Margot Robbie Gets Real About Breaking Into Hollywood: ‘You Just Have To Want It More Than Anyone Else’

Margot Robbie in her famous red dress scene In Babylon
(Image credit: Paramount)

The history of Hollywood is littered with people who wanted to make fame happen and never quite got there. Margot Robbie might have achieved great heights and a $50 million payday with Barbie, but it wasn’t always so clear that she would be a Hollywood A-lister (and ground-breaking fashionista to boot). In fact, a few years ago, she opened up about her tumultuous early years after moving from Australia to California, and it doesn’t exactly sound like getting famous was a cake walk.

Robbie moved to the United States in 2011. She was starring in the soap opera Neighbours at the time, so she wasn’t exactly busking when she moved, but she did prepare for the transition by learning an American accent and more. She was asked about this transition during press for her movie Babylon and she got candid about the attitude that helped lead her to success.

I don’t care if I have money. I’m just gonna make it happen. I’m just gonna get there. I’m just gonna get a foot in the door. I’m just gonna get one job – if I could just get that one foot in the door, I’m gonna make it. I don’t care what anyone says. Because you have to be like that honestly. When you get to Hollywood it’s like there’s just so many people wanting the same thing. You just need to want it more than everyone else.

A lot of a-listers had weird jobs before they became famous, and whole lot of Hollywood residents never make it past the weird job phase. Not everyone has that stick-to-it-ness that will keep them in the industry longterm. Some transition to BTS roles in Hollywood or other fields entirely. Others settle down and take on the important role of becoming parents and raising a family outside LA.

But a rare few are lucky enough to get to do both, and the actress marks herself among that faction. Margot Robbie’s a new mom, but she already had a project in the can before spending some time with the newborn baby she had with partner Tom Ackerly. Next up she’ll star in the Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey movie. She is also continuing with producing duties, most recently with Ryan Gosling on My Old Ass along with upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond like the latest adaptation of Wuthering Heights and Monopoly.

Previously, Martin Scorsese has spoken out about being the person to kick off Margot Robbie’s career in Wolf of Wall Street, so clearly he has pride over where her career has gone. But she's bullish too about what it took to get her here. Now, I can't wait to see where she goes with the work next.

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Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.