Margot Robbie: Controlling the “Attractive Blond” Narrative

WEBVTT
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.119
Welcome back to the On the Template, everyone.
00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:23.280
Um, I am approaching this episode differently with some background noise, it sounds like I've decided that um the uh the podcast has sort of become a more of a journal for me.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:35.200
And then I do tell stories, but I really want the stories of our expanders to be the, you know, the highlight, the VIP, the most important um aspect of the podcast.
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:40.479
So I think from now on, we've just got I think seven episodes left for this season.
00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:49.840
I'm just gonna go unscripted for what's been going on because I've been concerned about getting the podcast out on time.
00:00:50.320 --> 00:01:00.719
And uh um I've learned something this this week that I'm gonna share, um, which is, you know, you know I'm a responder at this point, so when things happen, I pivot.
00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:05.760
Uh if you've been following along, that's definitely how I learn and how I grow.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:12.799
So I learned some things this week that had me thinking about how I approach I approached the episodes.
00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:16.159
Um, and I want them to be entertaining.
00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:26.239
And I think me writing the entire episode and then reading it, you know, I I got a big personality and you're missing out on who I actually am.
00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:28.560
So I think I'm just gonna talk to you guys.
00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:32.400
I think I'm just gonna um and hopefully you guys isn't offensive.
00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.079
Um, that is a millennial thing.
00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:35.280
We used to say that all the time.
00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:39.439
I apologize if that's um not an appropriate term.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:46.079
I I I try to stick to y'all, but I've also sort of weaned myself off of southern southernisms.
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:54.079
So anyway, um, yeah, so I think I don't I'm not gonna write out the entire episode.
00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.840
I'm gonna write out the stories and transitions, that sort of thing.
00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.439
That's what you'll get today.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:08.800
But otherwise it's just gonna be me talking to you like this because um I don't know, I think it's better.
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:12.319
So, what has been going on with me?
00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:15.759
So, weirdly enough, it's the beginning of fall here.
00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:25.360
I actually saw cute little fall flags the other day when I was walking around getting groceries at Woolworthslash Woolies.
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:28.080
And uh it's just so weird, you know.
00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:35.840
I I have been here through sort of the hottest days, I think, where it's hot and muggy and in the 90s, close to 100.
00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:39.439
Not the air, they call it air con, not AC.
00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:48.719
And um, the way that they approach it, we you know, in the States we have centralized air um or window units in every single window.
00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:50.879
But they have splits.
00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:52.000
That's sort of the norm.
00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:57.759
And when you have a split system, that means it really only cools or heats up one room at a time.
00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:02.879
So it's wherever you are in the house, you get air conditioning.
00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:14.639
So the house that I was just in in the western suburbs um in Quakers Hill, I was pretty lucky that they they had one in almost every room of the house, including the bedroom.
00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:21.120
But the one the I'm back in Lane Cove this week, and uh there is there is none in the bedroom.
00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:28.000
So uh I say back because I've actually house sat for for this host before and this cat before.
00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.840
This was where I started in Sydney, and I'm back at the house.
00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:43.199
She asked for me twice, which is very kind, but man, that first week I was suffering because the bedroom doesn't have air conditioning, and it was, like I said, it was the hottest part.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:48.240
Now it's almost fall, so the air is getting cool at night.
00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:50.560
It's not just hot all the time.
00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:55.280
Um, and so I've been able to open the window and that I've been sleeping, which is great.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:57.520
I didn't sleep at all the first week.
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:05.120
Small blessings, small gifts, small things that we appreciate when we travel um and stay in other people's houses.
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:10.240
Um, so yeah, it's been familiar, uh, but also, you know, still unfamiliar.
00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.680
It is somebody else's home, but at least I know how to work everything.
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:27.120
Um and uh it has been good for me to be back in a place that feels familiar, very similar to how I described coming back to Wellington from Christchurch in a past episode.
00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:28.879
It's almost like coming home.
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:42.480
It feels nice, and I am thinking those feelings are important, and I'm looking forward to coming back to the States and figuring out what that new home is gonna look like for me.
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:47.759
So these these little glimpses um have been have been nice.
00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:53.759
It's it's hinting towards some consistency that I see for myself coming up this year.
