Margot Robbie: my look is ‘toothpaste model, not artsy, which sucks’

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie covers the March issue of Marie Claire to promote Focus, her heist movie with Will Smith. The trailer looks predictable but interesting enough. The movie originally starred Kristen Stewart as the female lead. Margot seems like a decent foil to Smith’s sarcastic persona, although the February release date doesn’t inspire confidence. Margot’s on the cusp of a promising career if she plays her cards right. I think she was more captivating in Wolf of Wall Street than Leo, and she’ll go far if she picks the right projects.

The last time we talked about Margot, she was reportedly kissing Alex Skarsgard and stuffing olives into his mouth at Sundance. Maybe they were doing early promotion for Tarzan because Margot tells Marie Claire that she will never date an actor. Nope. Never. Margot previously told Vanity fair that she’d never sell out for a paycheck, and she elaborates on her “normalness” here:

Her looks hamper her career: “I know that my look is more ‘toothpaste model’ as opposed to artsy, which sucks because I can play those roles.”

She’s “normal”: “I have a normal 24-year-old life. If I were a waitress, I’d probably have the exact same lifestyle. I’d go to the same clubs I go to already, live in the same house with the same housemates, hang out with the same people.”

Her love life: “I made a conscious decision not to date actors, but not because I hate actors. That’s a nasty generalization to make, and that’s not the case … People take such an interest in your love life when you have a profile that it puts a lot of stress on a relationship. So two people with profiles, I figure it’s just double the amount of scrutiny, and I’d like to avoid that.”

Her weird food habits: “When I eat, I have to chop up everything on the plate and stir it all together. It devastates my mom. Everyone at the table is like, ‘That looks like cat vomit.’ And I stir my Coke with a spoon until it’s flat.”

[From Marie Claire]

Those aren’t the weirdest food habits I’ve heard of, but who likes flat Coke besides Margot? Carbonation is the most satisfying part of any soft drink.

Margot’s stance on her appearance is revealing. She’s skating up against the “I’m too beautiful for good roles” vibe, but unlike Jessica Biel, Margot has the talent to back up her claims. Thoughts? Margot does seem grounded, but she’s still new to Hollywood. We don’t see her falling out of clubs (even if she did get messy with Skarsgard at Sundance). I wonder if she’s still with Tom Ackerly, who’s often the second or third assistant director on various films (including the upcoming Fassbender edition of Macbeth).

Here’s a photo of Margot wearing a Joseph Altuzarra sheath dress. The thigh slit makes it resemble a ripped gingham tablecloth, but Margot works it.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie

Photos courtesy of Marie Claire & WENN

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74 Responses to “Margot Robbie: my look is ‘toothpaste model, not artsy, which sucks’”

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  1. Megan says:

    I get the vibe that she’s referencing the fact that a lot of people have “face amnesia” with her. She’s pretty, but unremarkable, so she’s had to be talented to make herself stand out

    • pagirl says:

      I agree. I get the sense that she’s talking about having a rather generic (though pretty) face that people don’t particularly notice as something special.

      • bettyrose says:

        The generic styling doesn’t help. She could try a hair color other than Barbie blonde.

      • Nya says:

        In the last year alone she was blonde, brunette, and red.

      • Curious Cole says:

        I thought it was Doutzen Kroes in the gingham sheath pic. That’s not a bad face to be mistaken for!
        Betty – If blonde is her natural color it’s not exactly “generic”.

      • qwerty says:

        I think it means she is pretty with a wide bright smile which at first glance makes her perfect for a guest star on 2 and a half men and not an actress you’d choose to play a character with some depth, tough life etc.

        As for hair colour change, she went dark last year and lost her spark completely.

      • bettyrose says:

        Qwerty – I googled a picture of that, and you’re right: Dark didn’t make her more indie, but I do think she could pass for Lois Lane with that look.

      • Louise177 says:

        Agree that Margo isn’t saying she’s too pretty for roles but that she’s too commercial and conventional to stand out.

