STACK #142 Aug 2016

INTERVIEW CINEMA

Suicide Squad

TheWolf ofWall Street

Focus

From her humble beginnings on Aussie soap Neighbours to making a splash in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street , Margot Robbie’s ascension has caught the attention of Hollywood’s top directors. Now one of the central stars in Suicide Squad , arguably DC’s most-anticipated project to date, Robbie’s rise shows no signs of slowing down…

W hen it was announced that Margot Robbie would be appearing as maniacal mademoiselle Harley Quinn in the upcoming DC Comics extravaganza Suicide Squad , we expected her to bring the same qualities she brought to her breakthrough part as The Wolf of Wall Street ’s Naomi. We expected glamour, poise, and a hefty dose of feminine ferocity. We expected her to be beautiful and bad-ass, effortlessly and elegantly cool. Perhaps not… “I’ve fallen a fair few times!” she laughs. “I’ve fallen into water; I’ve fallen out of a helicopter. I hit myself in the head with the fake baseball bat the other night. I can be a little clumsy.” Of course, such candid confessions are part and parcel of the Aussie star’s charm. Since making her acting debut in Neighbours , Robbie has fast become one of Hollywood’s hottest properties off the back of Scorsese’s critically acclaimed black comedy – but she’s definitely much more of a leading lady than a traditional damsel in distress. “A lot of the time I love the male character and I’m not that excited about the female character,” she explains. “This project is probably the strongest example of me picking up the script and thinking that the female character is better than the male ones. It’s so nice to have that opportunity.” Suicide Squad is already shaping up to be one of this year’s most anticipated new releases; Robbie’s character has been the

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“I remember when I first started researching the role, I had to look online because this has such a big fan base,” she says. “It’s such a big following; I wanted to know why people liked her so much. “It was obvious people really like the happy side of her so I definitely didn’t want to lose that, but having said that, David said it’s a much darker side of the story – it’s a balance. Day one was an interrogation. I resisted at first – you don’t want everyone to know your deepest, darkest secrets – but it’s probably the most effective form of directing I’ve ever experienced.” As for Robbie’s own off-screen ambition, the 26-year-old has already begun to step into a producer role on a number of “exciting” projects, and is looking to move to a permanent position behind the camera one day.

star attraction in every trailer and sneak-peak so far. As well as reuniting with her former Focus co-star Will Smith, Robbie’s latest project will, at times, see her playing the infatuated lover to Jared Leto’s sinister Joker.

It’s such a big following; I wanted to know why people liked her so much

“We’re working on a couple of things – all are female-driven stories, with female writers and directors, so that’s what the thesis is about,” she says. “I definitely want to direct one day –

“Their relationship is nuts,” says Robbie of the tempestuous romance. “It’s really terrifying, but it’s very engaging to watch.” And while Leto has been grabbing headlines with stories director David Ayer who Robbie is crediting with bringing out both the best and the beast in terms of her popular comic character. of delivering dead pigs and live rats to his co-stars, it’s

I’m not ready yet, but that’s where it’s headed for sure.”

Suicide Squad is in cinemas now

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