00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:17.439
But I love that it is sort of familiar because I did something very unfamiliar this week, and I paid for a coaching session last Friday, and then yesterday, this Saturday today, for me, um, I recorded a demo reel, a voiceover demo reel.
00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:30.319
And I I had just think about just a year ago, I never, ever, ever would have considered doing something like this, or that I was good enough, or that I was worth, or that it was a possibility for me.
00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:41.759
And if I've learned anything from the past year and a half, it's we we all really need to continuously ask the question, why not me?
00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:45.759
And I've mentioned this before in previous episodes, but why not you?
00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.040
You have to keep saying it.
00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.040
You have to almost be insane about it.
00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:51.040
Like, why couldn't you do this?
00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:53.279
Why can't you be this way?
00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:55.199
Why not you?
00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:59.199
Um, so that's sort of how I've been approaching the podcast.
00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.040
And uh and yeah, recording a voiceover reel.
00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:07.279
My coach was one of my was a teacher.
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:13.439
I I told everybody that um I took the voiceover workshop at Afters.
00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:18.639
That was my very first week, and I I immediately went to his name is Yannick Lowry.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:25.920
I immediately went to him after class on the last day, which was my birthday, and said, Hey, I really want to continue this while I'm here.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.040
I already know you, I know your vibe, I know what you're about.
00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:33.120
He has a counseling background, he has a very grounding presence.
00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:40.720
He, you know, he just has this sort of thing, which I feel like I also emote, which is great.
00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:43.360
Um, and I just felt familiar with him.
00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:45.759
Like he he felt very comfortable with me.
00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.079
Just I liked his vibe, if that make if that makes sense.
00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:51.920
So his name is Yannick Laurie.
00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.839
He um he's originally from the UK.
00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:09.519
He has a business called Studio Under the Stairs, and so I, you know, have been working with him for the past several weeks to try to figure out how to get that coaching session in, how to be prepared and actually do a recording session with him.
00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:10.800
And we did it.
00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:24.000
So yesterday I went in early to the city, I took the train, and um yeah, two and a half hours later, he is now, I guess this coming week, going to be piecing it together for me.
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:34.560
And hopefully it's something that I can number one offer my clients in my business, but also pursue as maybe a side career, or who knows?
00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:35.920
Because why not me?
00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:37.839
Um, I wasn't even nervous.
00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:44.560
That's the thing, is you you think performance is scary, it's unnerving, but I was very comfortable with him.
00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:46.240
I can't emphasize that enough.
00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:53.360
And I can't wait to see how it turns out because he's gonna turn it into something that sounds quite legit.
00:07:53.519 --> 00:08:04.959
It isn't just gonna be me speaking like I am to you today, it's gonna be me doing bits as if it were real commercials, as if it were real narrative.
00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:13.600
Because he's gonna add music to it and he's gonna he's gonna make it sound like an actual commercial, he's gonna edit it for me, uh, which is just so crazy.
00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:18.879
Um I even if it's just that, I'm I'm looking forward to hearing how it sounds.
00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:21.439
Uh so I'll have to update you on that.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:24.160
Um I'm happy to be back in Lane Cove.
00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:25.680
Uh that other house was great.
00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:30.639
Like I said, it had um AC and all the and all the rooms, but it was so far.
00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:37.679
And um it had the same sort of energy as my upbringing.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:49.279
It was the same sort of types of people that I grew up with, and I've moved so far past that at this point in my life, it just was not resonating at all.
00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:53.840
Um, it was a reminder of where I've come from, if that makes sense.
00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:00.240
Um so I'm really happy to be here now, even though Lanecombe is still not in the city.
00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:03.039
Um, it's easy, it's easier to get to places.
00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:06.960
And I'm actually gonna go see uh a friend tonight for drinks.
00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:08.399
Um so I'm excited about that.
00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:14.720
And I'm gonna see a friend that I met through Post Crossing, which is a postcard exchange who has a band here.
00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:18.000
I'm gonna go see his band, hopefully, this evening as well.
00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:23.840
And it looks like the train sort of goes directly to where I'm supposed to be going from here.
00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.480
I still have to take a bus to get to the train station.
00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:30.159
But anyway, the point is Lane Cove is easier than where I was before.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.639
I was so far away from everything.
00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:38.080
Um, still got a couple of social things in, but it just it was not for me.
00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:39.600
Um, so I'm glad to be back.
