'If I was Demi Moore, I would be furious right now.'

There are only three acceptable reasons to scream while at work.

If you spy a co-worker secretly stealing the emergency Coke you thought you had hidden at the bottom of the work fridge.

If you see a co-worker catch on fire and the people who were voted in as Fire Wardens, only because they were not smart enough to get out of it, don't react in a timely fashion.

And if you're watching the Oscars and witness what can only be described as a surprise upset of monumental proportions.

Which is exactly what happened this week when I, my co-workers, and many Oscar viewers across the world gasped in surprise when the final moments of the ceremony rolled around and Anora star Mikey Madison won Best Actress over Demi Moore for The Substance.

The Best Actress category in the 2025 Oscars race had always seemed like a lock for Demi Moore, to the point where you could script her acceptance speech in your head before she'd even had a chance to give it. Thanks to the numerous iterations of it that we've seen her tearily deliver many times during this awards season.

Last year, when the hype for Sean Baker's Anora was just starting to build, around the moment the film picked up the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, leading lady Mikey Madison felt like the only contender who would be clutching the Best Actress statute come Oscars night.

But then, when Hollywood's awards season really kicked into full gear in January of this year, a different success story began to rise through the ranks. Demi won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her role in The Substance.

Her Golden Globe's acceptance speech in particular appeared to spectacularly turn the odds in her favour. With a well-crafted monologue she spoke of the people who had written her off, the surge of self-love and acceptance she had used to rise to the top and was still able to glowingly thank the industry who had both beaten her down and then lifted her up.

In just two minutes on that stage, Demi had cemented herself as both an underdog in need of redemption and a Hollywood veteran who was due a lifetime achievement award.

All the usual ingredients needed for an Oscar win.

Apart from a brief upset at the British Academy Film Awards where Mikey Madison nabbed Best Actress, Demi Moore had a clear shot at the coveted trophy that sat just over the finish line.

Which would explain the look of shock and surprise that crossed over her face when Mikey's name was called out across the celebrity-filled Oscars room instead of hers.

For more Oscars surprises and scandals, listen to The Spill.

The camera cut away from her face quickly as Mikey hugged her co-stars and ascended to the stage, but not soon enough to miss Demi turning in surprise to the people sitting next to her, as if she was asking them to confirm the upset that had just taken place.

During Mikey's heartfelt speech, Demi brought a smile to her lips, abiding by the ancient Oscars' tradition of always looking jubilant when your competitor's name is called out. But at that moment, you didn't need a body language expert on hand to confirm that her heart just wasn't in it.

And to be fair, if Demi Moore was furious at that moment, she had every right to be.

Over time, the Oscars race has become less about your performance in the film and a little more about the campaign you are able to run and the story you chose to tell.

In her Oscars campaign, Demi Moore ticked every box.

She diminished her beauty while playing the role of forgotten Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance, becoming more grotesque as her body deteriorated over the course of the film. All the while looking glamorous, conventionally attractive and ageless as she sauntered down red carpets to promote the film.

After all, ugly in the film and beautiful in the promo has proven to be a winning formula for the women who have come before her.

Added to the mix was the fact that Demi's performance in the film was able to beautifully mirror the sense of loss and anger she felt at the way her industry and the world at large treats women as they age. Allowing her presence on the awards circuit to feel more like a call to arms than a simple victory lap.

If there's anything that truly appeals to Oscar voters across the board, it's making them feel as if they're changing the world when they make those final ticks on their ballots, at least within the confines of their own small industry circles.

Watch Mikey Madison win Best Actress over Demi Moore. Article continues after video.

After rising to prominence in Hollywood in the early 1980s, becoming a pioneer for equal salary for women when she became the highest-paid actress in the industry, leading a series of blockbuster films and reinventing herself over and over again, 2025 seemed like the 'it's time' Oscar win for Demi Moore.

A moment in time when stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt and Kate Winslet have been handed a statue for a role that was perfectly fine, but not their standout performance. Simply as a way for the academy to acknowledge the decades of work and memorable films they have gifted the world.

Another ounce of anger in Demi Moore's soul at that moment could have been due to the fact that she knew how rare it would be for this opportunity to come around for her again.

Despite the fact that a select number of Hollywood leading ladies have continued to headline films into their fifties and sixties, signifying that a shift in ageism is currently in the works, the harsh truth is that when it comes to the Oscar race, the chance of winning Best Actress lessens as you age.

Statistically, most Best Actor winners are aged well over 40 years, whereas the majority of the Best Actress winners are aged 39 and below. Proving it is still much more acceptable for an ingénue to be handed Best Actress and for Best Actor to be given to a man who has paid his dues and honed his craft.

Which is why, setting aside the subjective question of who gave the better performance (in this case both Mikey and Demi were exceptional in their roles), it would be a much more bitter pill for Demie Moore to swallow when losing the Oscar at 62. Over Mikey Madison winning the title at 25 years old for what has been her true break-out role and first turn as a leading lady.

In a post on her Instagram account, Demi chose to congratulate for Mikey Madison for her win.

"As this awards season comes to a close, I'm so overwhelmed with gratitude for this journey," she wrote. "It's been the ride of a lifetime and we're just getting started! So grateful for my team, my fellow nominees, and everyone who has made this experience so full of joy and light… And a huge congratulations to Mikey Madison — can't wait to see what you do next."

Regardless of whether or not Demi speaks further about her feelings, it's refreshing to have an overall conversation about not hiding your sadness and disappointment when a dream is so publicly ripped away from you.

In 2023, Angela Bassett was called out by Oscar viewers for looking visibly upset in the audience when Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress over her.

"I found it interesting," she later told Town and Country of the backlash. "Interesting that I wouldn't be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving.

"I have put in: put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn't think that was a gift. I thought it was a given."

She'll probably never say it out loud follwing her Instagram post, but I hope Demi Moore is giving herself the opportunity to be absolutely furious right now.

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here for more entertainment news and recommendations.

Feature image: Getty