When Demi Moore joined the cast of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), she brought her natural acting talent and stunning beauty to the highly-anticipated sequel. Being 40 years old at the time, she defied Hollywood norms by appearing in a two-piece bikini, sparking widespread conversations about age, beauty and fitness.
Reflecting on that time, Moore said she never could have imagined just how “big” that discussion became.
Bringing on an A-list star for the Charlie’s Angels sequel
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle brought back the leading trio of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, continuing the high-energy action and friendship that defined the first film. The sequel also featured a notable addition of Demi Moore, who played Madison Lee, a former Angel-turned-antagonist.
The release aimed to build on the explosive style, humor and action sequences that characterized the original. However, despite its ambitious production and star-studded cast, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances and visual flair, but critiqued the movie for its over-the-top nature and thin storyline.
The reception among audiences was more forgiving; at the box office, it earned approximately $259.2 million. While this was a respectable sum, it fell short of matching the financial success of the original 2000 film.
Demi Moore’s bikini scene sparked a ‘big conversation’
There’s one particular scene in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle that stuck out to audiences in the sequel, namely when Demi Moore wore a sexy two-piece bikini. In an interview for Elle‘s 2024 Women in Hollywood feature, the actor recalled it became “such a big conversation,” which she “never imagined in a million years” would have occurred.
The reason for all the talk? Her age.
“I was 40, which meant I shouldn’t have a body that was desirable – that’s what I challenged,” Moore explained. “I feel like we all have a role to play in life, to be of service, and for whatever reason, I feel like that has been something I’ve been called to do. But I don’t think it would’ve been such a big deal if I hadn’t been of an age that, at that time, it was already determined that you should look like s***.”
Beauty standards have ‘changed,’ but more needs to be done
Like others in Hollywood, Demi Moore has been vocal about the scrutiny women face when aging in the limelight.
Throughout her career, Moore’s found herself pushing against the norm, and while she believes beauty standards have “changed,” the 62-year-old says Hollywood and society are “at a point where we need to reevaluate the desirability of a woman who has gone through menopause.”
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She added, “Women used to be relegated to the sidelines, made to be, in fact, almost asexual. It’s not like I’ve set out to redefine that; it’s really that I’ve just been trying to find what’s truthful and authentic within myself – and if I can do that, then hopefully that reflects for others.”