00:09:39.840 --> 00:10:06.879
Uh that said, my transition, I did mention this last episode that between Quakers Hill, way far away, and Lane Cove, I treated myself to another night in the city, and so I stayed on the waterfront, you know, at one of the wharf areas, and it was maybe a five-minute walk to the New South Wales art gallery because I wanted to see Ron Muick in person.
00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:08.879
You were probably familiar with his work.
00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:16.159
He does life-size, very detailed, very real sculptures of people.
00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:21.360
Funny enough, the exhibit showed something that he's brand he's branching away from that.
00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:44.080
He's very well known for that, but I think he's branching more into not abstract realism, but more uh realism that you would get the more the energy and the tension of a form versus the form having hair all over its body, or you can see the veins, or you can see blemishes, that sort of thing.
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.679
I think he's moving towards more expressive realism.
00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.000
I don't even know if that's a real term, but that that that's what the show is about.
00:10:52.159 --> 00:11:00.399
It it went from his traditional trajectory, what he's always been known for, and some of the pieces were very, very impactful.
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:03.440
But then he had an exhibit that was totally different.
00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:08.080
And it was with animals, it was with dogs, and it was multiple, they were enormous.
00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.279
I mean, they were I would say three times the size of me.
00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:13.679
Dogs about to fight.
00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:18.879
So it was one pack of dogs against another pack of dogs that filled the entire space.
00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:25.519
You could walk around it, you could get maybe a foot away from each of the individual dog sculptures.
00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:26.799
Very, very different.
00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:31.200
So I'm interested to see kind of you know how he I've always wanted to see this artist.
00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:32.960
Uh, you know, I've seen things online.
00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.600
Um, I've never been in the city when he's had an exhibit.
00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.759
So I was so excited to be in a proper city where I got to see his work.
00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:41.440
Uh it was it was fantastic.
00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.200
And like I said, some some of his pieces were were very, very impactful.
00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:49.279
Uh the my biggest takeaway though, it's I went on Wednesday.
00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.679
I think Wednesday might be um, they're open later on Wednesday, the gallery.
00:11:53.840 --> 00:12:04.960
And I think because of that, maybe it's sort of more of a community day because every I I can't even tell you how many school groups, high school groups were there.
00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:11.919
I mean maybe over 10 high school groups, and they were all waiting outside of the gallery when I arrived.
00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:17.759
I arrived right when it opened, and I was like, holy crap, they're all gonna be in there at the same time.
00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:30.480
And so it was sort of a race to the finish for me because uh I don't know if you've been around high school age students or even middle school age students, but they're sort of rabid, um, not in a negative way.
00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.360
They just are because they they are actually in packs.
00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:39.840
So I was just talking about the pack dogs, but they are actually that sort of energy all the time.
00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:46.080
And I could feel them like almost about to overtake me the entire time I was in the gallery.
00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:48.639
Everything I did, I was like, okay, they're coming.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:49.759
Okay, I can hear them coming.
00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:50.799
They're coming down the L.
00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.519
I gotta keep moving, I gotta keep going through.
00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:58.720
But I'm so lucky because I was able to do the entire gallery and avoid them mostly.
00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:00.960
Mostly avoid them.
00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:10.879
They were around, but they were they were coming into the uh Ron Muork exhibit right when I was leaving.
00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:14.080
So all of my photos have barely anybody in them.
00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:17.039
I was just, I was very lucky to have timed it the way that I did.
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:23.120
But it's because I had to get out of my Airbnb at 10, and then the art gallery opened at 10.
00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.440
So I was right there, right when it opened.
00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:26.639
Perfect timing.
00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:27.840
So glad that I went.
00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:29.919
So glad I had more time in the city.
00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:34.480
Um, and at this point, I've sort of done all my touristy things.
00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:42.240
I want to take another ferry in the opposite direction of the Sydney Opera House because there's some really beautiful waterways.
00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:52.960
The Sydney Harbor sort of pours out into the Pacific, but then it it jutties into these little teeny little crevices um above Sydney.
00:13:53.120 --> 00:14:02.000
So under, I don't know if you've seen any of my social media, but under that main Sydney Harbor Bridge, it continues long, long, long all the way mainland.
00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:03.600
So I'd really like to take a ferry.
00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:05.120
But otherwise, I've I've done it.
