Demi Moore’s former director gets honest about ‘anti-Demi’ industry

He revealed that the actress overcame “bigoted and anti-Demi” thinking after her debut in the industry 40 years earlier.

Roland revealed that he directed Demi in 1995 movie, The Scarlet Letter, a movie adaptation of 1850 novel of the same name by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Roland recounted an editor for an East Coast publication had told him that insiders in the industry were not happy that he had cast Demi in the lead role of Hester Prynne.

The director mentioned that the “editor had informed him at the time people felt Demi had not earned the right” for this classic American role and even advised “some other expected names’ for the role” instead.

Roland opened up that he was told he would “regret casting Demi in the 1995 movie”.

Sharing reason, Roland pointed out that the insiders believed that her nude and pregnant appearance on Vanity cover in 1991, as well as her sensual performances, “disqualified” her as a “serious actress”.

Earlier in 2023, Demi opened up that she became the highest paid female actress at the time due to the payday for Striptease.

“Well, with Striptease, it was as if I had betrayed women, and with G.I. Jane, it was as if I had betrayed men,” said the actress in an exclusive interview with New York Times’ The Interview podcast.

However, Demi reflected, “I think the interesting piece is that when I became the highest-paid actress – why is it that, at that moment, the choice was to bring me down?”

She continued, “I don’t take this personally. I think anyone who had been in the position that was the first to get that kind of equality of pay would probably have taken a hit.”

“But because I did a movie that was dealing with the world of stripping and the body, I was extremely shamed,” explained the 62-year-old.

Demi added, “It’s no different than when I did the cover for Vanity Fair pregnant. I didn’t understand why it was such a big deal, why women when they were pregnant needed to be hidden?”