Margaret Qualley on The Substance: ‘It Was Outside My Comfort Zone’

Portraying her character in The Substance pushed Margaret Qualley to explore new risks in her performances. Qualley, 29, shared with PEOPLE that the provocative body-horror film, directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), was “really outside of my comfort zone.”

The Film Includes Nudity And Difficult-To-Watch Scenes

“I guess, for me, it’s something I’ve really never done,” the actress discusses her role as Sue, a younger version of her co-star Demi Moore’s character, Elisabeth Sparkle, who is portrayed as hyper-sexualized throughout the film. “I think I’ve intentionally gone the other direction throughout my career.”

In The Substance, Qualley plays Sue, a younger clone of Moore’s aging actress, who is produced by an illicit serum. The film includes nudity and numerous difficult-to-watch scenes as the two women, sharing a single consciousness, inject themselves with the titular serum.

“I knew it was going to be a big challenge for me,” The Maid star reflects on the role, noting that the nudity in the film “very much serves the purpose of this story.”

“It’s a road you have to go down in order to bring this to life. And I was excited about that challenge,” she continues.

“I Don’t Really Look At It As Fear As Much As Just Vulnerability”

“It’s part of what makes it interesting and exciting, pushing yourself, because I think you in the end, gain more of yourself when you face that whatever might be an individual’s discomfort, fear. I don’t really look at it as fear as much as just vulnerability,” Moore agrees.

For Qualley, the film’s themes resonate universally, as Elisabeth and Sue both long for youth, fame, and recognition—values that society holds in high regard.

“We’ve all chosen, highlighted different parts of ourselves to present to the world, for how you want people to see you. And not that many of Sue’s attributes fit the bill for the ones that I’m presenting to the world. But it doesn’t mean that they’re not somewhere inside of me,” the actress noted.

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