Demi Moore Biography

Actress, producer, director. Born Demetria Guynes on November 11, 1962, in Roswell, New Mexico. With her trademark husky voice and striking beauty, Demi Moore established herself as one of the leading actresses of the early 1990s. Demi Moore had a challenging childhood. Demi Moore parents split up before she was born, and she was raised by her mother and stepfather, Virginia and Danny Guynes, both of whom drank heavily.

Moore had moved more than 30 times by the time she turned 14, eventually settling in Los Angeles. Moore later explained in Interview magazine that "By moving around a lot, I learned to assimilate into whatever new surroundings I had and to become very comfortable with people quickly. I think that was one of the strongest contributing factors to my becoming an actor."

Dropping out of high school at 16, Moore worked as a debt collector for a time and tried modeling. Demi Moorealso developed an interest in acting. In 1981, Moore had landed a role on the popular television soap opera General Hospital. Demi Moore played journalist Jackie Templeton for two years. That same year, Moore made her film debut in the independent drama Choices.

During her stint on General Hospital, Moore found time for a few film projects. Demi Moore appeared in the 3-D science fiction horror flick Parasite (1982) with her musician husband Freddie Moore, who she married the previous year. Moore also had a bit part in the soap opera spoof Young Doctors in Love (1982).

After leaving her soap opera role, Moore struggled to build a career in film. Demi Moore played Michael Caine's daughter in Blame it on Rio (1984), which attracted little attention from critics or movie-goers. Taking on a leading role, Moore played Jon Cryer's love interest in No Small Affair (1984), but she did not really capture the public's attention until her performance in St. Elmo's Fire (1985). This film told the story of a group of friends as they confront post-college life. The cast also included a number of other young stars on the rise, such as Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Emilio Estevez. Many of these performers were becoming equally famous for their off-screen antics and partying lifestyle, earning them the nickname "the Brat Pack" by the media.