Margot Robbie is one of the most highly accomplished actresses in Hollywood today. Initially typecast for her beauty, her dedication and versatility led her to blaze her own path. Aside from her immaculate portrayal of diverse characters, she even produced her own films and dramas, proving her capability both in front and behind the screen. When Robbie was only 27, Times had named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Forbes listed her in its ‘30 under 30’ list. By 2019, she had become one of the world’s highest-paid actresses.
Margot Robbie Profile
- Age: 29 years old
- Height: 5’6 / 1.68 m
- Weight: 125 lbs / 57 kg
- Date of Birth: 2 July 1990
- Net Worth: $23.5 million
- Nationality: Australian
- Ethnicity: Scottish
Her Early Career
Margot Robbie moved to Melbourne for her acting career when she was 17. Her talent got her roles almost immediately. She was the lead in an Australian independent film I.C.U. and guest-starred in several films and TV shows.
When she was 18, she landed her first major acting role in an Australian soap opera Neighbours, as a bisexual teen Donna Freedman. Her moving portrayal of the role captured the hearts of the audience and even earned her two Logie Award nominations for the role.
After almost three years playing the lovable Donna in Neighbours, she decided to drop everything and move to Hollywood. Robbie gave herself a time limit of three years in Hollywood.
During the three years, she took classes, made connections, and perfected her American accent. All her hard work paid off as she landed in the one role which catapulted her to worldwide fame, Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Margot Robbie Movies
Though Margot Robbie had found quick success with her role in The Wolf of Wall Street, it also proved to be an obstacle for her. She told Sunday Style that she was initially typecast as a blonde bombshell, and “had to fight back and say no to a lot of roles, and instead seek out characters that people would assume I wouldn’t play”. Her determination and effort paid off. Robbie has an extensive filmography despite only being in the Hollywood scene for less than ten years. Here we’ll outline her standout performances in some of the films she’s been.
Breakout Film : Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Her breakout film is none other than Martin Scorsese’s true story-based comedy crime film The Wolf of Wall Street. She played Naomi Lapaglia, Leonardo Dicaprio’s bombshell trophy wife. Viewers lusted after Margot Robbie after her famous nude scenes, which may have been one of the contributing factors to her meteoric rise to fame.
But beyond her naked scenes, Margot Robbie won critics’ hearts for her brilliant depiction of the character. She was lauded for her immaculate Brooklyn accent and the magnetic personality she gave to the character. Indeed, had it be given to a lesser actor, it would have appeared as mere one-dimensional representation.
Jess Barrett in Focus (2015)
Focus, in which Robbie starred opposite Hollywood A-lister Will Smith, is a romance heist film about a seasoned con man who falls in love with his apprentice. Despite their sizzling on-screen chemistry, the movie was a critical and box office flop.
Many critics were frustrated that Margot Robbie was given such a superficial role, the beautiful young woman who never outsmarts her man even till the end. Yet even with the limited substance, Margot Robbie still shone in her enthusiasm and comedic delivery.
Playing herself in The Big Short (2015)
Margot Robbie had a short cameo in the Oscar-winning biographical dramedy The Big Short, starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt. She played as herself expounding financial terms to the audienace while luxuriating in a bubble bath.
Margot Robbie showed in The Big Short that even with limited screen time, she can still totally grab your attention. Well, who in their right mind wouldn’t want to see Margot Robbie sipping champagne while taking a bubble bath? Even as she prattles on about dull finance jargons in her one-minute cameo, her casual delivery oozes sultry charm peppered with tongue-in-cheek humor.
Signature Role of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016)
DC’s Suicide Squad, for all its potential to rival Marvel films in its ensemble of super-villains as the stars, was widely panned by critics as one convoluted huge mess. The only beacon of light in the movie is the iconic Harley Quinn played none other by Margot Robbie. She simply stole every scene in which she was in with her electrifying performances. Behind her perfect performance was actually tons of unseen hard work.
Before the film started, she spent months working out in a strenuous regime to get her body in shape. Her vigorous training continued throughout filming. Margot Robbie is known for her flawless accent imitations, so naturally, she also perfected Harley Quinn’s signature squeaky voice. The iconic voice was actually a combined inspiration of Harley Quinn’s voice in Batman: The Animated Series and Karen Hill in the classic mob flick Goodfellas.
An all-rounded athletic skilled in ice hockey and ballet, she performed most the stunts you see on screen. She was so commited to the role that she even pushed herself to stay underwater for a full five minutes to film the underwater scene.
Jane Porter in The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
Many slammed The Legend of Tarzan as a legendary snooze, with the titular character presented as a dull hero. While critics noted Margot Robbie’s great characterization of Jane Porter as a feisty heroine, they simultaneously mourned the sore underuse of her spirited character.
