By the time she was 18, Demi's family had experienced divorce, poverty, alcoholism, and suicide. Her father left the family before she was born and her mother married Danny Guynes, a newspaper ad salesman. His unstable job forced the family to move around from time to time, and whatever money he did make was lost to gambling.

To add to her less than positive upbringing, her cross-eyed condition, which was finally corrected thanks to two operations, did not help her much. After her surgery, Demi used her looks to earn some money modeling in Europe (after dropping out of high school), and put her now trademark raspy voice to work as a collection agent.

Demi's 18th year was marked with a funeral and a wedding. Her father committed suicide, and Demi married rock musician Freddy Moore, who was 12 years her senior. Her short-lived marriage did more than make Demi "Mrs. Moore"; it's what led her to pursue an acting career. Demi and Freddy lived next door to actress Nastassja Kinski, who inspired Demi to become an actress.

Demi earned her start as an actress on the soap opera General Hospital (which also later triggered the career of Vanessa Marcil ). After appearing in a few unsuccessful films and as Michael Caine's daughter in Blame It on Rio , Demi left General Hospital in 1984.

That same year, Demi became a member of the Brat Pack with a role in St. Elmo's Fire . For a while, she played a dual role as a cocaine addict, both on- and off-screen; she finally kicked the habit after receiving an ultimatum from the film's director. The '80s were marked with an engagement to Emilio Estevez, a marriage to Bruce Willis and some more film roles, but none as memorable as her role in Ghost

Demi's star rose to the top of the box office after the commercial and critical success of 1990's romantic tearjerker, Ghost . Her role in the courtroom drama A Few Good Men (1992), co-starring heavy hitters Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise , secured her standing in Hollywood and made audiences forgive her for her 1991 roles in Mortal Thoughts, Nothing But Trouble and The Butcher's Wife .

In 1993, Demi starred in Indecent Proposal , which garnered her an MTV Movie Award for Best Onscreen Kiss (shared with Woody Harrelson). The next year, she co-starred with Michael Douglas in Disclosure , in which her physical assets were disclosed to audiences worldwide.

What followed were a string of box-office disappointments, with The Scarlet Letter (1995), Now and Then (1995) and The Juror (1996). The buzz and hype surrounding her controversial film Striptease (1996) were the only reasons to flock to the theaters -- well, aside from the obvious fact that Demi was playing a stripper. This was the film that placed Demi among the highest paid female actresses, with a salary of $12.5 million.

After her role in Striptease , Demi disappeared from the spotlight, only to resurface with the lead role in G.I. Jane (1997) and a highly publicized separation from her husband of 11 years, Bruce Willis (in 1998).

Demi is not only an actress and former model, she is also an avid doll collector (she hopes to someday open a doll museum), a businesswoman and a mother to her three daughters with Bruce Willis -- Rumer Glenn, Scout LaRue and Tallulah Belle.

Demi's time in the spotlight is also due to her behavior in the media. She appeared nude in the '80s for the magazine Oui and twice on the cover of Vanity Fair ; once while seven months pregnant, and a second time covered in body paint.

Demi also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman before the release of Striptease , wearing nothing but a bikini and the "Top Ten" list cards covering her, successfully disproving rumors that she was too fat to appear in the movie. And just as the Demi-hype calmed down in the media, she again proved to audiences that she was fit enough to star as a Navy SEAL in G.I. Jane , by doing one-arm pushups on the Late Show .

Demi returned to the spotlight after a three-year hiatus, this time in 2000's Passion of Mind . After reprising her role as Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II in 2002 (by lending her voice) and hooking up in real life with much-younger Ashton Kutcher , she made her much-anticipated screen comeback as the villain in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in 2003.

Well into her 40s, Demi is in her prime, looking sexier than ever. In 2005, she can add Half Light and The Magic 7 to her resume.

In a very short period, Demi Moore was transformed from a "nobody" into a superstar. She started out in obscure films, progressed to blockbusters and built a huge fan base. In the mid-'90s, she relocated to Idaho with her kids and took a break from acting to try out a new kind of role: soccer mom.

Still, she can be proud of her career. She paved the way for other actresses by being the first to demand the same salary, benefits and billing as her male counterparts. Of course, her much publicized relationships with Emilio Estevez, Freddy Moore, Bruce Willis , and Ashton Kutcher probably helped.

What took her so far, both in her life and career, is the fact that she's always had just the right dosage of talent, sex appeal, and wise career moves. Even though she's taking it easy these days as far as movies are concerned, Demi Moore will never be a has-been. In fact, she has all the earmarks of a legend in the making.

Sadly, Demi falls into the category of actresses who take themselves way too seriously. There's a self-importance about her that is disconcerting. Everywhere she goes she has an entourage of trainers, assistants, and assistants' assistants. And when things aren't going according to her plan, she has the habit of throwing temper tantrums.

The reason this is tolerated is because Demi's in fact rather talented. She has enormous charisma; when she's onscreen, you can't tear your eyes away, and not just because she looks the way she does. As her co-stars like to point out, she's so compelling that she totally takes over on movie sets.

Demi Moore was so sexy in Indecent Proposal (1993) that Robert Redford forked over a million bucks just to get her between the sheets for one night. Believability would have gone right out the window if they had cast an actress like, say, Rosie O'Donnell.

