Margot Robbie wasn’t a Barbie fanatic as a child. She’s not even sure she owned a Barbie. “I don’t think I did,” she tells me one morning over breakfast in Venice Beach. “I know my cousin had a bunch of Barbies, and I’d go to her house.” Growing up on Australia’s Gold Coast, Robbie spent a lot of time outside. She and her cousin would make mud pies. They’d play with trucks. And they’d play with Barbies. Mostly they ’d build forts, “cubbies” to an Australian. “Building cubbies was what we did all day, every day.”
We are a couple of blocks from the Venice boardwalk, at Great White, an Australian-owned restaurant, and I have asked Robbie what compelled her to produce and star in a liveaction Barbie movie, due out this July. “It wasn’t that I ever wanted to play Barbie, or dreamt of being Barbie, or anything like that,” the 32-year-old actor says. “This is going to sound stupid, but I really didn’t even think about playing Barbie until years into developing the project.”
It doesn’t sound stupid but it does seem counterintuitive, the notion that Robbie, whose breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street was described in that movie’s script as “the hottest blonde ever,” was not envisioning herself in the role of Barbie when she sought the film rights from Mattel. And yet the person sitting across the table is not giving blonde bombshell. Not in a conventional sense, anyway.
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Vogue US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Vogue US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Yes, Ayo!
Is Ayo Edebiri the most beloved new face in Hollywood? Alessandra Codinha meets the suddenly everywhere actor, comedia, writer, fashion darling... and soon-to-be director too?
A Man for All Seasons
With the upcoming Netflix series Ripley, Andrew Scott furthers his ascent, proving himself one of the most chameleonic and charming actors around.
Life Is a Cabaret
Three years after the West End production made major waves, the storied musical arrives on Broadway. Adrienne Miller goes behind the scenes at the Kit Kat Club.
Chasing Perfection
Coco Gauff is as famous for her poise as she is for her tennis, and in person she cuts a regal figure. The Friday before last season's finals began in Cancún, Mexico, in late October, she and other top players attended a gala at the palatial Kempinski Hotel.
By the Sea
Refurbished mainstays bring fresh shine to the Golden State's coast.
Taking the Waters
Water sommeliers, five-figure bottles the market for old-fashioned H2O has never been stronger. Tamar Adler investigates.
Porcelain Petals
Korean American artist Se Oh brings botany and personal history to their work.
Fertile Territory
An abundance of gardening books offers springtime inspiration.
Girl on Fire
Grammy-winning Tyla is making music for Africa, and beyond.
La Dolce & Gabbana Vita
A new exhibition by the design duo celebrates Italy in style. By Tiziana Cardini.