This US Star Just Revealed She Auditioned For A Role In The Substance

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US actor Lucy Hale has revealed she was at one point in consideration to star in the hit horror movie The Substance.

The Pretty Little Liars star recently spoke to BuzzFeed as part of their Puppy Interview series, during which she was asked if there were any roles she’d auditioned for that people might be surprised about.

“Oh my gosh,” she began, before listing off a list of projects that included everything from Pitch Perfect, Hairspray and Hannah Montana to the big-screen adaptation of Fifty Shades Of Grey.

Lucy then named a more recent movie that she tried out for, The Substance.

Lucy Hale at an event in 2023

Although she didn’t specify which part she had her eye on, it’s a safe bet that Lucy tried out for the role of Sue, which eventually went to Margaret Qualley in the finished film.

“For every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s a line-up of 200 that you heard a ‘no’ for,” Lucy revealed, adding: “I should probably go back in journals and look at all the things I’ve auditioned for.”

The Substance centres around Elisabeth Sparkle, a faded actress-turned-fitness-instructor who takes a fictitious drug that spawns a younger, “better” version of herself – with graphic and violent results.

After winning huge critical acclaim, the film racked up five Oscar nominations, a rarity for a horror movie, including a Best Actress nod for leading star Demi Moore.

Margaret Qualley as Sue in The Substance
Margaret Qualley as Sue in The Substance

Last year, director Coralie Fargeat opened up a bit about the casting process for The Substance, admitting she didn’t want to entertain Demi as Elisabeth Sparkle originally.

“What’s challenging is that I was going to ask an actress to confront her very worst phobia,” Coralie told the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

“And when the name of Demi Moore arrived in conversation, I said, ’of course, it’s a great idea, it would be amazing, but let’s not lose time with that, because I’m sure she will never, never want to do something like that.

“For real, I thought she would never be willing to destroy her image the way the movie needed.”

In fact, Demi revealed to the LA Times that she was so determined to land the role of Elisabeth that she gifted Coralie with a copy of her memoir Inside Out in an effort to prove to her that she understood the character and the themes of the film.

Meanwhile, Margaret has revealed that even after she was cast, she still didn’t quite measure up to what Coralie had in mind for Sue physically – meaning she can be seen wearing prosthetics throughout, even long before that grisly finale.

The Substance is available to stream now on Mubi.



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