Tonya Harding in I, Tonya (2017)
I, Tonya depicts the story of disgraced Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding in mockumentary style. The film teeters on the edge of sympathy and scorn, jazzing up the bleak life of Harding with condescending humor.
Robbie played the titular character, Tonya Harding. Recognizing that it is a real person she’s playing, she took it very seriously and studied Harding for almost a year before playing her. Margot Robbie also gave her all in learning figure skating and shed herself completely to become Harding in her “American white trash” ways.
She confessed in ABC News that “I’ve never played a lead role before, where my character’s name is the title of the film. It’s never been the weight of the film, kind of, on my shoulders in that way, so I was really scared,” she continued, “And then also because I’m a producer on it, if it turned out badly… There was no one else I could blame for it. I was really nervous to show this to people.”
Robbie didn’t have to be worried. Her raw, visceral performance was so impactful that she was nominated for the Oscars as Best Actress.
Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Mary Queen of Scots is a historical movie about two queens intricately bound in a power struggle. Saoirse Ronan leads the film as Mary, Queen of Scots, with Margot Robbie starring as her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
Many have criticized the film’s take on historical events. But they only had praises for Margot Robbie’s acting. Robbie’s incredible acting proved that she is a true chameleon capable of playing distinct characters.
You might wonder at how much makeup she had to put on to disfigure her beautiful face. And you might even doubt the casting decision. But Margot Robbie would go on to prove you wrong in her stunning portrayal of vulnerability and torment behind a stony exterior.
Kayla Pospisil in Bombshell (2019)
Bombshell is a movie based on the real-life scandal of Fox News’ ex-CEO Roger Ailes’s sexual harassment of female employees. Starring luminaries Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman along with Margot Robbie, this film highlights the powerful #MeToo message sorely needed to topple the unspoken patriarchal order in the world.
Robbie’s character, Kayla Pospisil, is fictional. But she drew inspiration from the actual allegations about Ailes to portray her harrowing experiences in the movie. She is in essence, a composite of the victims.
In Good Morning America’s interview, Robbie revealed that she only learned that she herself had also suffered from sexual harassment in the past after taking up the role. She said, “As a woman in the world, have I ever received unwanted sexual advances? Yeah, tons. All the time. I just had never considered it as a sexual harassment really, until I read this script.”
Margot Robbie manifests the wide-eyed innocence of a female victim with heartbreaking credibility. Her acting resonated with the real victims and millions of similarly suffering women worldwide, and won her an Oscar nomination for it.
Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019)
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood revisits 1969 Hollywood and gives a fairytale happy twist to the macabre ending of Sharon Tate’s life in the Manson murders. Margot Robbie played a supporting role in the film, starring opposite Hollywood powerhouses Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt.
Some have criticized the film for sidelining Sharon Tate. But what Tarantino argued that he purposely made the events in her life inconsequential to show what would have been had she not died so tragically. And Margot Robbie embodied the sweet airiness of Sharon Tate in her delightful mannerisms that even Tate’s sister, Debra approves of.
Reprising Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (2020)
Given the widespread popularity of Harley Quinn, it was little wonder Margot Robbie was more than eager to reprise the role again. This time, she not only headed Birds of Prey as the lead, she even went behind the scenes as the producer.
She mentioned in a Collider interview, “I wasn’t seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space.” Robbie was determined to give the world a dynamic all-female ensemble of superheroes, and delivered with aplomb.
A forward-thinking feminist, she made sure the movie was made with women, by women, to provide an alternative from the dominating male lens in action genre films. She had said in the interview, “And then of course having a female director to tell that story. And giving a female director the chance to do big budget stuff.” From the actresses to the filmmakers, everyone involved in it was a woman.
The film was not a major box-office success, which may be in part due to its R-rated content. But critics who thoroughly enjoyed the deranged humor and thrilling fight scenes showered it with glowing praises.
Margot Robbie Upcoming Movies
Margot Robbie’s star continues to burn brightly, and she has rows of projects lined before her. You’ll see her don on Harley Quinn costume again in Suicide Squad 2 in 2021.
Harley Quinn fans will rejoice to find that there are plans for many more Harley Quinn-centric movies in the pipeline such as Gotham City Sirens and the still-untitled Joker-Harley Quinn film.
She is also announced as the eponymous character in Barbie, though the plot remains unknown. Some of her other upcoming movies are the World War II film Ruin and Robin Hood film Marian.
