Margot Robbie has made it clear that when she’s on set, there’s only one group she’s thinking about: the audience. During a recent GQ Australia conversation alongside her Wuthering Heights co-star Jacob Elordi, moderated by fellow Australian actor Joel Edgerton, Robbie spoke candidly about how she approaches her work. Asked whether she factors critics into her creative process, the Oscar nominee didn’t hesitate.

“I consider the audience always. I’ve never, ever been on set and thought, ‘What are the critics going to think of this?’” Robbie said. “I’m like, ‘What’s an audience going to feel right now? What’s their emotional response going to be?’ I believe you should make movies for the people who are going to buy tickets to see the movies. It’s as simple as that.”

That philosophy has been front and centre in her collaborations with filmmaker Emerald Fennell, who directed Robbie and Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. The adaptation debuted at No. 1 at the domestic box office, even as audience reactions proved sharply divided. Fennell’s earlier features, Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, similarly sparked strong and often polarising responses. Robbie has served as producer on all three of Fennell’s films.

Reflecting on their partnership, Robbie praised Fennell’s instinct for prioritising feeling over theory. “I love working with Emerald because she always prioritises an emotional experience over a heady idea,” she said. “She’s very smart. She’s got great ideas, but she’ll let a cool idea fall by the wayside to offer the option that’s going to be most exciting for the audience. I really appreciate that about her.”

For Robbie, generating conversation, whether positive or negative, is part of the goal. The passionate discourse surrounding Wuthering Heights aligns with her belief that films should move people, not just impress reviewers.

Prior to Wuthering Heights, Margot Robbie was seen alongside Colin Farrell in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. As per reports, she has signed on to lead Tim Burton's upcoming film, Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman.