Top 5 Margot Robbie Performances
Updated: Jul 25
Counting down our favourite film performances from Margot Robbie
Quickly becoming one of, if not THE name to have on every cast list announcement, Margot Robbie is at the top of her game, yet to turn in a bad performance and one of the Hollywood greats.
The Australian actress has worked with Scorsese, Tarantino, Anderson and now director of Little Women & Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig, for the new film Barbie. Of course the discourse around this has been excellent as it releases on the same day as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, and we thought it a great time to count down her best performances on film. We haven't included Barbie on this list as the film hadn't been released when we created it, but she's fantastic in it...as expected.
We created our list of the Top 5 Margot Robbie Performances on a recent episode of The Focus Film Podcast where we justified our logic and our ranking. But for now, here is the list!
https://linktr.ee/FocusFilm - click here to listen to the discussion
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5. Tonya Harding
in I, Tonya
"Was anything I ever did good enough for you?"
The dramatic performance that entered her into the conversation, Margot's performance as skater Tonya Harding is full of passion and emotion. A particularly powerful scene sees the actress look straight down the camera. It's unsettling, and a bookmark moment for the film.
She was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for the film, her first nomination before another in 2020 for the film Bombshell.
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4. Sharon Tate
in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
"I'm in the movie. I'm Sharon Tate."
Although criticism surrounded the film with some claiming Robbie wasn't in the film enough, the performance she turns in is immaculate.
There's a positive and optimistic glow that surrounds her from start to finish, and whilst we're watching Rick and Cliff struggle at the end of their careers, Tate is at the start of hers, spring-boarding her way into Hollywood. Margot Robbie is always brilliant, the fact people wished there was more of her is a compliment.
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3. Naomi Lapaglia
in The Wolf of Wall Street
"We're not gonna be friends."
Margot Robbie is a force to be reckoned with in this film. She commands every scene she's in and her fits of rage and outbursts of brilliant one liners make her an absolute scene stealer.
We also see the character transition from someone who's out for herself, to a mother disappointed in how much her husband has wasted his life, taking matters into her own hands and putting herself and her children first. She plays both sides brilliantly.
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2. Nellie LaRoy
in Babylon
"Honey you don't become a star. Either you are one or you ain't. I am!"
This film is an absolute roller coaster that never stops to let you get off; and Margot Robbie is the central image of it.
Two scenes showcase her performance; the first is her first day on a set, working on a bar scene. She's worked until she literally cries and is showstopping. But then a scene sees her working on a sound stage. It's one of the funniest scenes of the year and Nellie is the centre of it all. A top class performance!
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1. Harley Quinn
in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad
"Hi guys, sorry I'm late I had to go number two."
Say what you will about the DC films that Margot's Harley Quinn has appeared in, but it is one of the greatest castings in recent times. Inspiring thousands of Halloween costumes and full of pop culture nuance, this iteration of the character has been one of the best parts of the DCEU. Harley Quinn should be unhinged, villainous, relentless and utterly likeable, and Margot is all of those things. Plus, she's almost unrecognisable.
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Worthy Contenders
Performances that came close, but for whatever reason, didn't quite make the cut
Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots
Her and Saoirse Ronan are electric in this film. Another perfect performance.
Kayla Pospisil in Bombshell
The other film that gained her an Oscar nomination, and we're sure they'll be more.
The Actress / Wife in Asteroid City
Even when she appears for a single scene, Margot Robbie leaves an impact.
Barbie available in cinemas now