It's no wonder she has posed in the buff for the likes of Oui and Vanity Fair . Demi is one of the sexiest movie stars in history, according to Play .. boy magazine, and not just because she smokes cigars and has a husky voice... Demi does it for us big time.

Becoming aware of her looks in her late teens, Demi dropped out of high school and started modeling in Europe. She eventually returned to the United States and, in 1981, she got into acting. Her first movies included Choices (1981), Parasite (1982), and Jerry Bruckheimer 's Young Doctors in Love (1982).

For the next two years, she portrayed Jackie Templeton on the daytime soap opera General Hospital . In 1984, she could be seen in No Small Affair , as well as with Michael Caine in the comedy Blame It on Rio .

Demi's big break came as a member of the Brat Pack, when she starred with them in St. Elmo's Fire (1985). The following year, she appeared in About Last Night..., Wisdom and One Crazy Summer with John Cusack . After the supernatural thriller The Seventh Sign (1988), she acted alongside Sean Penn and Robert De Niro in We're No Angels (1989).

She became a superstar in 1990 when she snatched the lead female role in Ghost , playing Patrick Swayze's widow. 1991 was a disappointing year for Moore with three stinkers: Nothing But Trouble, Mortal Thoughts and The Butcher's Wife .

She was soon back in top form with A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993) with Robert Redford, and Disclosure (1994). Following 1995's The Scarlet Letter and Now and Then , she kept busy with The Juror, Striptease , the HBO movie If These Walls Could Talk , as well as voice work in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and The Hunchback of Notre Dame as Esmeralda, a role she reprised in the 2002 sequel.

In 1997, Demi was in the Woody Allen comedy Deconstructing Harry and she shaved her head to play a Navy SEAL in G.I. Jane . Her next films were Passion of Mind (2000) and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), opposite Cameron Diaz , Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu .

In addition to being a producer on some of the movies she has starred in, it's also interesting to note that she produced all three of Mike Myers' hugely successful Austin Powers movies. She is also making headlines thanks to her belief in Kabbalah, a kind of Jewish mysticism that is trendy among Hollywood actors today.

Demi Moore is one of those people who seem real. She's not excessively gorgeous but her face has a girl-next-door quality that can't be denied. It even seems like her celebrity status makes people think that she's prettier than she really is, with people and publications worshipping her as a goddess.

However, she hits a grand slam when it comes to her body. Although she denies that she's had work done, there is evidence of breast augmentation surgery. How else could she go from a figure of 33B-22-33 in 1980 to 36C-26-36 in 1996? But as long as she looks like she does, nobody cares...

During her long and fruitful career, Demi has had a lot of opportunities to make public appearances. Unfortunately, on many of these occasions, she has demonstrated that she has no talent for selecting stylish ensembles, which has often led to her spot among Hollywood's worst dressed on Mr. Blackwell's infamous list. Her lowest point was surely when she showed up at the 1989 Oscars wearing a bustier and some bicycle shorts. Fortunately, the movies she works on employ costume designers and stylists who choose her outfits for her. We are especially grateful for the people on the set of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) who had her wear a small black bikini.

Hired 3 cameramen to videotape the birth of her first child

Bruce and Demi announce they are ending their marriage of eleven years. No reasons given. [24 June 1998]

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]

Has three daughters with Bruce Willis : Rumer Willis (b. 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (1991) and Tallulah Belle Willis (1994).

Was once engaged to Emilio Estevez

She posed nude while seven months pregnant for a 1991 'Vanity Fair' magazine cover. In August 1992, she again posed nude for 'Vanity Fair', this time wearing body paint that resembled a man's suit.

Had repeatedly plastic surgery to remove fat on hips, tummy and behind and to enlarge her breasts on the other side.

Stripped on "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993), allegedly to disprove rumors that she's too fat for her new movie Striptease (1996).

Owns a production company: "Moving Pictures"

She appeared in John Parr 's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" music video.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 38.

In order to play a coke addict, Jules, in _St. Elmo's Fire (1985)_ , she had to sign a contract stipulating that she would stop her own alcohol and drug abuse, an agreement that caused her life to turn around.

Was one of three finalists for the lead in Flashdance (1983). No one could decide between the three, so a group of about 50 men was brought into a room, shown the three audition tapes and asked who they would want to sleep with the most. Jennifer Beals won by a landslide.

Was replaced by Sandra Bullock for the lead in While You Were Sleeping (1995).

Operations on her left eye during childhood caused her to wear a patch.

First actress to reach 10 million dollar mark salary.

Aunt of actors Cooper Guynes and Oliver Guynes .

Demi's real father, Charles Harmon, abandoned the family before she was born, which is why she didn't share his last name on her birth certificate.

Measurements: 33-22-33 (young model 1980), 36C-26-36 (after implants in 1996), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Continues to receive royalty checks for songs she wrote before becoming an actress.

Was spoofed in the video game "Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love For Sail" as hyper- sexual version of herself called "Dewmi (pronounced "Do Me") Moore".

First job was as a bill collector.

Is a vegetarian.

Voted #22 on VH1's Hottest Hotties

Though born in New Mexico she spent much of her childhood in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Supporter of Arsenal Football Club, and attends home games whenever she is in London.

She quit school at 16 and started working as a pin-up girl.