Margot Robbie is a tremendous talent. Every role she plays stands out among all others in the movies. From Harley Quinn to Barbie, Robbie has played — or, in the case of the latter, will play — the most prolific characters to grace the silver screen. She crossed over from acting to producing with LuckyChap Entertainment. Many of the films from the production company feature Robbie in a small role or the main role. One of her smaller roles is as Imelda on Dollface for one episode. Although the role is small, it was memorable.
Over the past decade, actors and actresses have used their social media accounts and global presence to spread awareness of serious issues in addition to their upcoming projects. Of course, many actresses use their platforms to advocate for these serious issues, but fall short with following through. Being an activist or advocate is simple on social media and among friends. However, to make profound change, people need to move beyond discussions and posting to social media. Robbie is one of the few actresses who puts action to her advocacy — here's how.
Harley Quinn’s Storyline/Costume
In Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn is waiting on the Joker to save her and places her confidence in him. According to Variety, Robbie had the idea for Birds of Prey during her research for Harley Quinn: “That rabbit hole led me to the 'Birds of Prey' comics. It seemed like a good platform for a female ensemble franchise, because so many characters come in and out of the Birds of Prey.” Through Birds of Prey, Robbie did something even Marvel hasn’t done: creating a woman-led super villain film with an R-rating. In Birds of Prey, Harley is no longer waiting for the Joker to save her but is realizing she can save herself.
In addition to the chaotic and unprecedented nature of the character, a solo film would need to honor this in the costumes she wears. Screen-Queens details each of Harley Quinn’s costumes in every iteration of the character. More specifically, they discuss how the costumes in Birds of Prey were designed by Robbie herself, director Cathy Yan, and costume designer Erin Benach. The costume changes are more than a symbol of the evolution Harley is enduring in this film. They represent the practicality of a three-dimensional woman super villain moving through a complex world and not a cartoon.
Lucky Chap Entertainment
In Hollywood, several responses against misogyny occur on social media or in interviews, though most of them ring hollow. The most common response is to call it out, using a hashtag, and then return to business as usual. A second response is to move into a behind the camera role to empower women, only to work with actors whom they uplift as remarkable in interviews, rather than uplifting the entire cast. In a third and seemingly less hollow response, actresses will start their own production companies. Of course, this response varies in that some actresses will then hire male directors for their films.
For Robbie, however, it was important for her to follow through on her promises. According to The Daily Aztec, Robbie wanted to create more opportunities for women in Hollywood across the board. Much like how lack of equal pay can be appalling, so are the reports about women in behind the scenes roles compared to men occupying those same spaces. In a report from We Forum, 25% of women occupy behind the scenes roles and 17% of women are employed as writers and directors by major studios. LuckyChap Entertainment, on the other hand, has intentionally been behind several major films and series with women as either director or writer.
Building a Better World Outside of Hollywood
Robbie’s breakout role in the series Pan Am, starring opposite Christina Ricci, was enough to land her a role in About Time and The Wolf of Wall Street. Yet, one aspect of Hollywood that is often ignored is how rampant nepotism is or how you need to know the right people to be successful. In these cases, talent is not as important. Nonetheless, the crux of Robbie’s success is her uncanny ability to transform fully into her character. In an interview with We Are The City, Robbie revealed the encouraging message she has for aspiring actors and directors: “Success is not as far away as it seems. I didn’t know anyone in the industry; it can totally happen.”
Beyond Hollywood, Robbie worked with OxFam, an organization that shares the stories of refugees around the world. Additionally, she donated $50,000 to UNICEF’s Children’s First campaign. Finally, for International Women’s Day, she lent her Instagram to UN Humanitarian Elizabeth Nyamayro. If Robbie is going to do something, she’s going to shine a light and pass the microphone to those who need it.
Advocating for People with Disabilities
WHO reports that, in 2022, 15% of the world’s population has a disability, with 2-4% having difficulty with everyday living. In whole numbers, that's 1 billion people. In 2021, Robbie was working on Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and received the RAD Impact Award, which recognizes people with tangible impacts. The award is then shared with the recipient's charity of choice. Robbie chose Youngcare, an organization that helps with supportive and independent living for people with disabilities in Australia. Robbie even shares a heartfelt moment with Emily Dash, a woman who is a Youngcare Grant recipient in this video.