Irrespective of her professional accomplishments, film actress Demi Moore rocketed herself into international controversy in 1991 when she appeared—nude, radiant, and heavy with child—on the cover of Vanity Fair. She thus became an iconic symbol of female liberation to those who admired the exposure and a figure of shameless immodesty to those who were offended by the gesture. Either way, her fame was assured, and she went on to produce as well as star in a series of largely successful films, some of which served to fan the flames of disapproval while making her a very rich woman.

Demi Moore

Born Demi Guynes in Roswell, New Mexico, she went to Los Angeles at age 15 and found work in modeling and television. An ongoing role on the popular daytime soap General Hospital, in which she appeared from 1981 to 1983, led her into feature films; however...