Margaret Qualley Had Acne for ‘a Year’ After Filming The Substance

Margaret Qualley embraced the acne she was left with after filming The Substance.

Qualley, 30, opened up about developing blemishes on her cheeks and chin after having to wear prosthetics while playing Sue in The Substance. Quickly after wrapping the movie, she starred in Kinds of Kindness where fans caught a glimpse of her pimples.

“You know the character that has all the acne?” Qualley asked John Horowitz during a Monday, January 13, episode of his “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. “That was just my acne from the prosthetics.”

She continued, “I was like, ‘Oh this is actually kind of perfect; I’m playing all these characters [and] for one of them we’ll use all my crazy prosthetic acne.’” 
Qualley, who played Vivian, Martha, Ruth and Rebecca in the movie, explained that by the end of filming, her face was “so f—ed up” that they decided to change angles of the camera. “They couldn’t shoot my face,” she said, noting, “It took me probably a year to recover physically from all of it.”

Now, Qualley’s skin has gone back to her preternaturally clear complexion. She recently showed off her dewy visage at the 2025 Golden Globes earlier this month.

For the awards show, she donned natural makeup featuring feathered eyebrows, blushed cheeks and a soft base that let her freckles shine through. She completed her glam with mascara and pink lips. Qualley added extra eye candy to her look with her chic hairstyle with her crown pulled back and voluminous curls.

Qualley paired her look with a white Chanel gown featuring a square neckline, barely-there straps and a tiered skirt. She elevated the ensemble with a black sparkly bow belt, diamond jewelry and a glitter-flecked headband.

During the ceremony, she presented an award with her Substance costar, Demi Moore. Qualley was also nominated for Best Supporting Female Actor, Film, for The Substance, but the trophy went to Zoë Saldaña for her role in Emilia Pérez. A winning night for women supporting women in Hollywood, indeed.