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Hollywood has always had its "It" girls.
Stars like Audrey Hepburn, Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, Cher, Julia Roberts and Halle Berry have all earned the coveted title for their looks and talent on-screen over the years.
And the next up-and-coming “It” girl these days seems to be Margot Robbie.
With starring roles in two films in the last year — as bad girl Harley Quinn in "Suicide Squad," which earned more than $700 million worldwide, as well as Jane Clayton in "The Legend of Tarzan," the 26-year-old Australian actress may soon find her name added to the list of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading ladies.
"Robbie has all it takes to go to the top,” said film critic and entertainment reporter Stephen Schaefer, who writes for the Boston Herald.
But Schaefer isn’t convinced Robbie has reached the same status as Hollywood's current It-girl quite yet.
“…What Emma Stone possesses is this innate, all-American girl quality where she seems like a regular person who might be your friend. Stone's a movie star, but a down-to-earth one and that is something that can't be bottled or packaged."
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That said, Robbie made a dazzling film debut with her role as Naomi Lapaglia, the sexy, feisty wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort character in 2013's "The Wolf of Wall Street," adding her to the list of memorable performances by women in director Martin Scorsese's films, such as Sharon Stone in "Casino" or Cathy Moriarty in "Raging Bull."
"She can do just about anything, big budget, indie, and she leaves it all on the screen," said Candace Havens, an entertainment reporter for KSCS 96.3. "She's fearless and at the same time seems to be fairly strategic in the roles she's taking on."
Among the roles she's adding to her filmography are Queen Elizabeth opposite Saoirse Ronan's Mary Stuart in the upcoming drama “Mary Queen of Scots." The drama tells the story of Mary Stuart's attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England.
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Robbie will also be reprising her role as Harley Quinn in a film that will showcase the top female villains from the DC stable, titled “Gotham City Sirens." In addition, she's currently filming the biopic, “I, Tonya,” in which she plays controversial Olympic skater Tonya Harding.
"I think Hollywood likes to see actresses who take on diverse roles," added Havens. "They can star in a big blockbuster, but also knock it out of the park in indie pics. But there's also the element of how they appear in the public eye. [With] their social media and interviews, it is all about perception.”
Robbie has more than 960,000 Twitter followers, though she only follows 21 accounts and hasn’t tweeted since March 5. Her Instagram account is more active, and she posts regularly. She has a staggering 11.8 million followers there.
Stone, meanwhile, who many see as today’s top starlet, has shied away from social media and has no verified accounts.
Nevertheless, Havens suggested Stone is seen as accessible by her fans, and Robbie also shares some of those same qualities.
“Robbie has the same sort of accessibility [as Emma Stone] that appeals to men and women,” Havens explained. “The same sort of charm Stone has. So as long as she continues on that path and makes good choices, she should be golden."
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