What can’t Margot Robbie do? From bringing Barbie to the big screen to portraying Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey, her versatility is off the charts.
One of her best roles was in Damien Chazelle’s period action-comedy, Babylon. Chazelle is no stranger to the film scene, having previously worked on the record-breaking La La Land, which won all seven of its nominations at the 74th Golden Globes and five of its eleven 70th British Academy Film Awards nominations.
Aside from boasting a stellar director, Babylon had a star-studded cast that included Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, and Tobey Maguire. The ensemble cast each portrayed an ambitious dreamer – be it an actor, dancer, musician, or the like, who wanted to make a name for themselves in a decadent, unbridled, and depraved Hollywood.
Who does Margot Robbie play in Babylon, and why is she nude?
Robbie’s character fits into the bunch, as she portrays Nellie LaRoy, a silent film starlet. While she’s hit it big in the silent industry, she has trouble transitioning to the talkies (which are movies without sound).
Nellie is also somewhat of a risk-taker, especially as far as modesty and dignity go. Robbie made it clear that, while there are several nude scenes in Babylon, she assured herself that she and Nellie are totally different people. With that separation, all that embarrassment and shame befall just her character, not herself.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Robbie dished on the nude scenes:
“I don’t really have a whole lot of modesty left. I don’t feel embarrassed when it’s Nellie doing something. I’d feel embarrassed if it was me, but it’s all her.”
And, it isn’t the first time that Robbie has gone nude. In Robbie’s breakthrough role, Naomi Lapaglia in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, there’s a scene in which Naomi has sex with Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort.
What is Margot Robbie doing after Babylon?
Robbie is quite content with leaving her work at the door when she comes home from a long shoot. While Robbie has proven with her role as Harley Quinn that she has versatility and range up her sleeve, she wants to build a barrier between herself and her roles, which are in themselves distinguishable from one another.
Aside from Babylon, Robbie starred in one of the most record-breaking films of all time, Warner Brother’s Barbie. Rumor has it that she will be leading a Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off with Birds of Prey director Christina Hodson as well, but Disney might not be entirely convinced.
No matter what Robbie’s next role ends up being, it’s clear that she’s got the acting chops for it.
Babylon is currently available to stream on Paramount Plus and Prime Video.