It was called “The Power of Change” in Hollywood, a force for change. Because at 33 years old Margot Robbie she has established herself as one of the most popular celebrities. And after the release of the film, prices will increase even more. Barbiewhich she produced, recorded $155 million at the US box office. For her, the film was also a turning point in her career and financially.
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“I grew up on a farm and had a practical mind,” she says. “Since childhood, I wanted to have my own business and be able to provide for myself, so that there would be no more problems and worries. And for this I was ready to make extraordinary sacrifices.” Having established herself as an actress as well as a sex symbol thanks to films such as The wolf of Wall Street, Focus, Big Short Trade AND The Legend of TarzanShe also dedicated herself to production, creating projects and stories starring strong and knowledgeable women.
Margot Robbie, entrepreneur
In 2014 he founded his own film production company. LuckyChap Entertainmentwith her husband, a British director Tom Ackerleywhom he met when he was an assistant director on the set of French Suitehis best friend, director Josie McNamaraAND Sophia Kerrher best friend, who also acted as her manager for a bit.
“Sofia and I grew up together on the Gold Coast in Australia. There are wonderful beaches there, although living there is, of course, not a vacation,” he says. “We are both familiar with hard work since childhood. I trust her very much. The idea of creating my own production company was born after the premiere of the film. The wolf of Wall Street in London when we were at a party in a pub. Because we had been through so much together, we were convinced that we knew each other inside out and could succeed in the manufacturing business, despite all the difficulties we might face.”
In fact, all four lived together for a long time in the same apartment in London. Robbie and her husband were just good friends at first and remained so for a while before realizing that there was something deeper between them. “The world of cinema is a team game, and if the team is united, then there is a high probability that the film will be a great success. I had so much faith in our team,” she admits bluntly.
How did you decide to produce and star in the film? Barbie?
This was not a choice related to my childhood. I liked tractors and spending time in nature. My friend had Barbies, but not me. Regarding the movie, I realized that Barbie is a famous brand like Coca-Cola. I knew that others had already tried to make the film and failed. I was confident that I could convince Mattel. In 2018, I met with new CEO Inon Kraitz at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. My LuckyChap team didn’t have a specific project yet, but we knew we wanted to do something different. We wanted a strong story, equally funny, that could make you laugh, reflect, worry, but ultimately make you feel good. Meanwhile, I was trying to convince Warner Bros. join us too.
How did she manage to convince everyone?
I used the fact that if there are many Barbie fans, there are also many who hate Barbie. And that we also need to consider a world in which women are becoming more aware and independent. And then I thought about Greta Gerwig as a writer and director. Greta is a highly respected feminist in the film world who has directed many challenging films. I was afraid that he would tell me no. Instead, he agreed on the condition that he could write the script with his partner, director Noah Baumbach, another great talent. They probably created something ingenious, absurd and funny. My team and I at LuckyChap had to fight to give them complete creative freedom, since both Mattel and Warner Bros. Were very nervous. But in the end it worked.
She founded LuckyChap Entertainment with her husband Tom Ackerley. Many couples fail to work well together. You instead?
My husband has also been my best friend and roommate for a long time. He knows him well and I trusted him. I knew that he would always support me and follow me in my choices. There was never any competition between us, but only mutual respect for our professionalism.
LuckyChap Entertainment’s goal is to promote predominantly female stories. Does your husband have the same vision as you?
He is also very open. He believes in equality between men and women, in choices that have a powerful impact, and is not afraid of challenges and risks. So he supported me when I wanted to interpret Tonya, the controversial story of a figure skating champion, or when I made a sensitive film about sexual assault such as Promising Womanstarring Carey Mullingan. We even released such a blockbuster Predator birdsfrom the world of DC Comics, based on my idea that I proposed to Warner Bros. center it around my character Harley Quinn. Tom and I read the script at the same time Barbie, we immediately recognized it as the winner, although we were afraid that we would not be allowed to make the film. We had to fight a lot to leave the story exactly like this.
IN Barbie in fact, we discover the opposite world, which revolves around the concept of the doll, and the roles of men and women.
The film really makes us think in this sense, because the world of Barbie Land is a matriarchy where women are in power. And then there are Ken’s people, led by the very good Ryan Gosling, who succumbed to the not-quite-masculine role and masterfully knew how to laugh at himself. Things are different in the real world, as Ken will discover as he tries to establish patriarchy in Barbie Land. In the end, it is important to believe in yourself, find your identity, fight for your dreams, not adapt to the world around you, but discover who you really are.
IN Barbie it also talks about the challenges that self-made women face in the real world. She also tried to achieve this…
My father was a sugarcane farmer from Queensland. My mother is a physical therapist and has always had a more humane spirit and was open to the world. My parents separated when I was only five years old. I grew up with my mother, my two brothers and my sister. We moved to the Gold Coast countryside to my grandparents’ farm. Of course it wasn’t easy, but we were surrounded by so much love. So yes: no one in my family came from the world of cinema.
How did you decide that you wanted to become an actress?
Since childhood, I have always been dynamic, rebellious, very athletic and a little wild. My mother, irritated by my endless energy, decided to send me to a circus school, where I immediately distinguished myself in trapeze exercises. At eight years old, I was a true prodigy in this discipline. In the meantime, I enjoyed improvising theater scenes at home to entertain my family. On the farm, this can really be a way to spend a nice evening together. I made the choice to become a professional actress while still at school: I studied acting there, and my talent was noticed. I started auditioning and getting roles on television in Australia. To support myself, I worked at the fast food chain Subway, and in the evenings I was a bartender or even a cleaner.
And then?
When I graduated, I moved to Melbourne, which is the center of the creative scene, where I devoted myself to auditions and finally managed to turn my passion into a real job where I could earn money. But my big break came when I moved to Los Angeles. After a period spent in London with my husband, we decided to return to live in Los Angeles. We are now in Venice Beach. And I also like to surf or run along the seashore on roller skates, as is also shown in the film. Barbie.
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