    • Dolce crema says:

      Yes! I have face amnesia with her, even tho I liked her in wolf of wall st! I’ll have to see more pics of her or films before I will remember her

      • chaine says:

        It was difficult to pay any attention to her face in Wolf of Wall Street given everything else that was out there front and center…

    • Adrien says:

      I always see Jamie Pressly.

    • Abby says:

      I get that. I thought she was Amber Heard in trailers for Focus. oops.

  2. AG-UK says:

    I tend to think most Aussies actors are pretty grounded not all but it seems like they can just get on with it.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Yes, she seems pretty normal and nice.

    • SnarkySnarkers says:

      Yep, I like her. I even liked her in the cute show no one watched Pan Am.

      • Darya says:

        I loved her in Pan Am! I miss that show – it was starting to get good and they canceled it.

      • Dee Kay says:

        LOVED Pan Am. My husband and I were so sad when it got canceled. It was one of the best shows on TV — fun and breezy with some serious sister- and friend- drama, and a little spy thriller thrown in, with great art direction and acting all around!!!!!

      • FLORC says:

        I watched it too! It was cute.

        I like her. She’s pretty and I can pic her out of a lineup of hollywood blondes.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      I love her personality. She seems like a nice lady.
      She’s quite beautiful.
      Good for her being grounded. I hope she has a wonderful career.
      Love those Aussie’s.

  3. LAK says:

    I think she’s self aware enough to understand what her look will give her as far as roles are concerned.

    She’s a classic blonde blue eyed blonde in the Grace Kelly mould which translates very well if she’s making commercial films.

    It’s harder for someone like that to be accepted as authentic in an angst ridden indie film. She’ll have better acceptance in those sorts of roles once she ages out of the ingenue roles – see every grace kelly type beauty from Michelle Pfeiffer to Uma Thurman.

    • Dolce crema says:

      Some how Naomi watts did it though..

      • AK says:

        Probably because Naomi Watts isn’t Grace Kelly pretty, she’s average looking at best with great acting ability.

      • perplexed says:

        I think Naomi Watts also achieved success later. I don’t remember her being famous when she was 24.

      • Jessica says:

        Naomi was in her mid-30’s before she started landing the big roles. And while she’s very pretty, she has one of the faces that can look very plain with a little help from the make-up department. Margot’s bone structure ensures she won’t be playing those kind of roles unless she ages badly.

    • tc says:

      She’s blonde and pretty like Kelley, Thurman, and Pfeiffer, but her look is more downmarket than theirs.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      Very well stated LAK. I agree totally. She is more of a Grace Kelly type.
      Love her look and love her personality. She seems quite level headed.

  4. Lala says:

    She is very pretty, but I hate when actresses/models say they’re too pretty for this or that and the hardships it brings them. Cry me a river; you wouldn’t have gotten this far without your looks. The only possible downside I can see about her looks is that she looks a lot older than 24.

    • Beth says:

      I think it’s more a comment on how she’s more commercial looking than high fashion or quirky. That means she is more suitable for roles like the trophy wife in WOW than a girl-next-door type in an indie flick. She’s generic pretty

      • bettyrose says:

        Yeah, that’s what I got from her comment too, but I think it’s easier to transform into quirky than the other way around. Even the prettiest, leggiest blonde can try out a more indie look: first change hair color (say, Auburn), don some trendy eye wear, and then buy a couple of baby doll dresses to pair with patterned leggings and cute booties. Indie achieved.

      • FLORC says:

        Yea, I didn’t get the Pretty is such a burden argument.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      I like her personality, she seems grounded. She’s absolutely stunning.imo

      Being told you are too This or Too That happens everyday in auditions in NY and LA, or elsewhere.

      It is a fact in writing a character, that many actresses will just not be right because they are too pretty or commercial looking, etc, for a role.
      It happens a lot when actresses or even models are starting out, some told they are too fat, too thin, too pretty, etc….this is part of casting , it happens a lot. It’s just not widely discussed, but this happens everyday on auditions.

      Christy Brinkley was told she was too fat, when she went on modeling auditions.
      I remember one actress who was just turning 30 who was told she looked too young, to play the role of a woman 35 for a film, Even though she did a great audition.

