Demi Moore Made Such a Powerful Point About Her Iconic 'Charlie's Angels' Bikini

"I was 40, which meant I shouldn’t have a body that was desirable."

In 2003, Demi Moore wore a bikini—and it became national news. Why? Because she was—gasp—40 years old. And that simply too old. At least, that's what many people seemed to imply in the discourse that followed.

The iconic bikini was, of course, her costume in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, in which she played angel Madison Lee alongside co-stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu.

Now, Moore is reflecting on the infamous bikini. Speaking to Elle, the actor made an excellent point—the bikini only went down in pop culture history because it challenged society's ingrained perceptions of beauty at the time.

"I never imagined in a million years that the shot of me in Charlie’s Angels would become such a big conversation," she said. "But I was 40, which meant I shouldn’t have a body that was desirable—that’s what I challenged."

She went on: "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 shit."

Moore added that although society's perceptions around middle-aged women had, thankfully, begun to shift since the early 2000s, there was still a long way to go, especially when it comes to post-menopausal women.

"I do think that’s changed, and now I happen to be 62 at a point where we need to reevaluate the desirability of a woman who has gone through menopause," she said. "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."

Moore's latest film, The Substance, is proof enough that Moore is determined to challenge cultural perceptions about the bodies of women who have been through menopause.

In the film, she plays Elizabeth Sparkle, an ageing star who turns to a black market drug in an attempt to get back her younger body and continue her career. Of course, it goes badly wrong when she creates a new version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley, and it all ends in a bloody, gory final act. But at its heart, it's a film that aims to shed light on how society forces women to think they need to change their appearance and resist the ageing process—often in ways that are violent and brutal.

It seems that having experienced the damage these beauty standards can do first-hand, Moore has made her mission to show it for what it is.