Demi Moore Nearly Lost "St. Elmo's Fire" Role to Madonna, Writer Claims
Co-writer Carl Kurlander stated that director Joel Schumacher was prepared to offer the part to Madonna after Moore allegedly arrived at a fitting under the influence.
Demi Moore almost lost her role in the 1985 film "St. Elmo's Fire" to Madonna after she reportedly arrived at a costume fitting "drunk and high," according to co-writer Carl Kurlander. Kurlander shared the anecdote on the podcast "Reality Life with Kate Casey," detailing how director Joel Schumacher and producer Lauren Shuler met with Moore regarding her behavior.
According to Kurlander, Schumacher told Moore, "Go kill yourself on someone else’s movie." He added that Shuler worked out a compromise, giving Moore a 10-day ultimatum to clean herself up if she wanted to stay in the film. Kurlander recalled Schumacher's impression of Madonna, stating, "This girl is going to be the biggest star in the world. I could just feel it." Schumacher was reportedly ready to offer the part to the pop star.
However, Moore began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and secured a sober companion. "She clearly had more than just cleaned up," Kurlander commented on the actress.
Moore, now 63, went on to portray Jules Van Patten, a character described as a "party girl," in the ensemble cast that also included Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Mare Winningham.
In the 2024 Hulu documentary "Brats," Moore herself acknowledged that Schumacher "really stuck his neck out for me" because she lacked a significant box-office draw at the time. She mentioned that a sober companion was with her 24/7 throughout the filming, a measure she noted could have easily led the production to find a replacement.
Moore has spoken publicly about her struggles with addiction and sought treatment in 2012, maintaining sobriety since then.