It’s a fact so accurate that Margot Robbie is not just an actress but a powerhouse that hardly anyone can overlook. It has been a beautiful paradox of wildly successful billionaires and really difficult defeats that a journey like hers from the Australian soap operas of the early days to the time when she is counted among the highest-paid stars of Hollywood was actually a wonderful paradox of successes worth billions and defeats that were really tough. Did you think that Barbie was her debut on the big screen? You are mistaken. How about we go through seven blockbuster career milestones that made headlines for the Australian star, going down to the bottom before rising to the glittering top for the first time?
7. The Low Point: Amsterdam and Babylon
Before painting the world pink, Robbie experienced a couple of rough speed bumps. The largest? Amsterdam. As much as the movie boasted an ensemble cast capable of occupying an Oscar after-party—Christian Bale, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek, and several others—the film tanked hard, losing approximately $97 million. Critics trashed it, audiences avoided it, and conveniently, much of the fallout rested upon Robbie’s shoulders. Not long after came Babylon, Damien Chazelle’s chaotic ode to old Hollywood. Brad Pitt’s name was technically first on the call sheet, but Robbie again caught the bulk of the criticism when the movie tanked.
6. Harley Quinn’s Mixed Results
Robbie’s Harley Quinn is iconic, no doubt. But the box office had a more nuanced tale to tell. Birds of Prey landed just as the theaters were about to close down, and still managed to cobble together $201 million on an $82 million budget. And then there was James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Critics adored it, fans welcomed it, but with $167 million against a $185 million budget, it firmly ended up in the red.
5. Jumping into Children’s Movies: Peter Rabbit
Who knew Robbie was equally convincing to toddlers as she is to comic book enthusiasts? In voicing Flopsy for Peter Rabbit and its sequel, she assisted in reaping a double helping of family-friendly box office success. The first film reaped $346 million at the global box office, with Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway collecting an additional $151 million. Not bad for a mischievous rabbit and his friends.
4. Early Big-Screen Breakthroughs: The Legend of Tarzan and Focus
Long before Harley Quinn, Robbie was already flexing box office muscle. In The Legend of Tarzan, she played Jane opposite Alexander Skarsgård’s jungle hero, grossing $349 million worldwide.
A year prior, she co-starred with Will Smith in Focus, a slick con-artist drama that grossed $168 million. Neither was a critical hit, but both demonstrated Robbie could hold her own in big studio movies.
3. Prestige Meets Profit: The Wolf of Wall Street and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Robbie’s supporting roles in these films established that she was capable of walking the line between prestige and box office clout. Her break came with The Wolf of Wall Street, where she held her own against Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing film to date ($390 million at the global box office). Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood followed, the retro love letter to bygone LA that grossed $377 million. Playing Sharon Tate, Robbie earned her the critics’ applause, even if the awards circuit ignored her.
2. Suicide Squad: Harley Quinn’s Breakthrough
When DC released Suicide Squad in 2016, the critics were underwhelmed—but fans just couldn’t get enough of Robbie’s Harley Quinn. The movie made an astonishing $746 million at the box office and cemented her as the franchise’s clear breakout star. It was the part that catapulted her from “rising actress” to household name.
1. Barbie: The Billion-Dollar Dream
The jewel in the crown: Barbie. What began as a riskier production turned into a global sensation. Directed by Greta Gerwig and featuring Robbie alongside Ryan Gosling, the film raked in a staggering $1.447 billion globally. It was Warner Bros.’ biggest-grossing release to date and placed among the top 20 of all time.
In addition to the figures, it was a cultural tsunami—memes, pink clothing, think-pieces, the works. As both star and producer, Robbie proved she’s not just Hollywood’s “it girl,” but a power player shaping the industry.
From critical darlings to box office bombs, and finally a billion-dollar pink empire, Margot Robbie’s career is a reminder of one of Hollywood’s oldest truths: you’re always just one role away from rewriting your story.