Margot Robbie star is at an all time high, I mean we are talking about the woman who literally personified Barbie on film. But according to her, the early days of her career were paved with some rather unsolicited lifestyle advice from a male colleague who clearly missed the memo on professional boundaries.
In a recent deep-dive conversation with Charli XCX for Complex, Robbie opened up about the “worst gift” she has ever received. While most of us might complain about a scratchy wool jumper or a generic candle, Robbie’s story involves a passive-aggressive literary choice that would make anyone’s jaw drop.
The Gift Nobody Asked For
“Very, very early in my career, an actor I worked with, a male actor, gave me a book called French Women Don’t Get Fat,” Robbie shared. “It was essentially a book telling you to eat less.”
The book in question, a 2007 bestseller by Mireille Guiliano, was marketed as a “non-diet” guide to the French lifestyle, but for Robbie, the subtext was loud and clear. “He essentially gave me a book to let me know that I should lose weight,” she said. Her response? Suitably blunt. “I was like, ‘Whoa, f— you, dude.'”
While Robbie didn’t name and shame the actor, noting that the incident happened “back in the day” and she hasn’t seen him since, her Wuthering Heights collaborator Charli XCX was happy to deliver the final blow, quipping, “Your career’s over, babe.”
From ‘Pan Am’ to the Yorkshire Moors
The timeline puts this interaction right around the start of Robbie’s meteoric rise. Whether it was during her Neighbours stint or her time on the 1960s-set series Pan Am (where weight requirements were actually a plot point for flight attendants), it is a sharp reminder of the scrutiny women in Hollywood face before they even reach “household name” status.
Fast forward to 2026, and Robbie is no longer taking cues from anyone. She is currently gearing up for the release of Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated reimagining of Wuthering Heights, which arrives in Australian cinemas on 12 February.
Robbie stars as Catherine Earnshaw alongside Jacob Elordi, who takes on the brooding role of Heathcliff. The film has already stirred plenty of conversation, but Robbie is firmly in her co-star’s corner.
“I saw him play Heathcliff, and he is Heathcliff,” Robbie told British Vogue. “He’s incredible… I honestly think he’s our generation’s Daniel Day-Lewis.”
The film’s release coincides with a 12-track soundtrack by Charli XCX (featuring the single “Chains of Love”) which drops on 13 February.