Margot Robbie Net Worth
With her dual role as a producer and actress, it is little wonder that Margot Robbie’s net worth is estimated to be $23.5 million as of 2020. Her hefty net worth earned her the 8th spot in Forbes’ list of highest-paid actresses last year. Besides starring in blockbuster movies like Goodbye Christopher Robin and Suicide Squad, Robbie is also the face of Chanel and Clavin Klein, all of which contributed to her high net worth.
Margot Robbie Personal Life
Her Childhood Days
You’d be forgiven if you’ve thought Margot Robbie was American all along. After all, her American accents in all her films are impeccably polished, without a hint of any Aussie twang. But truth is, Robbie is an Australian with Scottish blood. She was born on 2 July 1990 in Dalby, Queensland, Australia to Scottish parents, and grew up in Gold Coast.
She and her three other siblings lived with her mother and her grandparents in a farmhouse. Her parents were estranged since she was young, and her mother raised her and her siblings with her grandparents. She had to scrimp and save from a young age, as well as work.
Robbie spent most of her childhood helping out on the farm. When she was 10, she started working as a dishwasher. By the tender age of 16, she was already working simultaneously in three jobs. She was a bartender, housekeeper, and kitchen help. Though, while her family might not have been well off, she had a happy childhood cavorting in nature and felt blessed to have grown up in Gold Coast.
She also developed a passion for acting since she was young, and studied drama in school. Her family who did not have any connections to the entertainment industry thought of her ambition to be an actress as ludicrous. They wanted her to get a real job.
Luckily for us, despite their objections, Margot Robbie pushed on and got her lucky break in Wolf of Wall Street. And from then on, the rest was history.
Margot Robbie Marriage
Margot Robbie, with her striking face and figure, would undeniably have hordes of guys (and probably even girls) pursuing her. Unfortunately for those of you who are still dreaming to be her beau, she has already found her Prince Charming.
Margot Robbie is married to British filmmaker Tom Ackerley. They first met on the set of Suite Francaise, a World War II drama-romance film. Ackerley was still assistant director then, and Robbie had a supporting role. They had started off as friends, eventually started dating in 2013.
In 2016, they held a private wedding ceremony in her hometown, while Robbie was still filming Suicide Squad. Till now, she remains fiercely private about her private life. But she has divulged that she never stays over three weeks apart from her husband and that she wishes to have four children eventually.
In 2015, Margot Robbie and her husband and two of their friends founded a production company called LuckyChap Entertainment. LuckyChap Entertainment was born out of Robbie’s intentions to produce female-centric projects. She told the Porter magazine, “I’m a great advocate of doing business with your partner,” and added, “Being married is actually the most fun ever, life got way more fun somehow.”
Till date, its most notable film productions are Academy Award winner I, Tonya, a biopic of figure skater Tonya Harding, and superheroine movie Birds of Prey, both starring Margot Robbie as the leading character. LuckyChap also attempts to break into the TV scene with Kat Dennings as the star of Hulu’s feminist comedy Dollface. LuckyChap still has a roster of upcoming projects brimming with potential, such as the Barbie movie and a remake of the 1995 science fiction film Tank Girl.
Margot Robbie Instagram
Margot Robbie is a private individual who rarely uses her Instagram. Even so, she has garnered over 20 million followers. Her posts are few and in between, making each post an absolute gem for her many fans. A single post of a picture of Robbie and her husband with one word, “OSCARS” could light up the likes and comments like fireworks, with fans gushing over their love.
You can tell from the way Margot Robbie manages her Instagram that she isn’t bothered about building her social media presence. Instead of using it to flaunt perfectly posed photos, she doesn’t mind laughing at herself with hilarious photo fails. That is utterly refreshing in this world where narcissism is the norm.
She did participate in a viral video though, the Boss Bitch Fight Challenge. But that too is befitting of her feminist cred and perfect entertainment for her fans who miss her acting in lockdown. Even in social media, she never lets people forget how good she is at kicking butts with her Harley Quinn-like baseball bat. Have you seen it yet?
Margot Robbie Fun Facts
- She is a Potterhead. She confessed that she’s a huge Harry Potter nerd and still reads Harry Potter before sleeping daily, despite having finished each book over 20 times each. Bet she knows all the lines in the novels by heart!
- She is a dog lover. She has adopted a rescue pit bull puppy, naming him Boo Radley after the recluse in To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of her favorite books.
- An Aussie at heart, her favorite food is avocado on toast and bacon.
- She is close friends with Poppy and Cara Delevingne.
- She is a huge tea lover and drinks tea at 10 times a day. Her favorite tea brand is Dilmah, and she brings it everywhere with her.
- She used to be an amateur tattoo artist. However, she confesses she isn’t very good at it and has retired from tattooing people.
