Hollywood loves a comeback story.

There’s seldom a sector more fond of beating a figure down just for the spectacle of building them back up. But for the industry’s women, that trend is more often an oscillating wave than an upward trajectory, as audiences tire of starlets, shove them aside, then rediscover them for a brief moment only to punish them for aging out of the ever-datable 20-45 range.

So when Demi Moore nabbed her first-ever Oscar nod at 62 Thursday morning, the story wasn’t just a Hollywood veteran finally getting her flowers, it was a woman proving that her “prime” could be whatever moment she’s in right now.

That Moore was nominated for her work in “The Substance” − a body horror that takes aim at the industry’s impossible beauty standards − makes the moment all the more poetic.

Demi Moore is loving those memesabout ‘The Substance,’ talks film’s impact on pop culture

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Is this Demi Moore’s first Oscar nomination?

Beginning her career in the 1980s, first as a soap star and then as a pixie-cut-clad member of the decade’s “Brat Pack,” Moore has no shortage of blockbuster titles under her belt.

From military dramas like “A Few Good Men” and “G.I. Jane” to soppy romances like “Ghost” and “About Last Night,” Moore has shape-shifted with the best of them. Two high-profile celebrity marriages and plenty of box office hits later, Moore’s place in Hollywood’s firmament is indisputable.

But critical success has is another matter altogether. This year is the first time Moore has been nominated for an Oscar and her win at the Golden Globes earlier this month marked the actress’ first ever major industry award.

Oscar nominations 2025:See full list of Academy Award nominees

“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress,” Moore said in her acceptance speech, “and at that time, I made that mean that this wasn’t something that I was allowed to have.” 

The dig, which translates essentially to the idea that she could put viewers in seats but not deliver the kind of high-brow performance necessary to land on the awards circuit, stuck with Moore.

“I bought in, and I believed that, and that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it,” she said. “And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called ‘The Substance.'”

Demi Moore wins firstmajor industry award at 2025 Golden Globes: ‘I’m just in shock’

The movie, which has received glowing reviews, clearly borrows from Moore’s own experience.

“Part of what was attractive is I knew that this wasn’t about highlighting my (body) and being lit in my most attractive ways, that in fact, it would be amplifying those things that you might see as flaws or that you don’t want somebody to see,” Moore previously told USA TODAY of shooting the movie.

She added that it felt like there was “almost like an unspoken collective agreement about women’s value diminishing as they get older … But I don’t like to view anyone as a victim. Certainly not myself.”

How Demi Moore blew up hercomfort zone in new movie ‘The Substance’

Will Demi Moore win the Oscar?

The Academy has been historically reluctant to embrace lead performances in horror movies, having previously snubbed actors like Toni Collette for “Hereditary” and Lupita Nyong’o for “Us.”

Moore, nominated in the best actress category, is up against Cynthia Erivo for her role in “Wicked” as well as Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez,” which is quickly emerging as an award-season favorite.

How to watch the Oscars

Held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, the Oscars will air on March 2 on ABC at 7 p.m. ET/4 PT and, for the first time, will be available to stream live on Hulu and on-demand the next day.

Before the main ceremony, the official red carpet show will air on ABC starting at 6:30 ET/3:30 PT.

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Brian Truitt