Editing Demi Moore (section)

===Beginnings and breakthrough (1980–1989)===
[[File:Demi Moore - The Ithaca Journal (1982).png|thumb|upright|Newspaper clipping, January 29, 1982]]
Moore co-wrote three songs with Freddy Moore and appeared in the music video for their selection ''It's Not a Rumor'', performed by his band, the Nu-Kats. She continues to receive royalty checks from her songwriting work (1980–1981).<ref name="DEMI MOORE (Songwriter) BIO"/>

Moore appeared on the cover of the January 1981 issue of the adult magazine ''[[Oui (magazine)|Oui]],''<ref name="ew-mannes">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,297532,00.html|title=When Moore Was Less|first=George|last=Mannes|date=June 9, 1995|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=September 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919083903/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,297532,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> taken from a photo session in which she had posed nude.<ref name="spy">{{Cite news|last1=Gregory|first1=Alex|last2=Huyck|first2=Peter|magazine=Spy|title=The Bimbo Conspiracy|date=August 1995|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zgu9QCTT_SwC|page=48}}</ref> In a 1988 interview, Moore said she "only posed for the cover of ''Oui'' —I was 16; I told them I was 18." Interviewer Alan Carter said, "However, some peekaboo shots did appear inside. And later, nude shots of her turned up in ''Celebrity Sleuth'' —photos that she once said 'were for a European fashion magazine'."<ref>{{cite news|title=Moore Ways Than One|first=Alan|last=Carter|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=[[New York City|New York]]|date=March 31, 1988|page=51}}</ref> In 1990, she told another interviewer, "I was 17 years old. I was underage. It was just the cover."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The ''Us'' Interview: She's Gotta Have It|first=David |last=Rensin|date=September 17, 1990|page =18|magazine=[[Us Weekly]]}}</ref>

Moore made her film debut as the protagonist's girlfriend in ''Choices'' (1981), a sports drama directed by [[Silvio Narizzano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004101-choices/|title=Choices|website=Rottentomatoes.com|date=January 2004|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=November 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114171353/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004101-choices/|url-status=live}}</ref> It did not garner much attention until after Moore became a household name, with home video releases heavily hyping up her appearance.<ref>Jacket copy, ''Choices'', Gemstone Entertainment, 1992</ref> Her second feature was the [[3-D film|3-D]] sci-fi horror ''[[Parasite (1982 film)|Parasite]]'' (1982), for which director [[Charles Band]] had instructed casting director Johanna Ray to "find me the next [[Karen Allen]]".<ref name="ew-mannes" /> It proved to be a minor hit on the [[drive-in]] circuit, ultimately grossing {{USD|7 million|long=No}}.<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/demi-moore/biography.html |title=Demi Moore at Yahoo! Movies|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013121910/http://movies.yahoo.com/person/demi-moore/biography.html|archive-date=October 13, 2012}}</ref> Moore had already joined the cast of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] soap opera ''[[General Hospital]]'' several months before the film's release, playing the role of investigative reporter Jackie Templeton through 1983. During her tenure on the series, she made an uncredited cameo appearance in the 1982 spoof ''[[Young Doctors in Love]]''.[[File:Demi Moore at 61st Annual Academy Awards.jpg|thumb|left|Moore at the [[61st Academy Awards]] in 1989|255x255px]]

