Photo: Cass Bird
Margot Robbiecraves to be challenged in her work.
InWSJ. Magazine’s cover profile for the November Innovator’s Issue, the Oscar-nominated actress opens up about her craft, specifically her preference for exhausting roles.
“I’m a masochist, she told the magazine. Adding that no matter how daunting or draining a role —Tonya Hardingin 2017’sI, Tonyawould seem to certainly count — the actress “can always find a fifth gear.”
Cass Bird
Among the topics discussed was Robbie teaming with Josey McNamara, Sophia Kerr and now-husbandTom Ackerleyto form the LuckyChap Entertainment production company in 2014.
The first project for LuckyChap was the award-winningI, Tonya, which at first, the actress said, was not met with much enthusiasm within the industry, so LuckyChap quickly picked up the option.
“They [were] like, ‘You can’t make that…. You’ve got 200-something scenes, several locations, it’s period,'” recalled Robbie. “We read it and were like, ‘But it’s just f—ing great; it’s the best script ever, so who cares?'”
Noting that only 1% of the projects now pitched to them are “f— yeses,” Robbie enjoyed reminiscing about the company’s humble, underdog beginnings.
“[We were] too young and dumb to know how scary [it would] be,” she said. “Starting it all off on a kitchen bench in London, everyone was like: ‘They’re such idiots…it would be a miracle if they did anything.'”
Robbie also talked about the challenges of bankrolling female-led projects.
“Today, studios and production companies are considering more female directors and writers,” she said. “[But] it’s easy to put female names on a list. It’s a bigger hurdle to get someone to bankroll [a] project. We still have a long way to go in that regard; that ship is going to take so much longer to course-correct.”
Little is known about the film based on Mattel’s iconic fashion doll line, but when there is even a glimpse into the production — such as when officialshots dropped of Robbie as BarbieandRyan Goslingas Ken — the internet is set ablaze.
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“That’s whyI, Tonyaintrigued us so much — because people had such an immediate and strong reaction to the name ‘Tonya Harding,'” notes Robbie ofBarbie, which is also a LuckyChap production. “It’s kind of amazing to begin at a place like that.”
For exclusive red carpet and insider event access to WSJ. Magazine’s annual Innovator Awards on Wednesday, November 2nd, follow@wsjmagon Instagram.
source: people.com
