Margot Robbie has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most compelling talents, combining versatility, charisma, and a dedication to her craft. From her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street to transformative performances in I, Tonya and Barbie, Robbie has continually demonstrated an ability to inhabit characters with depth, intensity, and nuance. Her film choices span genres, reflecting both a fearlessness and a desire to challenge herself as an artist.
Robbie’s new film, Wuthering Heights, offers another exciting chapter. In this adaptation of the classic novel, she portrays a complex, emotionally driven character navigating passion, betrayal, and resilience. Alongside Jacob Elordi, Alison Oliver, and Shazad Latif, the movie is a generational statement of love, wrapped in the decoration of the past, and is set for global release in February.
Off-screen, Robbie maintains a focus on family, fashion, and creative ventures. She is known for her thoughtful approach to public appearances, her interest in producing and developing meaningful projects through production company LuckyChap Entertainment, which, to date, has overseen 12 movies, with 10 more projects in motion.
Despite being ensconced in the world of entertainment, the Oscar and Academy Award winner is dedicated to her pursuit of staying grounded. In this conversation, Robbie discusses Wuthering Heights, her career trajectory, lifestyle, fashion, and how she balances professional ambition with personal life.
STRIPLV: What drew you to Wuthering Heights? ROBBIE: I think every actor has that list in their head of “someday roles”, and Cathy Earnshaw was definitely one of mine. She’s this whirlwind of contradictions; she’s passionate, destructive, magnetic. Growing up in Australia, I actually read Wuthering Heights at school and didn’t quite get it at the time. It felt so dark and intense compared to a lot of the stuff we were doing, but when I went back to it in my twenties, Cathy made complete sense to me. She’s wild and flawed and wants everything all at once. Playing her now, I keep saying she’s the original messy heroine. She makes terrible choices, but you can’t look away. On set, I’d joke with the cast that Heathcliff would’ve been ghosted in about two seconds if they’d had mobile phones back then. (Laughs) Really, though, it’s about exploring this deep, almost primal connection between people. That’s something audiences still respond to, even centuries later.
STRIPLV: Cathy is such a layered character. How do you even begin to prepare for someone like that? ROBBIE: A lot of it for me was going back to the landscape. Wuthering Heights is almost more about the setting than anything else. It’s the moors, the wind, the isolation. I actually went to Yorkshire before we started shooting and just walked for hours out on the moors by myself. It was freezing, and I got properly lost once because I thought, “I’ll be fine, I’ve got Google Maps”, and of course, there was no reception. That sense of being tiny and overwhelmed by nature suddenly made Cathy click for me. You understand why these people are a bit wild; they’re living in this environment that is dramatic every single day. And then I balance that with all the fun stuff, like the accents, costumes, and how she moves. The corsets do half the acting for you because you physically can’t slouch or breathe normally. By the time you’re on set, you just let all that prep melt away and try to be present. Ultimately, it’s a timeless story of love, revenge, and human complexity. I was fascinated by the intensity of the characters and the emotional depth of it all. To bring that passion to the screen and to explore the authenticity of a character with such extremes is and will always be incredibly compelling. STRIPLV: You’ve played Harley Quinn, Barbie, and now Cathy. Do you enjoy jumping between extremes? ROBBIE: Absolutely. That’s the whole point of doing this job, isn’t it? To hop between candy-coloured chaos and Victorian tragedy. Harley is anarchic, Barbie is hyper-polished, and Cathy is all storm and earth. Sometimes I think of them as three different shades of the same thing, because, in a major sense, they are all women who are underestimated or misunderstood. It’s actually quite fun to carry bits of one character into the next. With Cathy, I let myself be a little less “put together” on screen, like Harley would be, but with Barbie’s longing for something bigger than herself. The variation also keeps me sane as a person. If I did heavy drama all the time, I think I’d be a nightmare to live with. My husband [filmmaker Tom Ackerley] is very good at reminding me to leave Cathy or Harley at the door when I come home. STRIPLV: Speaking of home, you split time between Australia, London, and LA. How do you find balance? ROBBIE: Home is a bit of a moving target for me. I grew up on the Gold Coast, so I’ll always be a beach girl at heart. If I go too long without swimming in the ocean, I get cranky. London is where I’ve spent a lot of my adult life, and I love the energy