From Australian soap operas to working with some of the biggest names in the industry, Margot Robbie’s rise to stardom has only accelerated since her American film debut, “About Time,” in 2013. After three years of playing teenager “Donna Freedman” on the television show “Neighbours,” Robbie packed her bags and headed for Los Angeles where she would work on the ABC series “Pan Am,” playing a 1960s stewardess. The period dramedy was not renewed for a second season, but would mark Robbie’s final TV role pre-movie stardom.
The actress grew up with admiration for actors Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, and has since shared the big screen with both of them. Robbie first gained serious industry attention playing Naomi Lapaglia — the bombastic wife to DiCaprio’s scammy stockbroker character in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Only a few years later, Robbie would receive Oscar nominations for her work playing other unmissable women, as Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” and a Fox news correspondent in “Bombshell.” (Robbie is still on the hunt for her first Oscar win).
Knowing she wanted to make a career in front of the camera early on, Robbie was inspired by film at a young age, often reenacting movies in front of her parents as a kid. Growing up in a rural Dalby, Queensland community, her family never imagined a career in acting.
“My family has no connection to the entertainment industry whatsoever, so when I started acting, everyone was like, ‘that’s fun, but when are you going to actually get a real job?’” Robbie said to British Vogue.
In honor of Robbie’s starring and producing role in the upcoming “Barbie,” below are movies she has publicly praised — listed in no particular order.
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“Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993)
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection An adventure-filled parody, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” is one of Robbie’s childhood favorites. With a star-studded cast, including one of the earliest performances from Dave Chappelle, the actress couldn’t get enough of it, remembering the days she watched the movie on repeat.
“Upon reflection, it was just filled with innuendo and it was probably quite inappropriate for a five-year-old to be quoting,” Robbie said to BAFTA.
A spoof on the noble thief legend of Robin Hood, the idea for the film stems from a pitch Beverly Hills dentist, Evan Chandler, made to his client, screenwriter J. David Shapiro. Shapiro went on to recruit and co-author a screenplay for “Men in Tights” with Chandler, which was directed by comedian Mel Brooks.
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“True Romance” (1993)
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection No matter how high you reach in the ranks of Hollywood, fangirling over Brad Pitt will never go out of style. That is no different for Robbie, whose admiration for Pitt’s character Floyd in “True Romance” has not died down despite having worked with him on three films so far. The actress has noted the movie among her favorites of all time; its influence was even felt at Robbie’s wedding.
“I walked down the aisle to the ‘True Romance’ music,” Robbie said to MTV News.
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“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Image Credit: ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection She was still a toddler when Quentin Tarantino made his cinematic debut with “Reservoir Dogs,” but 28 years later Robbie came full circle, starring in his ninth and (supposedly) penultimate film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” A lifelong fan of his work, Robbie approached the director during her time on “Birds of Prey,” asking permission to use “Fox Force Five” as a working title for the film — a “Pulp Fiction” reference. Tarantino said yes, and the all-female group of superheroes organized by Harley Quinn used the “Fox Force Five” monicker during production.
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“The Philadelphia Story” (1940)
Image Credit: Jerry Tavin/Everett Collection A comedic love story of a divorced woman who rekindles her relationship with her ex-husband after playing the field, “The Philadelphia Story” is Robbie’s favorite old Hollywood film. It was initially scripted as a Broadway play, and revived Katherine Hepburn’s career after she acquired the film rights from producer Howard Hughes.
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“The Fifth Element” (1997)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Action, comedy, drama, adventure. The diversity of “The Fifth Element” was fine tuned over the nine years it took to process and shoot. Set in the 23rd century, the movie brought unimaginable gadgets and artificial intelligence to life with no shortage of vibrant colors or novelty costumes to eye. Racking up a sizable $90 million budget during production, “The Fifth Element” was the most expensive European film in history at the time. What would have likely been an even heftier price tag for producers, the film was initially set to cast Prince in the role of Ruby Rhod before Chris Tucker was hired. One of Milla Jovovich’s earliest action performances, Robbie was captivated by her performance as Leeloo, remembering how influential the Leeloo was on her younger self.
“I was just obsessed with ‘The Fifth Element’ and that character in particular,” Robbie said, reciting a scene from the movie to BAFTA.
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“George of the Jungle” (1997)
Image Credit: ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The first film Robbie ever saw in theaters, “George of the Jungle” was a childhood favorite for the fledgling actress — who is still a fan of the King of Swing decades later. Raised by apes in an African jungle, George finds a love that leads him to San Francisco. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, Disney greenlit a sequel without Brendan Fraser years later in addition to the 2007 animated series.
“I watched it a lot as a kid, I loved that film,” Robbie said to BAFTA. “I’ve been a Brendan Fraser fan ever since. I haven’t watched it in quite a few years though, I should revisit it.”
