilled enough and has the desire to [serve], why wouldn’t we want her there?' I didn’t understand why that door was closed. Many of my films had similar themes.”
“I did Striptease and G.I. Jane back-to-back. If anything in this industry has ever been stacked against me, it was having those two films come out at the same time and becoming the highest-paid actress on top of that,” she explained.
The Songbird actress mentioned, “That moment was so powerful for me because it wasn’t just about me; it was about changing the playing field for all women.”
However, Demi noted, “I was portraying a stripper, I betrayed women. And because I played a soldier, I betrayed men.”
“The narrative quickly became, 'Well, she’s only getting paid that number because she’s playing a stripper.' It hit me really hard,” continued the Love Sonia actress.
Demi added, “But at the same time, I understood that anybody who steps out first is going to take the hit. That goes for anybody challenging the status quo.”
Meanwhile, Demi will next be seen in The Substance, which is slated to release in theatres on September 20.