Margot Robbie’s journey from Australian television to Hollywood began with a role that changed the direction of her career. After gaining recognition in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, she moved to the United States and attracted international attention as Naomi Lapaglia in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). In the years that followed, she became known for playing complex characters, from figure skater Tonya Harding to the unpredictable Harley Quinn. Her performance as Barbie in the 2023 blockbuster of the same name further established her as both a leading actress and a successful film producer.
Early Life and Family Background
Margot Elise Robbie was born on July 2, 1990, in Dalby, Queensland, Australia. She grew up mainly in the Gold Coast area with her mother, Sarie Kessler, a physiotherapist, and her three siblings. Her parents, Doug Robbie and Sarie Kessler, separated when she was young, and her mother raised the children.
Robbie also spent time at her grandparents’ farm in Dalby, where she experienced a different side of Australian life away from the entertainment industry. Her interest in acting developed during her school years, and she took drama classes at Somerset College in Mudgeeraba, Queensland.
After graduating in 2007, she began pursuing acting opportunities. Rather than waiting for a major opportunity to appear, Robbie took on small projects that helped her gain experience in front of the camera. These early jobs eventually opened the door to Australian television and, later, an international career.
First Acting Roles and Success on Neighbours
Robbie’s early screen work included the Australian films Vigilante (2008) and I.C.U. (2009). Although these projects did not bring her widespread recognition, they gave her valuable experience as a young performer.
Her career took an important step forward in 2008 when she joined the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours. She played Donna Freedman, a lively young character who became popular with viewers. The role gave Robbie regular exposure and helped her develop the skills needed to work in a demanding television production.
Her performance also attracted award nominations in Australia. However, Robbie had ambitions beyond her home country. After leaving Neighbours, she set her sights on Hollywood and worked with a speech coach to develop an American accent.
In 2011, she landed a role in the American television drama Pan Am, which followed the lives of flight attendants during the 1960s. The series offered her an opportunity to work in the United States, but it was canceled after one season. Despite the disappointment, Robbie continued pursuing film roles, and her next major opportunity would change her professional life.
Hollywood Breakthrough with The Wolf of Wall Street
In 2013, Robbie appeared in the romantic comedy About Time, directed by Richard Curtis. Later that year, she secured a role in The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Robbie played Naomi Lapaglia, the wife of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, whose rise and fall form the center of the film. Her confident performance made a strong impression and introduced her to a much wider audience. The movie became a major turning point, establishing her as an actress capable of holding her own alongside some of Hollywood’s most prominent performers.
She followed this success with a variety of projects. In 2015, she starred opposite Will Smith in Focus, playing a skilled con artist involved in a complicated relationship. She also appeared in the science-fiction drama Z for Zachariah.
That same year, she made a memorable cameo in The Big Short. In a brief scene, she explained complicated financial concepts, including subprime loans, in an unconventional setting. The appearance demonstrated her willingness to take on roles that differed from her usual screen image.
Harley Quinn and Other Major Film Roles
Robbie reached another milestone in 2016 when she played Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. The character, associated with the Joker and known for her distinctive appearance and unpredictable behavior, quickly became one of Robbie’s most recognizable roles.
She returned as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (2020), which explored the character beyond her relationship with the Joker, and in The Suicide Squad (2021). The role allowed Robbie to combine physical performance, comedy, and action while helping bring a popular comic-book character to a new generation of moviegoers.
Her work during this period also demonstrated her range. In The Legend of Tarzan (2016), she portrayed Jane, while Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017) featured her as Daphne de Sélincourt, the wife of author A. A. Milne.
In 2019, Robbie appeared as actress Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. The film explored a fictionalized version of Hollywood during the late 1960s.
She also starred in Bombshell (2019), a drama about sexual harassment allegations at Fox News. Robbie played Kayla Pospisil, a fictional character created for the film. Her performance earned her nominations for major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
I, Tonya and Her Oscar Recognition
One of Robbie’s most demanding roles came in I, Tonya (2017), a dark comedy-drama based on the life of American figure skater Tonya Harding. The film examined Harding’s skating career, difficult personal circumstances, and connection to the controversy involving fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan.
Robbie took the leading role and worked to reproduce Harding’s movements and skating style. Although digital effects were used for some of the most difficult elements, Robbie performed portions of the skating herself.
Her portrayal received widespread critical attention and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The performance showed that she could move beyond glamorous or action-oriented roles and take on a complicated real-life figure whose story involved competing accounts and public controversy.
The project also marked an important development behind the camera. Robbie had cofounded LuckyChap Entertainment in 2014 with her husband, Tom Ackerley, and friends. The production company focused on bringing distinctive stories, particularly those centered on women, to film and television. I, Tonya became one of its early releases, helping establish Robbie’s growing influence as a producer.
From Babylon to the Worldwide Success of Barbie
Robbie continued exploring different genres in the early 2020s. She appeared in Amsterdam (2022), a period crime comedy-drama featuring Christian Bale and John David Washington, and played aspiring Hollywood star Nellie LaRoy in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022). Set during the transition from silent films to sound, Babylon examined ambition, excess, and the changing entertainment industry. Robbie’s performance earned another Golden Globe nomination.
In 2023, she appeared in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City before taking on the title role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The live-action film followed Barbie as she left the familiar world of Barbieland and encountered the complications of life in the real world. Ryan Gosling played Ken, with a large ensemble cast supporting them.
Robbie was involved in the project not only as its star but also as a producer through LuckyChap Entertainment. The film became the highest-grossing movie of 2023 and achieved major commercial success worldwide. Its release alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer also inspired the widely discussed cultural phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer.”
Robbie’s work on Barbie earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. As one of the film’s producers, she also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Although she was not nominated for Best Actress at the 2024 Oscars, the film’s success represented a major professional milestone.
In 2026, Robbie portrayed Catherine Earnshaw opposite Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in director Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, adding a classic literary character to her varied screen career.
Awards and Achievements
Robbie’s career has included recognition from several major film-award organizations. Her leading performance in I, Tonya earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, while Bombshell brought an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Her work in Babylon earned another Golden Globe nomination, and her involvement in Barbie brought recognition in both acting and producing categories. These achievements reflect the two sides of her career: performing in front of the camera and helping develop projects behind it.
Through LuckyChap Entertainment, Robbie has also been associated with productions such as Promising Young Woman and Birds of Prey. Her work as a producer has allowed her to participate in shaping the stories that reach audiences, rather than limiting her role to acting alone.
Husband and Personal Life
Robbie met British film producer and assistant director Tom Ackerley while working on the World War II drama Suite Française in 2014. Their professional connection developed into a relationship, and they married in December 2016.
The couple have generally kept their personal life away from the public spotlight while continuing to work in the film industry. Ackerley is also one of Robbie’s partners in LuckyChap Entertainment, making their professional lives closely connected.
Robbie’s transition from Australian television to international stardom has taken place alongside her development as a businesswoman and producer. Rather than relying on one type of role, she has moved between independent dramas, major studio productions, historical films, action movies, and comedy.