00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:06.000
I've done everything.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.840
I did all my professional stuff.
00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.559
I, you know, I'm this is my third house sit.
00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:21.120
I'm about to leave Sydney for about maybe two weeks to go to a really um cute coastal beach town called Kayama.
00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.320
And I'm gonna take the train down there and I'm gonna be with the dog again.
00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:26.240
So I'm so excited to be with the dog.
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.720
Who knew that I was gonna love house sitting with dogs?
00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:29.360
I miss it.
00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:36.639
Um, you know, I I am a cat person, I love cats, but um Coco and Kiki really showed me I like dog, I like dog sitting.
00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.440
It's fun.
00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:38.320
I miss it.
00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:45.360
So I'll be down there, and then one more week, uh I will be really, really north, and then I'm I'm going back to the States.
00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.919
So I can't believe the trip is coming to an end.
00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.440
I'm so happy that I was doing this podcast the entire time.
00:14:51.600 --> 00:15:03.919
So you could hear me prepare, hear me go abroad, hear what it's like to have been living abroad, and also see how this podcast has bolstered a new professional arena for me with the voiceover work.
00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:05.679
So thank you for being here with me.
00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:10.000
Thank you for joining, and um, I hope that you enjoy today's story.
00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:13.440
We're gonna talk about Margot Robby.
00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:27.919
Last week we explored the journey of Chris Hemsworth, who began on Australian television before leaving for the United States and eventually becoming one of the most recognizable actors in global film franchises.
00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:32.799
His path mirrors another Australian performer who followed a similar trajectory.
00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:43.200
Margaret Robbie also began on Australian television, also relocated to Hollywood, and also faced the strange position of being labeled the Australian Import.
00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:47.200
But both actors eventually pushed past performance roles.
00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:52.799
Hemsworth co-founded Thematic Entertainment, and Robbie founded Lucky Chap Entertainment.
00:15:52.960 --> 00:16:03.840
In both cases, the trajectory shifted from participation to ownership and allowed them to expand from acting within stories to helping decide which stories are made.
00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:14.639
Margot Robbie was born in 1990 in Dalby, Queensland, a small agricultural town about three hours west of Brisbane.
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.159
Her early life did not resemble the glamorous Hollywood trajectory people often associate with her today.
00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:27.919
Her parents separated when she was young and she was primarily raised by her mother, Sari Kessler, a physiotherapist, along with three siblings.
00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:32.080
They grew up largely on her grandparents' farm on the Gold Coast Hinterland.
00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:34.320
The environment was rural and practical.
00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:40.240
There were animals, long drives between towns, and the kind of independence that often comes with country life.
00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:47.600
Money was not abundant, and from a young age, Robbie understood that if she wanted financial freedom, she would need to work for it.
00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.480
So as a teenager, she held multiple jobs at once.
00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:57.039
She worked at subway making sandwiches, bartended at various places, and took other service industry shifts.
00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:58.559
She even cleaned houses.
00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:02.240
These jobs didn't allow for her to experiment with different skills or talents.
00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:04.559
They were just necessary income for her.
00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:09.599
At one point, she worked three jobs simultaneously while finishing school.
00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:13.759
She attended Somerset College on the Gold Coast, where she studied drama.
00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.359
This was a risk taken.
00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:22.880
Even then, acting did not feel like a guaranteed pathway for someone trying to make their way in a smaller entertainment industry like Australia.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:28.160
So even while a successful student, the transition from student to professional actor was uncertain.
00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:30.079
But Robbie was drawn to the work.
00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:39.839
Acting offered a way to step into different lives and environments, something that resonated with someone who had grown up in a small town, imagining larger possibilities.
00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:44.480
After graduating, she moved to Melbourne to pursue acting more seriously.
00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:46.880
This early period was quite difficult.
00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:52.079
Like most aspiring actors, she spent time auditioning for commercials in small television roles.
00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:58.319
And like most aspiring actors, Robbie was rejected constantly and made income inconsistently.
00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:11.119
Her first significant opportunity came when she landed a guest role on the Australian television series City Homicide, which began its run in 2006 and was filmed in various locations adjacent to Melbourne.
00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:15.680
Robbie played a high school student who finds the dead body of a classmate.
00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.039
She was only a teenager herself at the time of filming.
