Margot Robbie is a name with which you’ll be extremely familiar. If you haven’t come to know her as the living embodiment of Mattel’s best-selling doll, you’ll have grown accustomed to her portrayal of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s sidekick turned emancipated ex. If not the two most obvious choices, you’re undoubtedly a fan from the era of Focus and The Wolf of Wall Street, movies that helped put the Australian actress on the map.
Now 33 years old, she began her acting career at the ripe age of 18, landing a recurring role on the television soap opera Neighbours, then having a short stint in the period drama Pan Am. Five years later, at the age of 23, Robbie earned her breakout role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. And she never looked back since — only continued to make a name for herself in Hollywood with these sensational performances.
10. The Legend of Tarzan
In 2016, around the same time as her debut as Harley Quinn in David Ayers’ Suicide Squad, Robbie was cast as Jane Clayton, the wife of Tarzan, in a live-action retelling of the well-known mythological tale. The story follows John Clayton, the 5th Earl of Greystoke who must return to his former home in the jungle to put an end to Captain Léon Rom’s power-hungry takeover. Jane finds herself caught in the middle of an all-out war between humans and apes, eventually finding herself in Rom’s crosshairs.
9. Bombshell
Roger Ailes, the former chairman and CEO of Fox News, resigned in 2016 following countless sexual harassment allegations. A year later, he died from a subdural hematoma. Two more years after that, Bombshell released. The plot centers on Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron as Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, respectively, alongside Robbie as Kayla Pospisil, a composite character. When the real-life case was dismissed in 2018, Fox paid the victims of sexual harassment $50 million, while paying Ailes and Bill O’Reilly, who had attempted to pay off the women to secure their silence, $65 million in severance.
8. Terminal
There are far too many sub-par neo-noir thrillers out there, but Terminal thins out the gene pool somewhat. With an ensemble cast comprising Robbie, Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons, and Mike Myers, you can’t really go wrong. The plot revolves around the intertwining lives of two assassins, a teacher with a terminal disease, a custodian, and a waitress. They all find themselves inexplicably linked due to a murderous scheme orchestrated by Annie, played by Robbie, who seeks revenge on Mr. Franklyn (Myers) for crimes committed against her mother.
7. Mary Queen of Scots
It seems that 2018 was a prosperous year for Robbie, as we find ourselves praising yet another masterpiece of that time. Josie Rourke makes her directorial debut with Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Queen of Scots, and Margot Robbie as her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. It was based on the book Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy. Besides a few historical inaccuracies concerning Mary and Elizabeth’s chemistry, Mary Queen of Scots delivers a fascinating insight into Mary and Elizabeth’s rivalry and blood feud, which eventually concluded with Mary’s death and her son James assuming the throne of both England and Scotland.
6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Portraying the final moments of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows a fading actor and his stunt double as they navigate a rapidly changing entertainment industry, all while the threat of the Tate murders looms overhead. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. There were some controversies surrounding the portrayals, namely that of the late Bruce Lee, whose depiction was viewed as racist and akin to the “treatment of White Hollywood.” There were some inconsistencies with Tate’s storyline, but her sister Shannon eventually supported Tarantino’s depiction and even lent Robbie jewelry and perfume to wear.
5. Focus
The powerhouse duo of Will Smith and Margot Robbie would eventually meet again in 2016 to portray Deadshot and Harley Quinn in Ayer’s Suicide Squad, though not before their outing as Nicky and Jess in Focus. Experienced con man Nicky meets aspiring grifter Jess and takes her under his wing. The pair become partners and lovers, which disappoints Nicky, who had been told by his father to never let love interfere with a con. Years later, Nicky and Jess find themselves under fire by billionaire Rafael Garriga, whom Jess had been seducing and conning for years, which leads to several near-death experiences.
4. Birds of Prey
Although Suicide Squad marked Robbie’s debut as Harley Quinn, it bombed horribly commercially and critically. Thankfully, that fluke led to Robbie’s eventual solo outing as Quinn in Birds of Prey, which was originally intended to be a Gotham City Sirens adaptation with Poison Ivy and Catwoman until plans changed. After calling it quits with the Joker, the Clown Princess of Crime assembles a team of gifted anti-heroes to take on Roman Sionis (Black Mask), a crime lord who made a threat against their lives. Birds of Prey acts as the much more successful spin-off and sequel to Suicide Squad.
3. I, Tonya
In this biographical mockumentary-style sports-comedy, Robbie has some big shoes to fill as Tonya Harding, a former figure skater who becomes involved in a hair-brained scheme to incapacitate fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan. The film features “contradictory” interviews with Harding (Robbie) and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, allowing the audience to decide for themselves whether to believe the narration or consider it a version of events concocted by Harding herself. Although it might not be one of Robbie’s most famous roles, it’s certainly one of the most impactful.
2. Barbie
Classified as a “cultural reset” for this generation, Barbie revolved around feminism and in some ways pokes fun at capitalism and the patriarchy as we know it. It also explores themes of existentialism, especially in the way that humans experience feelings of dread, guilt, and depression. Robbie portrays “Stereotypical Barbie,” who is essentially the embodiment of perfection in every sense, especially physical appearance. As Barbie transitions from Barbieland to the Real World, we get to see Robbie’s acting prowess at its peak.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
If not for her role in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie might not be such a household name as she is today. She and DiCaprio are a force to be reckoned with, which is a dynamic they replicate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. At first glance, it might appear as if Robbie is the token flirtatious Duchess, but she becomes a much more pivotal part of the story as it progresses. Besides her chemistry with DiCaprio, Robbie manages to hold her own against a sea of talented actors, despite having less of a reputation to boast at that time.