Moore's film career took off in 1984 following her appearance as the teenage daughter of a businessman (played by [[Michael Caine]]) in the sex comedy ''[[Blame It on Rio]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Carr|first=Jay|date=April 19, 1991|title=The spirit of success moves Demi Moore|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59183625.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+19%2C+1991&author=Jay+Carr%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=The+spirit+of+success+moves+Demi+Moore&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131151746/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59183625.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+19,+1991&author=Jay+Carr,+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=The+spirit+of+success+moves+Demi+Moore&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://filmstories.co.uk/news/the-1980s-films-of-michael-caine-blame-it-on-rio-1984/ |title=The 1980s films of Michael Caine {{!}} Blame It On Rio (1984) |last=Upton |first=John |website=Film Stories |date=November 6, 2024 |access-date=March 31, 2025}}</ref> In ''[[No Small Affair]]'' (1984), she played the love interest of an amateur photographer, opposite [[Jon Cryer]]. Sheila Benson of ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called her "the movie's revelation", asserting that she was "[[gamine]], molten, wild, tragicomic and genuinely affecting."<ref>{{cite newspaper |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-frank-richwood-art/30551750/ |title='No Small Affair' Has Certain Charm |work=Los Angeles Times |p=144 |last=Benson |first=Sheila |date=November 8, 1984 |access-date=March 31, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Her commercial breakthrough came with her role as an uninhibited banker in [[Joel Schumacher]]'s [[yuppie]] drama ''[[St. Elmo's Fire (film)|St. Elmo's Fire]]'' (1985). Having lobbied for her casting,<ref>{{cite book |title= You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried |publisher= Three Rivers Press |page= [https://archive.org/details/youcouldntignore00gora/page/90 90] |first=Susannah |last=Gora |url= https://archive.org/details/youcouldntignore00gora |url-access= registration |year= 2010 |isbn= 9780307408433 }}</ref> the director urged her to go to rehab before shooting and hired a full-time sober companion during production.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/demi-moore-recalls-sober-companion-st-elmos-fire-set-brats-documentary-8663109 |title=Demi Moore recalls her 24/7 sober companion on St. Elmo's Fire set, says director 'stuck his neck out for me' |work=Entertainment Weekly |last=Wang |first=Jessica |date=June 14, 2024 |access-date=March 31, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/65555/15-burning-facts-about-st-elmos-fire |title=Facts about St. Elmo's Fire |last=Cormier |first=Roger |date=June 28, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2017 |archive-date=July 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714043703/http://mentalfloss.com/article/65555/15-burning-facts-about-st-elmos-fire |url-status=live }}</ref> The film  received negative reviews, but was a box office success and brought her widespread recognition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=St. Elmo's Fire|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3950216705/weekend/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=November 24, 2020|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903054555/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3950216705/weekend/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 20, 2000|title=Demi Moore returns to the screen in 'Passion of Mind'|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i1g1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2758,10037135|access-date=September 15, 2016}}</ref> Because of her association with that film, she was often listed as part of the [[Brat Pack]], a label she felt was "demeaning".<ref>{{cite news|date=July 11, 1985|title=Demi Moore learns to accept change|work=Lawrence Journal-World|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8LkxAAAAIBAJ&pg=4734,2504938|access-date=September 15, 2016}}</ref>

Moore progressed to more serious material with the romantic dramedy ''[[About Last Night (1986 film)|About Last Night...]]'' (1986), in which she played one half of a Chicago couple, alongside [[Rob Lowe]]. It marked a positive turning point in her career,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H7VQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5207%2C606460|title=Demi Moore A Star In Her Own Right|work=Portsmouth Daily Times|agency=Associated Press|date=May 7, 1988|access-date=September 15, 2016}}</ref> as Moore noted that, following its release, she began seeing better scripts.<ref name="Demi Moore Says She's Ready to Be a Mom">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EOdYAAAAIBAJ&pg=992%2C131397|title=Demi Moore Says She's Ready to Be a Mom|work=The Vindicator|first=Betsy|last=Pickle|date=April 1, 1988|access-date=September 15, 2016}}</ref> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars and praised her performance, writing, "There isn't a romantic note she isn't required to play in this movie, and she plays them all flawlessly."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19860701/REVIEWS/607010301/1023|title=Roger Ebert's review of "About Last Night..."|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=July 1, 1986|access-date=March 19, 2022|archive-date=December 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224233901/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19860701%2FREVIEWS%2F607010301%2F1023|url-status=dead}}</ref> The success of ''About Last Night...'' was unrivaled by Moore's other two 1986 releases, ''[[One Crazy Summer]]'' and ''[[Wisdom (film)|Wisdom]]'', the last youth-oriented films in which she would star.<ref name="Yahoo"/>

Moore made her professional stage debut in an [[off-Broadway]] production of ''The Early Girl'', which ran at the [[Circle Repertory Company]] in fall 1986.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/659796461.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Nov+28%2C+1986&author=Jay+Carr%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=DEMI+MOORE+OFF-BROADWAY+IN+%27EARLY+GIRL%27&pqatl=google |title=Demi Moore Off-Broadway in 'Early Girl' |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |first=Jay |last=Carr |date=November 28, 1986 |page=54 |access-date=May 21, 2013 |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105072617/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/659796461.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Nov+28%2C+1986&author=Jay+Carr%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=DEMI+MOORE+OFF-BROADWAY+IN+%27EARLY+GIRL%27&pqatl=google |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mel Gussow of ''[[The New York Times]]'' deemed it a "striking debut" and observed that she "has exactly the right combination of naivete and know-how, and[…] is unabashed about the demands of the performance."<ref>{{cite newspaper |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/31/theater/stage-caroline-kava-s-early-girl-at-circle-rep.html |title=Stage: Caroline Kava's 'Early Girl,' at Circle Rep |work=The New York Times |last=Gussow |first=Mel |p=C3 |date=October 31, 1986 |access-date=March 31, 2025 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1988, Moore starred as a prophecy-bearing mother in the apocalyptic drama ''[[The Seventh Sign]]'' —her first outing as a solo film star—<ref name="Demi Moore Says She's Ready to Be a Mom"/> and in 1989, she played the quick-witted local laundress and part-time prostitute in [[Neil Jordan]]'s [[Great Depression|Depression]]-era allegory ''[[We're No Angels (1989 film)|We're No Angels]]'', opposite [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Sean Penn]].