Margaret Qualley Shared That It Took Her A Full Year To Recover Physically From The Prosthetics She Wore During The Filming of 'The Substance'

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 1/5/2026

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By now, you've probably heard of 'The Substance' — one of the most talked-about films of the year.

The film is a critically acclaimed body horror thriller featuring Demi Moore as an aging Hollywood star who takes a black-market drug called 'The Substance,' which creates a younger, 'improved' version of herself named Sue, portrayed by Margaret Qualley.

'The Substance' skillfully explores the theme of toxic beauty standards, and even if you haven't seen the film yet, you've probably heard about its graphic scenes involving blood, nudity, and body distortion.

Notably, the film predominantly uses practical effects rather than CGI. This meant that both Demi and Margaret spent a significant amount of time in the makeup chair during the shoot.

Around the time of the film's September release, Demi shared with Entertainment Weekly about the intense process, revealing that some shoot days began with over nine hours of prosthetics work, with as many as 14 pieces 'glued' to her face alone.

Margaret has now shared her experience with prosthetics and the long-lasting effects it had on her skin.

In a conversation with Josh Horowitz on the latest episode of his 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, Margaret shared that, by the end of the shoot, her face had to be cropped out of some shots due to severe 'acne from the prosthetics.'

Margaret mentioned that it took her 'a year to recover, physically.' She noted that her skin issues persisted while filming her next movie, Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Kinds of Kindness.' However, since she was playing four different roles in the film, she joked that the acne was 'kind of perfect.'

You can watch Margaret’s full appearance on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast here.

By now, you've probably heard of 'The Substance' — one of the most talked-about films of the year.

Demi Moore, dressed in elegant attire, sits on a couch with a large photograph of her in a belted swimsuit hanging behind her.

MUBI / Courtesy Everett Collection

The film is a critically acclaimed body horror thriller featuring Demi Moore as an aging Hollywood star who takes a black-market drug called 'The Substance,' which creates a younger, 'improved' version of herself named Sue, portrayed by Margaret Qualley.

Demi, with her long dark hair, gazes at her reflection in a tiled bathroom mirror, dressed in a dark top, exuding a contemplative mood.

Margaret, in a strapless dress, smiles during a TV interview set against a city skyline backdrop.

MUBI / Courtesy Everett Collection Demi recently earned a well-deserved Golden Globe for her portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle — and is expected to receive an Oscar nomination as well.

'The Substance' skillfully explores the theme of toxic beauty standards, and even if you haven't seen the film yet, you've probably heard about its graphic scenes involving blood, nudity, and body distortion.

A person in an opulent robe with gold detailing stands over another person lying nude on a bathroom floor, their back stitched like a seam.

MUBI / Courtesy Everett Collection

Notably, the film predominantly uses practical effects rather than CGI. This meant that both Demi and Margaret spent a significant amount of time in the makeup chair during the shoot.

Demi and Margaret stand side by side on stage at an event. One wears a white dress with a black bow, while the other dons a sleek strapless gown, both smiling at the audience.

Christopher Polk / Penske Media via Getty Images

Around the time of the film's September release, Demi shared with Entertainment Weekly about the intense process, revealing that some shoot days began with over nine hours of prosthetics work, with as many as 14 pieces 'glued' to her face alone.

Demi is being readied for a performance, with makeup and a bald cap applied, as a team of professionals assists her.

Makeup artists carefully apply prosthetics to Demi's face, crafting an aged look for a film or TV production.

MUBI / YouTube / Via youtu.be In the same interview, she also discussed the risk of damaging her skin, especially during the hour-and-a-half removal process, saying, 'You have to be as careful if not more careful taking it off so you don't destroy your skin.'

Margaret has now shared her experience with prosthetics and the long-lasting effects it had on her skin.

Margaret, with long dark hair and jeweled earrings, strikes a pose on the red carpet in an elegant dress, glancing over her shoulder.

Matt Winkelmeyer / WireImage

In a conversation with Josh Horowitz on the latest episode of his 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, Margaret shared that, by the end of the shoot, her face had to be cropped out of some shots due to severe 'acne from the prosthetics.'

Margaret sits as a makeup artist applies special effects makeup to her head and neck, transforming her appearance into an alien-like form.

Margaret sits in a chair while surrounded by three artists, all working on prosthetics and special effects makeup.

MUBI / YouTube / Via youtu.be Margaret humorously recalled, 'When they’re shooting up my skirt in the beginning credits with palm trees surrounding and long lenses from the bottom, that’s because my face was so messed up by that point that they couldn’t shoot it anymore,' laughing as she shared the experience. She also joked about the irony of being 'covered' in acne, considering her character was meant to embody societal ideals of feminine perfection.

Margaret mentioned that it took her 'a year to recover, physically.' She noted that her skin issues persisted while filming her next movie, Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Kinds of Kindness.' However, since she was playing four different roles in the film, she joked that the acne was 'kind of perfect.'

Margaret smiles while wearing a sleeveless, elegant dress with intricate beaded details and long earrings at a red carpet event.

Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images 'You know the character with all that acne? That was just my acne from the prosthetics,' she recalled about 'Kinds of Kindness,' which was released a few months before 'The Substance.' 'And I thought, 'Oh, this is kind of perfect. I'm playing all these different characters — for one of them, we'll use all my crazy prosthetic acne.'

You can watch Margaret’s full appearance on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast here.

View this video on YouTubeJosh Horowitz / YouTube

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