Margot Robbie Bio
Margot Elise Robbie, born on 2 July 1990, is an Australian actress and producer recognized for her versatility across blockbuster and independent films. Her accolades include nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and six BAFTA Awards. In 2017, Time named Margot Robbie one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Forbes named her the world’s highest-paid actress in 2023.
Born and raised in Queensland, Margot Robbie began her career in 2008 on the television series Neighbours, on which she was a regular until 2011. After moving to the United States, she led the television series Pan Am (2011–2012) and gained her breakthrough in 2013 with Martin Scorsese’s black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. She achieved wider recognition with starring roles as Jane Porter in The Legend of Tarzan (2016) and as Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2021).
Early Life and Background
Margot Elise Robbie was born on 2 July 1990 in Dalby, Queensland, to Doug Robbie, a former farm-owner and sugarcane tycoon, and Sarie Kessler, a physiotherapist. She is the second youngest of four siblings, with older sister Anya, older brother Lachlan and younger brother Cameron. Her parents separated when she was five, and Margot Robbie and her siblings were raised by their single mother with minimal contact with their father. The family spent the majority of her upbringing on her grandparents’ Currumbin Valley farm in the Gold Coast hinterland.
As a child, Margot Robbie often put on shows at home. Her mother enrolled her in a circus school, where she excelled in trapeze and received a certificate at age eight. In high school, Margot Robbie studied drama at Somerset College. As a teenager, she worked three jobs: she tended a bar, cleaned houses and worked at Subway.
After graduation, with a few commercials and independent thriller films on her résumé, Margot Robbie relocated to Melbourne to begin acting professionally. Her early exposure to performance, including circus training and school productions, helped shape her comfort on stage and screen.
Path to Acting
Margot Robbie’s first acting roles came when she was in high school. She starred in two low-budget independent thriller films, Vigilante and I.C.U., both released years later. She described the experience of being on a film set as a dream come true. She made her television debut in a 2008 guest role as Caitlin Brentford in the drama series City Homicide and followed this with a two-episode arc in the children’s television series The Elephant Princess, starring alongside Liam Hemsworth.
With encouragement from her agent, Margot Robbie called FremantleMedia on a daily basis. As she later recalled on The Graham Norton Show, she was once put through by accident to the casting director for Neighbours and was invited to audition. In June 2008, she began playing Donna Freedman, a role meant to be a guest character, but she was promoted to the regular cast after her debut. In her three-year stint on the soap, she received two Logie Award nominations.
Shortly after arriving in America, Margot Robbie landed the role of Laura Cameron, a newly trained flight attendant in the period drama series Pan Am (2011). The series premiered to high ratings and positive reviews but was cancelled after one season due to falling ratings.
Margot Robbie Career
Early Career (2008–2012)
Margot Robbie’s early career was anchored by her three-year run on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, where her portrayal of Donna Freedman brought her two Logie Award nominations and visibility within the Australian entertainment industry. Her television debut came with a guest role in City Homicide in 2008, followed by a small arc in The Elephant Princess.
After relocating to the United States, Margot Robbie took on the lead role of Laura Cameron in the period drama series Pan Am (2011–2012). Although the show was cancelled after one season, it allowed her to transition from Australian television to American projects, setting the stage for her next phase of work.
Breakthrough (2013–2015)
Margot Robbie’s breakthrough came in 2013 with the role of Naomi Lapaglia, the wife of protagonist Jordan Belfort, in Martin Scorsese’s biographical black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. In her audition, Margot Robbie improvised a slap on co-star Leonardo DiCaprio during a fight scene which ultimately won her the part. The film and her performance received positive reviews, and she was particularly praised for her on-screen Brooklyn accent. The Wolf of Wall Street was a box office success, grossing $392 million worldwide, and Margot Robbie was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and won the Empire Award for Best Newcomer.
Following this success, Margot Robbie appeared in four films released in 2015. The first of these was the romantic comedy-drama Focus, opposite Will Smith, where she learned how to pickpocket from Apollo Robbins for the role. She was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 68th British Academy Film Awards. Her other 2015 films included the war romantic drama Suite Française, the post-apocalyptic drama Z for Zachariah, and a cameo in the comedy-drama The Big Short.
With the aim to produce more female-driven projects, Margot Robbie and her future husband, Tom Ackerley, and their respective longtime friends Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara started their own production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. The company was founded in 2014, and its name was inspired by Charlie Chaplin.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Margot Robbie’s most recognised works are The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), I, Tonya (2017), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and Barbie (2023). Her signature role as Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe established her as a major franchise presence, beginning with Suicide Squad in 2016. The success of Barbie, which grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, marked her highest-grossing release and earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture as a producer.
Margot Robbie Award Nominations
Margot Robbie has received nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and six BAFTA Awards across her career. Her nominations span categories including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture, reflecting her range as both performer and producer. She has also received nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, the Critics’ Choice Awards and the People’s Choice Awards.
Margot Robbie Awards Won
Margot Robbie’s career has been marked by several major award wins, including the Empire Award for Best Newcomer for The Wolf of Wall Street, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie for Suicide Squad, and the Favourite Action Movie Actress award at the People’s Choice Awards. In 2014 and 2016, she featured on AskMen’s Top 99 Women, ranking among the top ten each year. In 2021, Margot Robbie was named one of the 100 most influential women in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter.
Margot Robbie Family
Margot Robbie was born to Doug Robbie, a former farm-owner and sugarcane tycoon, and Sarie Kessler, a physiotherapist. She is the second youngest of four siblings, with older sister Anya, older brother Lachlan and younger brother Cameron. Her parents separated when she was five, and she and her siblings were raised by their single mother on her grandparents’ Currumbin Valley farm in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Personal Life
Despite significant media attention, Margot Robbie rarely discusses her personal life. She met British assistant director Tom Ackerley on the set of Suite Française in 2013, and they began a romantic relationship in 2014. In December 2016, they married in a private wedding ceremony in Byron Bay, Australia. The couple reside in Venice Beach, California. In October 2024, Margot Robbie gave birth to their son.
