MARGOT ROBBIE

ACTING ELITE BRING REALITY ALONG

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

Margot Robbie infuses her screen character with a bit of sweet and sinfulness to star alongside the Hollywood acting elite.

The lead role in a biopic film about a notorious sports figure really developed a lot of momentum for the young actor in supporting roles.

In the film I, Tonya (2017) Robbie creates a compelling performance as American figure skater Tonya Harding.

Sebastian Stan costars as the love interest of Harding who tries and tries as she may to become an Olympic Champion. This true to life drama features a double blind.

Harding is portrayed as the not entirely innocent victim of a conspiracy to physically harm her figure skating rival prior to the Olympic competition.

Harding is only able to compete in the Olympics by denying any knowledge of the plot, while her husband and her bodyguard, played by Paul Walter Hauser, get misdirected with their scheming.

Stan has also played Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy (2022) costarring Lily James as Pamela Anderson in the episodic television biopic about the sextape scandal.

Robbie does a good job portraying Harding from a teenager to a twenty something as she finds a place somewhere between abused and abusing after having a tough mother and a physically abusive husband.

The sweet mask of young and innocent figure skaters is destroyed by the portrait of a figure skater that might have had a demeanor better suited as a hockey player.

This June, Robbie will star as Barbie in Barbie (2023), with Ryan Gosling as Ken in the parody of the Mattel world literally fabricated by corporate toys America.

Robbie in essence wears a metaphysical mask over her screen character not too far removed from her parts in sweet and sinful role playing, especially the parody roles in The Suicide Squad (2021) and Birds of Prey (2020).

In Bombshell (2019) Robbie takes on another biopic character involving themes of gender equality and sexual violence in the network news Me Too, ‘sex for work’ scandal. Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil at a network television station where the boss likes to hire long legged blonds after a trip to his office.

Robbie does a good job showing that her character was ambitious but also unwillingly commodified into participating in a sex act.

Brad Pitt has the leading role in Babylon (2022) but Robbie has the more interesting sideshow as the aspiring starlit as classic Hollywood is revealed in all the glory and debauchery.

Robbie deadpans the character as willing to do just about anything for her fame and fortune only to be robbed of all she achieves by the end of her career.

In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Robbie plays a supporting role as Sharon Tate as fame and fortune stalks the stars into the Hollywood Hills.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star with an ensemble cast that includes Austin Butler and Dakota Fanning in this tale of the sweet and sinful Hollywood lifestyles folding back onto the greatest of stars.

Robbie also has an important supporting role as Queen Elizabeth I in the biopic film, Mary Queen of Scots (2018). Saorise Ronan steels the show as the rival Queen, Mary Stuart but Elizabeth has one last parlay with Mary before deciding to chop of her head for treason.

Robbie shows great versatility as an actor with a screen character much in demand for biopic roles as well as for science fiction fantasy characters a bit more off the wall, if need be.