The ascent of Margot Robbie over the last 5 years has been hugely impressive, as she has gone from sterling supporting work opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf Of Wall Street to the producer and star of the Oscar touted biopic I, Tonya.
This is clearly just the beginning, though, as the 27-year-old Australian has numerous other projects in the pipe-line that she will both produce and star in, including her very own Harley Quinn film. But it’s no surprise to “I, Tonya’s” director Craig Gillespie that she is so in demand.
Because the filmmaker had absolutely no interest in overseeing the Tonya Harding biopic, right up until he was told Robbie would be starring in it. Then, as soon as she was brought into the equation, Gillespie immediately found the project alluring, particularly because, according to Gillespie, Robbie is one of the best in the business at jumping between drama and comedy.
“My agent sent me the script,” Gillespie recalled. “He’s like, ‘We’ve got this meeting about this movie about Tonya Harding.’ And I just laughed. But then within 3 seconds he finished his sentence with, ‘And Margot Robbie is playing Tonya Harding’.”
“And I found that so interesting. I love Margot’s dance between drama and comedy. There’s such a small list of actors that can get that tone.”
It is that exact tone that Gillespie looked to explore with “I, Tonya,” as the rollicking film bounces between drama and comedy with a speed and energy that is truly captivating.
We can expect Robbie to follow the same terrain in her upcoming projects as producer and actor, which includes “Terminal,” “Marian,” “Gotham City Sirens,” and her mysterious Harley Quinn movie, each of which are in various stages of development.
In the meantime, make sure to check out “I, Tonya,” which includes another sterling Robbie performance, and will be released into cinemas in New York on December 8th, before expanding across the country over the next few weeks.
