In 2008, Margot Robbie arrived on the picturesque Ramsay Street in Neighbours as a fresh-faced teenager determined to begin her career as an actress – little did anyone know what a superstar she would become today.
Initially, Margot joined the production as a guest star until she became a regular cast member as Donna Freedman. Her character faced impulsive decisions, spectacular weddings and grief until her departure from Erinsborough in January 2011, landing a role in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Barbie won a Golden Globe Award in 2024.
(Image: Getty)“I basically had only three options back then,” she previously explained to TV WEEK. “Either I would have waited until the producers at some point got rid of my character from the series, or I would have played the role forever and led a comfortable life in Australia.
“And the third option was to quit and see if I could make it in America, which offered me more chances than Australia. Of course I could have failed, but I was willing to risk it.”
In an interview with Variety, Margot was challenged to connect an iconic line to one of her shows.
“Whatever you do guys, just look after yourselves,” Margot read, while she didn’t pick the show initially, she clued in that it was one of her final lines on Neighbours.
Margot Robbie’s final scene on Neighbours.
(Image: Supplied)“In fairness to me, I was in over 300 episodes so tricky to remember lines from Neighbours,” she said.
Margot admitted to repeatedly “cold calling” the Neighbours casting office when she was suddenly put through, “I don’t know why; I think it was a mistake.”
“Then she was like ‘how old are you?’ and I was like ‘I’m 17’ and she [said] ‘oh we need a 17-year-old girl right now, come in next week’,” she recalled.
“I did the audition, I didn’t hear anything – like The Wolf of Wall Street situation – and I was like ‘well, I messed that up whatever.’ All of a sudden ‘you have the role, you start this week.’
“I was on it for three years.”
The former Neighbours casting director Jan Russ recalled Margot’s “presence” in front of the camera despite her age.
“She exuded something special even then,” she told TV Tonight. “I auditioned her and thought ‘The camera just loves her… her presence comes through the screen and she has talent. She can act!’.”
“So many just want to be a star, but she wanted to work and learn all about her craft and knew exactly where she was heading in life. Of course I gave her the role, as she was perfect for it… she really brought the character to life and made a great impact on the show.”
While Margot has starred in various spectacular films including I, Tonya, Babylon, Focus and many more. She isn’t just an ordinary actress, she is also a producer of Barbie which won a Golden Globe Award in 2024. Her incredible skill as a producer is one she credits to Neighbours.
“[Neighbours] completely changed my life,” she began. “Not just because it was the first time I had a regular bit of acting work that I was getting paid to do on a regular basis.”
“I learnt more on that set than anything else. It’s an insane machine, the way a soap works… I wish everyone could witness it, it’s truly remarkable.
“I learnt so much about every department, I’m definitely a better producer because I did soap for three years because I know what everyone is doing on set.
“And it was fun, I was like a teenager, it was the best.”
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