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:26.400
That appearance helped her secure a more stable position on the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours in 2008.
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:37.920
She played the character Donna Friedman, which was meant initially to be a guest appearance, but once Robbie Grace the set, it was instantly felt that she had more to offer the character and the show.
00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:48.240
Neighbours, like many soap opera shows, have historically functioned for Australian actors as a strong means to learn professional actings and get a start in the entertainment industry.
00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:54.480
Many internationally known performers began there, including Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce, and Kylie Minogue.
00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:56.640
The pace of production is intense.
00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:02.480
Actors film multiple episodes each week, forcing them to develop technical discipline quickly.
00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.559
Robbie remained on neighbors for three years until 2011.
00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:12.160
During that time she received two Logie Award nominations, which increased her visibility in Australia.
00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:17.119
But like many actors on long running television shows, she faced a decision.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:25.039
Staying would provide stability, leaving would open the possibility of a much larger career, but with no guarantees.
00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:30.319
In 2011, she chose to leave the show and move to the United States.
00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:36.799
Relocating to Los Angeles is rarely a smooth transition and often serves to tear apart the dreams of young people.
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:45.759
Robbie was often being evaluated primarily on her appearance rather than skill against other women in the same limited female archetype roles.
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:55.839
She has spoken about the strange experience of being repeatedly cast as quote, the attractive blonde, unquote, while trying to prove a deeper range.
00:19:56.079 --> 00:20:04.960
But she persisted, and in 2011, the same year she arrived in Hollywood, she was given her first major American television role.
00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:14.720
Margot Robbie was cast on the ABC series Pan Am, starring Christina Ricci in the lead role, where Margot played the number two on the call sheet, Laura Cameron.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:23.680
The show only lasted one season, but it introduced her to American audiences and gave her experience working within a large television production system.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:32.240
In 2013, Robbie's breakthrough moment came when director Martin Scorsese cast her in the Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:35.680
It was two years after she arrived in Hollywood.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:38.799
The role required confidence and fearlessness.
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:49.200
Robbie had to hold her own opposite one of the most established actors in Hollywood while performing in a film directed by one of the most respected filmmakers alive.
00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:52.559
The performance immediately changed her career trajectory.
00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:58.720
She demonstrated not just screen presence, but comedic timing and dramatic intensity.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:06.319
Industry perception shifted from attractive blonde to promising newcomer to serious actor.
00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.799
After Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie carefully navigated her next choices.
00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:18.319
She appeared in focus with Will Smith and later took on the role of Jane Porter in The Legend of Tarzan.
00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:25.920
While these films increased her visibility, she was also becoming aware of a deeper issue within the industry.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:30.319
Many of the roles available to women were limited in perspective.
00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:35.599
Female characters often existed primarily to support male protagonists.
00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:41.200
Robbie began thinking about how she could influence the kinds of stories being told.
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:46.559
So rather than continuing to wait for better roles, she began helping create them.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:57.119
In 2014, she co founded Lucky Chap Entertainment with producer Tom Ackerley, whom she later married, along with Josie McNara and Sophie Kerr.
00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:59.599
The company was created specifically to develop.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.160
Female-driven stories and provided opportunities for women behind the camera.
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.480
This move marked a turning point.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:14.079
One of Lucky Chap's early major successes was I Tanya, where Robbie portrayed controversial figure Tanya Harding.
00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:19.920
The film blended dark comedy, documentary-style storytelling, and sharp social commentary.
00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:24.880
Robbie's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:29.440
The project also demonstrated the power of the production model she had envisioned.
00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:37.519
By producing the film herself, she helped bring a complex female story to the screen that might otherwise have struggled to secure funding.
00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:44.799
She then entered one of the most commercially recognizable roles of her career as Harley Quinn and Suicide Squad.
00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:48.480
The character quickly became iconic within the DC film universe.
00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:57.359
Robbie later reprised the role in Birds of Prey and the Suicide Squad, pushing for more creative control over how the character was portrayed.
00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:02.000
Birds of Prey in particular reflected her interest in female-led ensemble storytelling.
00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:09.200
The film centered on a group of women navigating chaotic urban environments while rejecting traditional superhero archetypes.
00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:17.200
Another major milestone came in 2019 when Robbie starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, directed by Quentin Tarantino.
