Margaret Qualley opens up about the significant and troubling impact that the prosthetics she wore for the film The Substance had on her skin health and overall appearance.

During her candid conversation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast aired on January 13, the 30-year-old Golden Globe nominee discussed how her skin suffered extensive damage due to the prosthetics. She revealed that her facial appearance was so compromised that certain shots during filming had to be altered to avoid showing her face.

Continue reading to discover more insights from her experience…“By the end of filming, particularly during the opening credits where they shoot up my skirt amidst the palm trees with long lenses, the crew had to frame the shots to avoid my face, which had become so damaged,” Margaret explained, reflecting on the challenges she faced during production.

The effects of the prosthetics lingered long after filming for The Substance concluded, as she continued to struggle with acne when she transitioned to her next project, Kinds of Kindness, where she played four distinct characters.

“Interestingly, the character who displays significant acne in the film was essentially mirroring my own skin issues caused by the prosthetics,” Margaret shared. “I thought to myself, ‘This is fortuitous. I’m portraying multiple characters — for one of them, we can incorporate my real-life acne from the prosthetics!’ It took nearly a year for me to fully recover from all of the skin damage,” she noted, underscoring the physical toll it took on her.

In a separate recent interview, Margaret also discussed her future aspirations regarding the types of movie roles she is eager to pursue next.