Hollywood actress Demi Moore based her role as an alcoholic in new movie Bobby on her mother.

Writer/director Emilio Estevez asked Moore to play alcoholic lounge singer Virginia Fallon because he knew her mother and realised she'd be able to invest the character with her own life experiences.

Moore says, "Sometimes from what looks like a tragedy, you can get incredible gifts. I had an unusual childhood. I had a mother who, for one thing, was very young - she wasn't even 19 when I was born. And, trust me, she was nutty!

"Emilio knew my mother was a pained soul and, in the character he created, he was able to delve into the depths of her soul. Underneath the pain, you can see something beautiful there."