The ten Greatest Margot Robbie Performances, Ranked

In an underrated efficiency, Robbie stars in Dreamland, a movie set in Nineteen Thirties Texas with a Bonnie and Clyde-like premise. However this time, with a twist: now, the feminine is the legal. Robbie performs Allison Wells, a fugitive financial institution robber who meets teenage Eugene Evans (performed by Finn Cole of Peaky Blinders). He falls in love together with her and turns into her accomplice in crime. The pair’s chemistry is off the charts, which makes the performances really feel real. Towards the tip of the movie, in Allison’s ultimate scene, Robbie radiates within the dramatic second the place she pleads with Eugene to not abandon her and their plans. “I didn’t make you into something you didn’t already wish to be,” Allison says to him whereas failing to comprehend what she’s created. The charisma and vulnerability Robbie is ready to convey to Allison have been essential for the function to work and for viewers to see the complexity of her journey.

The lesser-known movie first premiered on the 2019 Tribeca Movie Competition and didn’t have a large theatrical launch. It hit theaters for a restricted run in November 2020 however struggled on the field workplace, because the COVID-19 pandemic was at its top. With Robbie’s sturdy efficiency and Lyle Vincent’s beautiful cinematography, it’s a disgrace this movie didn’t get extra consideration.

Z for Zachariah is commonly ignored when one thinks of Margot Robbie’s initiatives. This early-career credit score options Robbie as Ann, an harmless younger girl who lives a secluded life on her household’s farm, believing she is the final individual on Earth after a nuclear conflict. The movie relies on Robert C. O’Brien’s novel, directed by Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown). It was an fascinating selection for the actress because it’s one in all her first non-bombshell roles post-Wolf of Wall Road. Right here, she’s stripped down of all of the glamour and her pure appearing skills shine. As a result of the image solely options three characters in whole, it depends closely on the performances to hold it by.

The movie co-stars Chris Pine’s Caleb and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Loomis, who discover one another and attempt to survive dwelling in the identical home. They find yourself in a love triangle, with each males vying for Ann’s affection, and she or he struggles together with her feelings, bored with feeling remoted after her household’s dying. Robbie’s in a position to convey humanity’s want for connection so effortlessly. Whereas her resolution to decide on one man over the opposite results in a detrimental act of jealousy and leaves Ann heartbroken, it causes Robbie to expertise loneliness in an excellent deeper means. In a movie the place the premise appears easy, she brings her all to it.

It’s nearly a ceremony of passage that an actress performs a historic determine or is in a interval piece in some unspecified time in the future of their profession. Nevertheless, not all of them are memorable. However on this movie about Queen Elizabeth I (Robbie) and Mary Stuart’s (Saoirse Ronan) rivalry for the throne, Robbie delivers. 

The movie’s huge build-up second is on the finish when the 2 Queens come nose to nose for the primary time. And the skills of Robbie and Ronan bounce off one another, with Robbie promoting her efficiency by exuding the insecurity and envy Elizabeth I had for Mary. Robbie performed a extra weak model of the monarch than may need been anticipated, as she struggles with sustaining energy as a non-traditional Queen who has no partner or kids. Externally, Robbie additionally dedicated to the half, spending greater than three hours a day in hair and make-up to copy the Queen’s iconic look, in addition to her sicknesses, such because the scars from smallpox, which resulted in her sporting the white facial powder. Though Robbie doesn’t have lots of display time on this movie because it focuses on Ronan’s Mary, the moments that are proven of her are spectacular.

Regardless of Robbie’s minimal display time in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 movie, she certain does go away an impression. Working with the Pulp Fiction director was a dream of Robbie’s, so after I, Tonya was launched, she wrote him a letter, and he forged her within the movie. Robbie performs Sharon Tate, the favored actress of the ‘60s who was married to director Roman Polanski and pregnant when she was murdered by members of the Manson Household in 1969. Nevertheless, the movie doesn’t deal with the horrific murders, however as an alternative highlights Tate’s enamoring character and presence. When the digital camera is on Robbie’s Tate, she lights up the display. Whether or not she’s dancing or going to the Regency Bruin Theatre to look at herself in a film, she exudes happiness, which is the important thing trait Robbie got down to accomplish. 