      This is part of the casting process.

  5. Nya says:

    Pretty sure she and Alex probably just got drunk and touchy feely. There are pics of her and her boyfriend on instagram from the last few days.

    She’s one of the best young actresses out right now. She got raves for Z for Zachariah which is an “artsy” movie, and she can do the bombshell thing.

  6. Elyse says:

    I’m not annoyed with what she said, but I just find her so average looking. And I cannot believe that she is 24, which makes me older than her. She looks like she could be in her thirties, easily.

    • qwerty says:

      Yeah but it’s due to her bone structure and not aging like wrinkles or saggy skin. Which means she’ll probably just keep looking 30 until she’s 30 or beyond. Kate Winslet always lookes much older than she really was, esp. after the weight loss and now she looks her age, not older.

  7. K37744 says:

    Jamie Pressley’s back on magazine covers?

  8. Bets says:

    She’s cute but yeah, I can never tell her apart from that woman on My Name is Earl.

    And there is no way in hell she is 24.

    • Nya says:

      It’s so dumb when people comment on her age. She didn’t just emerge out of a hole. There are tons of Aussies who grew up with her and went to school with her and know her. She looks how she looks and she is how old she is.

      • Bets says:

        No…famous people lie about their ages all the time. She’s pretty clearly one of them. I actually went to school with an actress who now claims she’s five years younger than us.

      • Nya says:

        Except I know one of her best friends from childhood and they’re the same age (born only days apart)

      • Ally.J says:

        Bets, she really is 24. I’ve been watching her on tv since she was 18. Some people look older then they are, especially in their 20’s, I certainly did.

      • OriginalTessa says:

        She may be telling the truth, but many actresses have not. Jessica Chastain pulled a Brian Williams and misremembered five whole years of her life.

      • qwerty says:

        @Bets

        whooo?

      • qwerty says:

        @ OriginalTessa

        No, she didn’t. She refused to reveal her age when she blew up and gave an interview which later described her as “around 30” when she was 34. That’s around 30, and it wasn’t even her quote but the author’s.

    • joy says:

      They’re twins I swear.

  9. OriginalTessa says:

    She’s a mix between Jamie Pressley and Sienna Miller. Beautiful girl. Seems grounded enough.

  10. INeedANap says:

    I wonder if she’s just repeating what casting directors have said to her, rather than it being a self – assessment.

  11. jess says:

    Shush margot, shush.

  12. minx says:

    My sister is a Margot, so I tend to like this woman without knowing much about her. Anyway, she does look like Jamie Pressley, and she does look older than 24, although I believe that really is her age.

  13. perplexed says:

    She said “toothpaste model”, not supermodel. I thought she was kind of dissing herself rather than saying she’s too pretty a la Jessica Biel. Does anyone really remember what a toothpaste model looks like, with the exception of Shakira?

    • j.eyre says:

      I kind of love that she referred to herself as having a “toothpaste model” beauty. I have never seen her movies but I may be a fan now.

  14. manta says:

    Contrary to what is written she doesn’t say she’ll NEVER date an actor, which I would have found irritating. She’s careful to phrase it a little bit differently (I’ve made a decision) and even leaves the door open “I’d like to avoid that”

    Meaning that when she dates an actor, and people will call her out she’ll come with “I didn’t manage to avoid it”. Clever wording, I like her.

  15. Gwen says:

    She’s very pretty but in a kind of generic way so I see her point. Styling, whether is the good kind or bad kind, makes a HUGE difference in how she looks. Just look at how she looks here, compared to how she looks on Australian Vogue this month and compare that to how she looks in candid photos. Looks matter to female actresses so I see what she means.

    She’s still with Tom Ackerly and if you look at his instagram you can see what she is talking about. Someone actually made a comment of his instagram that Margot is too pretty and famous to date him and should date someone else. It must be bizarre to have that kind of interest going on in your life just because of your job and I would guess dating someone equal to you would only make it worse. Just look at how everyone reacted because she and Alex Skarsgard are friends. No wonder she is trying to avoid that.

