Margot Robbie is an immensely talented Oscar-nominated actress who quickly rose to fame following her all-time great performance in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. She is also the co-founder of the production studio LuckyChap Entertainment alongside her husband, Tom Ackerley, which has worked on all of Emerald Fennell’s films, like Promising Young Woman, Saltburn, and 2026’s Wuthering Heights, where Robbie stars with Jacob Elordi.
From post-apocalyptic sci-fi dramas to period pieces, biopics, and massive IPs like DC and Barbie, Margot Robbie has starred in a variety of genres and delivered some powerhouse performances throughout her career. If you want to dive into some of her past filmography while you wait for Wuthering Heights, here are some good places to start.
10. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a smart, satirical war comedy film that is also partly a love letter to journalism and war reporters. It’s one of the most underrated movies of the last decade, and the cast of Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Christopher Abbott, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, and Nicholas Braun really make it an entertaining and delightful watch that would have you full of laughter.
Tina Fey plays a newcomer to the war correspondent press pool, shipped off to Afghanistan during the US military operation in 2003, which is where she meets Margot Robbie’s Tanya Vanderpoel, a BBC correspondent who quickly befriends her. Robbie’s character is a direct antithesis to Fey’s Kim Baker, which makes the dynamic between them so fun. Tanya Vanderpoel is the outgoing party girl who takes Fey’s character on new adventures around Afghanistan, and Robbie is absolutely believable in it.
9. Z For Zachariah
In Z for Zachariah, Margot Robbie plays a lonely woman named Ann living in a post-apocalyptic nuclear environment somewhat similar to The Road, but with more serene and breathtaking landscape shots. One day, as she goes hunting with her dog, she encounters Chiwetel Ejiofor’s John Loomis and takes him into her home, where things begin to blossom into a romantic relationship as he helps her with a hydroelectric project. But when Chris Pine’s Caleb suddenly enters the picture of their tranquil domestic life, everything gets thrown for a loop.
Margot Robbie’s Ann carries a very sweet and tender personality, but is also filled with tremendous grief and loss due to not knowing what happened to her family when they ventured out into the apocalyptic land. She also faces a difficult decision: whether to stay with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s John or pursue something more with Caleb, with jealousy and darker themes looming in this sci-fi romance. Robbie also gracefully nails the southern drawl of her character, Ann.
8. Bombshell
Bombshell, from director Jay Roach of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents fame, takes you inside the awful inner workings of Fox News during the takedown of Roger Ailes and his systemic sexual abuse of female employees, who here is played in Oscar-winning makeup by John Lithgow. In a movie filled with plenty of unsavory personalities, Margot Robbie easily has the best character with an emotional and heartbreaking storyline that deservedly earned her a third Oscar nomination.
Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil, a fictional producer at Fox News who bounces around from Gretchen Carlson to Bill O’Reilly and aspires to become an anchor leading her own show, but tragically falls victim to sexual predator Roger Ailes. The scene between her and Charlize Theron’s Megyn Kelly about being protected in the workplace, as well as her phone call with Kate McKinnon’s Jess Carr, truly shows what a powerful performance this was from Robbie.
7. Mary Queen Of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots stars the powerhouse duo of Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan as Queen Elisabeth I and Mary Stuart, respectively, two rival cousins vying for the throne and future of England. If you don’t want to go through the entire history lesson of the film, there’s one particular scene in Mary Queen of Scots that shows why Margot Robbie is one of the greats.
When Robbie’s Queen Elisabeth meets Ronan’s Mary in secret, their shadows appearing through tapestries before they come face to face in one of the most brilliantly shot and acted moments in film, the tension and chemistry between them is jaw-dropping. Robbie channels rage and lament so wonderfully, with her facial expressions expertly conveying the emotions and commanding the scene. The whole exchange between the two characters is a masterclass in acting.
6. Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn (And The Suicide Squad Films)
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn quickly became a fan-favorite character in David Ayer’s deeply flawed and much-maligned 2016 Suicide Squad movie. She therefore returned to lead her very own Birds of Prey movie in 2020 and then returned the following year in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to much greater acclaim. From her voice to the mannerisms and unhinged dialogue quips, what Robbie brings to Harley Quinn is not only fantastic but also a career-defining role for her.
In Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Harley and Joker break up, with her joining Huntress and Black Canary on a quest to rescue a young girl from Black Mask and his thugs. There are many great performances in this one, especially Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask). However, it’s the scenes featuring Margot Robbie with her pet hyena and her excitement over waiting for a breakfast sandwich that absolutely make the movie and define Harley.