there, the pubs, the parks, just walking around. LA is more about work, but I’ve made it feel homey, too. Tom and I bought a house in Venice Beach a while back, and it’s this little sanctuary. I love pottering around the kitchen, trying recipes, and we’ve even got a veggie garden I keep threatening to get serious about. My family still lives in Australia, and I’m really close to them, so we FaceTime constantly. There’s always a sibling dropping in with a surfboard in the background. That keeps me grounded more than anything. STRIPLV: You’ve always been known for your energy. Do you have a health or fitness routine that keeps you going on those long shoots? ROBBIE: I wouldn’t say I’m super disciplined. I’m not one of those people who love the gym. I have to trick myself into exercising. I like things that feel fun, like dance classes or tennis. When I was prepping for I, Tonya, I trained like a maniac, but in general, I think balance is more important than obsessing. I try to eat well, sleep properly, and stay hydrated, which sounds really boring but makes all the difference. In Wuthering Heights, the weather did most of the conditioning for us; running up and down hills in corsets is basically a workout. At one point, I joked with our director that I deserved hazard pay because the wind literally blew me off my feet. STRIPLV: Speaking of clothes, fashion has been a huge part of your public image, from the Barbie press tour to the red carpets. How do you view it personally? ROBBIE: Working with stylists like Kate Young has been amazing because she really gets how to create a character on a red carpet. For Barbie, we had all those incredible vintage Chanel and Versace looks, which were a dream come true, but I’m also just as happy in jeans and a T-shirt when I’m not working. I do have a soft spot for Aussie designers. Zimmermann makes me feel like I’m back at the beach, even when I’m in London. I wouldn’t say I’m famously loyal to a brand, though. I like to keep my options open. STRIPLV: What do you do to unwind when you’re not on set or at an event? ROBBIE: Honestly, I’m a homebody. I love having friends over, cooking a big meal, and maybe playing some board games. I’m super competitive with Monopoly; my friends have banned me from being the banker because apparently, I get too intense. I also love reading. Right now, I’m re-reading Jane Eyre, partly because it felt right to go alongside Wuthering Heights. And I watch a lot of reality TV, which people never expect. Give me Love Island or Married at First Sight, and I’m happy. It’s like brain candy. STRIPLV: Looking back, what’s been the most surreal moment of your career so far? ROBBIE: There have been a few. Walking onto the Wolf of Wall Street set on my very first big film, and there’s Leonardo DiCaprio standing there, that was insane. Doing Barbie and seeing kids dressed up in pink outfits coming to the cinema, that made me cry. And then now with Wuthering Heights, being out in the middle of the moors and realising I’m actually playing Cathy Earnshaw, the character I once scribbled essays about in school, that was a full-circle moment. STRIPLV: What keeps you excited about acting after so many intense years? ROBBIE: For me, it’s the variety and the challenge. I get restless easily, so jumping from a comic book character to a plastic doll to a literary heroine keeps me on my toes. And I genuinely love working with people. Making films is such a team sport, and I get energy from being on a set, surrounded by creative chaos. STRIPLV: How do you handle public and media attention? ROBBIE: I try to focus on work and personal values rather than worrying about the perception others have of me. And I know that might sound strange in an era where everyone is obsessed with maintaining a slick and professional image, because it seems that everyone and everything is so scrutinized. Fame can be strange, but I’ve learned to maintain perspective. STRIPLV: What advice would you give young actors entering the industry? ROBBIE: Focus on your craft, stay curious, and choose projects that challenge and inspire you. Don’t chase trends or popularity; longevity comes from dedication, authenticity, and the willingness to grow.
LUCKYCHAP AND BEYOND Behind the camera, Robbie is building a legacy of her own. Margot Robbie is more than an actress; she’s a powerhouse producer.
In 2014, the Aussie icon co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment with husband Tom Ackerley and friends. The company champions female-driven stories and has produced some of the past decade’s most daring projects, including I, Tonya, Promising Young Woman, Barbie, and Saltburn.
Robbie has said that producing gives her a sense of agency she never expected in Hollywood: the ability to greenlight bold new voices and create space for underrepresented perspectives. In many ways, her producing career may prove as influential as her acting, cementing her as one of Hollywood’s most powerful multi-hyphenates.
It also helps her bank balance, with LuckyChap having grossed over $1.7 billion over the past decade.