    • ehumm says:

      A fully agree! Took a quick look at his instagram. Where he also posted a picture of a train in New Mexico. Well according to IMDB, Margot is currently shooting a movie called Fun House. Shooting location? Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coincidence? I dont think so. Why would she take her exboyfriend to New Mexico?
      Alex and Margo was probably just having fun, and got a little drunk.
      Everybody knows how touchy-feely he gets after a few beers.
      Could also be some early PR for Tarzan. A bit early, 18 months before premiere, I think.

  16. Stacey Dresden says:

    Girl, just let Tyra and her team of stylists get ahold of you. With a shaved head and no eyebrows, you’ll totally look artsy!

    • Curious Cole says:

      Lol. Or half a shaved head, a la Natalie Dormer’s Cressida. Now that I say it, I actually think Margot could rock that look.

  17. lucy2 says:

    The previews for her movie with Will Smith actually look pretty good. I can’t picture Kristen Stewart in that role at ALL. At first I thought she was way too young, but she and Margot are about the same age, but Margot looks much more mature and it works in the role. Still kind of icky that Hollywood has once again paired a mid 40s actor with a mid 20s actress.

  18. Ginger says:

    Her comment made me laugh. She doesn’t have any illusions is what it sounds like to me. Her current look is very “toothpaste model”. But she was the most interesting thing about Wolf of Wall Street. She managed to make at least some of her character likeable in the midst of a bunch of unlikeable characters. She shouldn’t fret too much though. Charlize Theron started out the same way in Hollywood but still managed to eventually get a hold of a dirty roll that won her an Oscar.

  19. Nessa says:

    I kind of think she looks like a pr0n star. Sorry.

    • Scarlet Vixen says:

      I don’t know what kind of pr0n you watch, but she looks NOTHING like anyone I’ve seen in porn (granted I haven’t seen a ton of pr0n, but I’ve seen enough). She looks way too elegant, clean, intelligent, and natural to look like a pr0n actress.

  20. Livealot says:

    Emma stone sorta said the same thing when she was blonde… Hence why she changed her color to red.

  21. Jan Harf says:

    Love her.

  22. Mar says:

    Basically she is saying she doesn’t have an art house look, rather a cheerleader look. Nothing close to what Beil said.

  23. Josefa says:

    I totally get what she’s saying. She’s really pretty, but in a Barbie doll generic way. She has a “hot girl of the moment” look, like Megan Fox or Jessica Alba. She has to pick the right roles and start displaying her full talents, otherwise her career will go down the same path as theirs.

    She was really good in TWoWS. She was the only character that felt somewhar relatable and likeable.

  24. daughter of jean says:

    Beautiful woman!

  25. Curious Cole says:

    Any other blondes tired of fair-haired actresses only being taken seriously after they switch hair color? Why do people assume complexity of character doesn’t accompany blonde hair?

    • perplexed says:

      I think the problem might be more her face than her hair colour.

      I think she can act, but at first sight she does seem to have a certain blankness to her face (i.e the cover above — what a boring photograph). That first impression changes once she opens her mouth and starts acting, of course.

  26. boredblond says:

    Oh please..plastic surgeons are rich because women would kill to have a grace kelly face. An awful lot of classically beautiful actresses have pulled off some challenging roles. Movie makeup magic can transform anyone, so I don’t see pretty as a drawback. And curious cole, some people are just biased. Shrug.

  27. danielle says:

    Yeah, I thought the comment was cute and self deprecating.

  28. Misprononunced Name Dropper says:

    Why is hating “Barbie” blondes the default reaction for a lot of women?

  29. Bad Etiquette says:

    I haven’t seen her in that many films but she was solid in Wolf. Sometimes she can look drop dead gorgeous; other times ordinary.

    Aside, I saw those photo-booth pics of her and Will Smith and thought they were bordering on inappropriate.

  30. FLORC says:

    I know people that like flat soda. I lived with 1. She would never screw the cap back on the bottle tightly and would always give it a good shake to release the carbonation.