5. I, Tonya
I, Tonya, from director Craig Gillespie, is an unconventional, documentary-style biopic with fourth-wall-breaking moments and unreliable narration reminiscent of Gus Van Sant’s To Die For. It’s based on the life and controversy of US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. Margot Robbie plays Harding from her late teens to adulthood, with her younger self brilliantly played by Mckenna Grace. The role secured an Oscar nomination for Robbie, and her co-star, Allison Janney, even went on to win the Oscar for playing Tanya’s abusive, overbearing mother, LaVona.
Tanya Harding was a very tragic figure who had a bad fall from grace. She largely played the hand that life dealt her and managed her circumstances as best as she could, while falling for a man who would eventually plot an attack on her fellow figure skater, Nancy Kerrigan, with Harding’s own involvement also called into question. Margot Robbie brings Tanya, portraying her as someone sympathetic yet deeply flawed and not fully trustworthy. While Janney’s performance here could oftentimes outshine Robbie’s, you can feel that Robbie wanted to do justice to this character.
4. Barbie
After Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie’s next big IP role was starring as Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s 2023 box office smash hit. The story, set design, and musical numbers are full of whimsy and fun for the whole family, but Margot Robbie’s performance grounds the entire thing. While Gosling’s Ken is this flamboyant show-off trying to win over Barbie’s affection, Robbie brings a sort of ‘ignorance is bliss’ feel to Barbie, being both humble and cutely naive, which comes across as really charming and believable for a doll in human form. Her whole arc is well-executed.
The surreal story of the Barbie movie follows Barbie and Ken as they leave behind Barbieland and enter the real world on a mission to help a young girl and her mom, soon coming to grips with the flaws of human society. It explores deep themes of patriarchy and beauty standards for women, with Robbie effectively conveying the key points Gerwig is trying to make as Barbie, while also being absolutely iconic and creating a character that audiences of all ages can look up to.
3. The Wolf Of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese’s 2013 biopic about the life of stockbroker and scammer Jordan Belfort, based on his autobiography, was a riotously fun film that amassed five Oscar nominations, including a first-ever Best Actor nod for Margot Robbie for the role of Belfort’s wife, Naomi Lapaglia. Robbie was an instant sensation, and her performance in The Wolf of Wall Street led her to all the heights and success she’s reached now in the film industry.
The film details the tumultuous whirlwind relationship between Naomi and Jordan Belfort, where she herself even got entangled in some of the illegal activities that Jordan was involved in. The chemistry between Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio is the driving force of the film and is electrifying to see play out, with Robbie also bringing a convincing seductive edge to her character throughout various points in the film.
2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is perhaps Margot Robbie’s most important role, which she handled with absolute care. In this ninth film by Quentin Tarantino, Robbie portrays actress Sharon Tate, who was tragically murdered by members of the Manson family cult. Tate’s fate here actually plays out very differently thanks to the creative twist Tarantino wrote for the finale, but much of what is depicted about her life and career in Hollywood is factual, with Robbie even consulting with Tate’s sister, Debra Tate, prior to filming. Not only did Robbie earn her blessing, but then later her praise, once Debra Tate saw her performance.
Margot Robbie is once more joined by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, an actor nearing the end of his career, as well as his stunt double, Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt), whose storylines will intersect via the Manson cult. One of the most iconic scenes that solidified Robbie’s performance here into the icon hall of fame is when she goes to the cinema to catch her own movie, The Wrecking Crew. And her portrayal of Tate, in general, retains a perfectly charming and carefree vibe throughout the movie.
1. Babylon
Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy in Babylon should’ve easily earned her a fourth Oscar nomination and a potential win, had the movie gone over well with critics. Damien Chazelle’s over-three-hour epic documenting the debaucherous days of old Hollywood as it transitioned out of silent films to talkies is a masterstroke in scoring, editing, directing, and cinematography, and thankfully, it’s getting more love now. Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Diego Calva (who also stars in Prime Video’s The Night Manager) have so many phenomenal, passionate moments in this one, with well-delivered monologues to boot.
Robbie gives every ounce of her energy to Nellie La Roy, who’s introduced as a tragic partygoer aspiring to make it big in Hollywood, her luck turning when she wanders onto a film set and secures a role by chance that propels her to stardom, with lots of chaotic antics taking place in between (like trying to fight a rattle snake or puking on rich people). But then all of her destructive and volatile behaviors cause a downfall in her career. Babylon is truly Margot Robbie’s most intense, manic, and anxiety-inducing performance, where she’s absolutely living in the role, and it becomes totally palpable.