00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:29.839
The film explored a nostalgic vision of late 1960s Hollywood, and Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate brought warmth and humanity to a historical figure often only defined by tragedy.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.720
But the project that would redefine her career arrived in 2023.
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:39.119
Robbie produced and starred in Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig.
00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:42.400
Many anticipated the film to be a simple toy adaptation.
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:47.039
Instead, Gerwig and Robbie created it into a global cultural event.
00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:55.200
Barbie explored identity, gender expectations, and existential questions while maintaining humor and visual spectacle.
00:23:55.440 --> 00:24:03.599
The film earned over$1 billion worldwide and sparked widespread conversation about the role of women in storytelling.
00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:11.680
For Robbie, the project represented the culmination of her strategy, acting, producing, and shaping narrative simultaneously.
00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:18.079
Today, Margot Robbie continues developing projects through Lucky Chap Entertainment while balancing her acting career.
00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:25.920
The company has expanded into television and film production with a consistent emphasis on unconventional female perspectives.
00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:33.039
Her journey from rural Queensland to global cinema reflects not only talent, but strategic thinking.
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:36.079
She did not simply accept the roles available to her.
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:40.000
She helped create a structure where new roles would exist.
00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:50.720
Next week we step into the work of Jennifer Kent, whose film The Babaduke became one of the most influential psychological horror films in the last decade.
00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:54.400
Kent and Robbie represent different sides of the same challenge.
00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:58.319
Kent pushed against expectations about women directing harm.
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:04.240
Robbie pushed against expectations about women leading large genre films and producing them.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.799
Both encountered skepticism.
00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:09.519
Both built momentum anyway.
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:19.680
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:23.440
But before we all head out, here is something for you to chew on this week.
00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:28.319
So get your notepads out, or however you are writing down your reflection questions.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:29.519
I'll wait.
00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.119
Waiting.
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:32.160
Waiting.
00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:37.039
Okay, Margaret Robbie did not wait for the industry to give her the kinds of roles she wanted.
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.079
She created a company that could develop them instead.
00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.720
So this week, look at your own creative work and ask yourself a practical question.
00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:47.039
Where are you waiting for permission?
00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:53.039
Is there a small structural change you could make that gives you more control over your work?
00:25:53.759 --> 00:26:07.279
Maybe it is starting a newsletter or some sort of production partnership or committing to a project without waiting for external validation or just reaching out to somebody that you know could give you a helping hand.
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:09.519
Robbie did not eliminate risk.
00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:12.640
She changed where the decisions were being made.
00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:25.200
I hope you continue in the pursuit of your projects and your dreams.
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:34.000
This podcast was created to offer up inspiration for those with big ideas, but who need a hand in how to keep things going once the initial excitement wears off.
00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:44.880
I believe you also have outstanding skills, abilities, and talents to be successful, just like each of the expanders of the week I tell the stories of, even if it doesn't feel that way to you.
00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:51.519
I'm an expert on neurodiverse thinkers, specifically those with ADD, ADHD, and those on the autism spectrum.
00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:53.039
Those are my favorite people.
00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.920
I think that they are the ones who can make the world a better place.
00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:07.680
My business on collaborative offers emotionally intelligent partnership to diverse thinkers, creatives, innovators, and artists, feeling the pressure of completion and delivery after they've gotten started.
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:19.279
My job is to remain by their side and work with them, not against them, to accomplish something that feels too overwhelming alone while upholding the soul of their work.
00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:26.319
If this sounds like you and you have an idea you're excited about but need help with making a reality, reach out.
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:28.640
My contact is in the description for you.
00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:31.200
Keep it up, keep it creative.
00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:36.559
Follow your dreams when my dreams crazy.
00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:42.160
I was swimming alone with something under me.
00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:48.720
Follow your dreams where dreams are hazy.
00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:54.880
They're treading a pool blue in the day.
00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:29.759
I was flying a top rose of orcher tree.
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:35.680
Follow your dreams when dreams are hazy.
00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:41.599
Waited low on the ground, grasping beautifully.
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:16.079
But dreaming can only get you so far.
00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:23.599
With dust in your eye, and knowing where to start.
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:52.720
Use that song in your heart for reaching attention.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.480
Follow your dreams, thoughts true.
00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:04.960
A tempted Your creation exists.
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:09.039
Just beyond the template.