In preparation to painting the actress, Robbie spoke to Tate’s relations, together with her sister, learn books about Tate and watched her movies. On days she was filming, she mentioned, she would even tune out the actual world by not checking emails to remain in the suitable mindset. Following the movie’s premiere, there was controversy over why Robbie didn’t have extra strains, to which Tarantino responded, “I reject your speculation,” when a journalist in Cannes requested him concerning the resolution. For her function to spark a debate when the movie’s two leads are Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio speaks to Robbie’s capability to captivate an viewers.

One of many first movies impressed by the #MeToo motion was Jay Roach’s 2019 film, Bombshell. In contrast to Robbie’s co-stars Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman who portrayed real-life information anchors Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, Robbie’s character, affiliate producer, Kayla Pospisil, is fictional. Nevertheless, it’s primarily based on the real-life girls who allegedly endured harassment from Fox Information’ Roger Ailes.

There’s a robust scene within the movie the place Robbie, Kelly and Carlson (the latter two allegedly skilled sexual misconduct from Ailes) are in an elevator collectively, and the silence is loud, representing the shared isolating feeling of worry to come back ahead. And Robbie’s Kayla additionally has a number of the most emotional and uncomfortable scenes within the movie: she’s known as into Ailes’ workplace pondering it’s a proper assembly to debate her potential to report on air, however as an alternative, he asks her to face up, give him a twirl and elevate up her gown, leaving her feeling humiliated. One other memorable second takes place when Kayla breaks down, hysterically crying after tells her colleague turned good friend, Jess Carr (Kate McKinnon) what occurred with Ailes. The uncooked expertise Robbie dropped at her character earned her a second Oscar nomination, this time as greatest supporting actress.

Babylon is underappreciated. Damien Chazelle’s fifth function movie was a love letter to cinema that explored the Twenties transition of silent movies to talkies. The film featured a star-studded forged — along with Robbie, together with Brad Pitt, Jean Sensible, Diego Calva and Tobey Maguire — all of whom delivered sturdy performances. Robbie performs actress Nellie LaRoy, who’s a rising star and likes to get together. Nevertheless, Nellie’s struggles to adapt to the modifications being made in movie result in a meltdown at a celebration, which finally ruins her profession.

Although Babylon obtained poor evaluations and criticism for its three-and-a-half-hour runtime and being overindulgent, Robbie’s efficiency was praised. The truth is, her scenes are arguably essentially the most entertaining, with a high-energy dance sequence at the start, a chaotic snake chunk scene and her capability to cry on command whereas she’s filming a film — a talent Robbie realized whereas engaged on the Australian cleaning soap, Neighbours. The actress has mentioned she wonders if, in 20 years, Babylon will likely be higher obtained and join with audiences in a later period. It very effectively might be. And that’d be a real meta second for the movie’s message and its ultimate montage.

Blonde and flawless like a Barbie doll? Yeah, Margot Robbie suits the invoice. In all seriousness, although, shout-out to everybody who advocated for Robbie to play the lead function in, not simply produce, the movie. In a film that might very simply come throughout as superficial, because it’s primarily based on the Mattel plastic doll, Barbie, the movie Barbie has so a lot substance. As Robbie’s Barbie leaves Barbie Land behind to enter the actual world, she realizes the obstacles girls face and the unrealistic expectations set to be excellent, so effectively described in America Ferrera’s memorable monologue. Robbie nailed the complexity of a human Barbie whereas balancing the function’s comedic tones, to not point out the coaching she underwent to attain her physique and the dance classes for that grand get together scene.

Robbie proved she’s a number one girl because the movie broke field workplace data, incomes greater than $1.4 billion worldwide. It grew to become the top-grossing movie in Warner Bros.’ historical past. Nevertheless, although the film was nominated for eight Oscars, it solely gained one award, for greatest authentic tune, and Robbie memorably didn’t obtain a greatest actress nomination and director Greta Gerwig didn’t obtain a greatest director nod. However hey, there’s at all times the sequel, proper? Right here’s to hoping!

This was the function that put Margot Robbie on the map. Whereas she had a outstanding function within the Australian cleaning soap Neighbours years prior, Martin Scorsese’s 2013 black comedy, The Wolf of Wall Road, was her first American movie. Based mostly on Jordan Belfort’s memoir of the identical identify, the function exhibits Belfort’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) transformation from a as soon as modest stockbroker to a grasping millionaire and the top of brokerage agency Stratton Oakmont — in addition to how his drug-fueled behaviors affected his relationships round him, together with together with his spouse, Naomi (Robbie). 

“The most popular blonde ever,” learn the outline of Naomi (aka the “Duchess of Bay Ridge”) within the movie’s script whereas Scorsese was casting for the half. In the course of the audition for the movie, she slapped DiCaprio throughout the face, fearing she would both be blacklisted or praised for her efficiency; the latter occurred, and that transfer finally booked her the job. Robbie’s Naomi delivers a number of memorable strains which can be nonetheless quoted in popular culture at this time like when she says, “weren’t gonna be buddies” to DiCaprio’s Jordan when he’s nonetheless married to his first spouse, or “Who’s Venice, huh?,” “Who? Who? What are you, a fucking owl?,” when she suspects Jordan’s been dishonest on her. And you may’t overlook the enduring scene (pictured above) when she withholds intercourse from Jordan as she thinks he’s been untrue, once more. 

In a task the place her character primarily serves as Jordan’s arm sweet, Robbie as an alternative used the chance to indicate her dramatic appearing chops. In one of many movie’s ultimate sequences, she tells Jordan she needs a divorce, and she or he makes you are feeling her worry as she thinks she’s going to lose their baby due to his recklessness. It’s exhausting to fathom this function didn’t earn Robbie her first Oscar nomination — and even more durable to consider Robbie, herself, doesn’t suppose she did a superb job — however it as an alternative proved she was right here to remain in Hollywood. 

Few actors appear to be they have been born to play sure comedian ebook characters. Heath Ledger as The Joker, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Tom Holland as Spider-Man — and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Let’s be clear, all three of her turns as Harley are nice. The debut in 2016’s Suicide Squad was wanted to see her backstory as Dr. Harleen Quinzel; it was additionally satisfying to see her and The Joker (Jared Leto) lastly collectively in a live-action adaptation of the comics, even when the movie itself had its issues. Birds of Prey (2020) was additionally entertaining to see an enlargement of the Clown Princess of Crime and her attempting to maneuver on from that co-dependent relationship and lead a fierce woman group. 

However above all, her efficiency in 2021’s The Suicide Squad is the most effective. She’s humorous, filled with excessive power, and it’s clear she’s absolutely grown into what Harley needs to be. For the primary time, followers see her fully impartial of Mr. J., which provides an unpredictable component to single Harley that’s enjoyable to look at. She additionally has that explosive escape sequence that the movie’s writer-director, James Gunn, wrote for her, and Robbie educated to tug off the stunt herself, along with creating the choreography. As Gunn continues to develop the DC Universe, hopefully viewers will proceed to see Robbie as Harley.

Starring in and producing I, Tonya was a pivotal selection in Margot Robbie’s profession — it’s additionally some of the fascinating. Following the field workplace success of The Wolf of Wall Road and Suicide Squad, the place she performed supporting characters, this indie movie confirmed Robbie’s capability to guide a film and disappear into a personality fully.

Robbie embodied Tonya Harding, the real-life Olympic determine skater, who on the top of her profession efficiently landed the uncommon triple Axel transfer. Whereas CGI was used to re-create that talent on display, Robbie educated extensively for 5 months, even the day earlier than she married husband and LuckyChap co-founder Tom Ackerley, to learn to skate like knowledgeable. 

The film portrays the disgraced determine skater who was accused of being concerned within the assault of her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, whose knee was bashed in on the 1991 World Championships. Harding pleaded responsible to the crime and was banned for all times from skating. The movie additionally depicts the alleged bodily abuse that Harding endured by the hands of her mother and ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly.

The scene of Robbie herself crying within the toilet is magic. The entire emotional turmoil Harding had constructed up from by no means feeling ok her entire life is felt in that second, with out Robbie having to say a phrase. It’s value noting that the actress additionally improvised that scene. An important selection by Robbie, as she’s in a position to make the viewers see the complexity and pressures that this girl went by. She scored her first Oscar nomination on the ninetieth annual Academy Awards in 2018. Whereas her co-star Allison Janney picked up a deserved win for greatest supporting actress, Robbie’s loss for greatest actress nonetheless stings.