Babylon role ‘closest’ to Robbie’s heart

Babylon stars Margot Robbie and Diego Calva grace the red carpet at Sydney’s State Theatre for the Australian premiere of Damien Chazelle’s Hollywood epic, Babylon.

Margot Robbie steals the show at the Babylon premiere in Sydney on Monday.

Australian star Margot Robbie has taken to the red carpet for the Australian premiere of Damien Chazelle’s Hollywood epic, Babylon, saying she’s “never felt closer to a role”.

Robbie was joined by co-star Diego Calva at Sydney’s State Theatre to launch the film, which has received mixed reviews but a slew of award nominations for its female lead.

Diego Calva and Margot Robbie at the Babylon Sydney premiere. Photo: Matrix Productions

The film, a three-hour ode to old Hollywood, mines the industry’s oft-sordid history, with some tall tales for good measure.

Filmmaker Kenneth Anger’s gossipy tome Hollywood Babylon was a major touchstone.

Set from 1926 to 1932, Babylon traces the unruly, excessive and drug-fuelled machinations of the silent film era – when elephants roamed on set, and dead extras were par for the course – and its spectacular downfall when Tinseltown embraced sound.

Robbie plays Nellie Laroy, a tenacious and sexed-up aspiring actor from New Jersey who claws her way into the movies.

Margot Robbie attends the Australian premiere of Babylon at State Theatre.

For her role, the Queensland-born actor took inspiration from a cocktail of old Hollywood stars, particularly the ill-fated and hard-partying Clara Bow.

“I’ve never been as close to a character as Nellie before,” says Robbie of the role.

Babylon is Calva’s Hollywood and English-language debut.

Also starring in the film are Oscar winner Brad Pitt, Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire and Hacks actor Jean Smart.

Australian co-stars Samara Weaving and Phoebe Tonkin were in Sydney for the premiere.

Among the guests at the Sydney premiere were comedians The Inspired Unemployed and TikTok influencer Kat Clarke, as well as a smattering of reality TV celebrities dressed to impress.

Samara Weaving at the Babylon premiere in Sydney. Photo: Matrix Productions.

Early reception of the film has been mixed and the film has been a box office bomb in the US.

The Times wrote that it was “dazzling” with praise for Robbie’s performances “bubbling with awards season kudos”.

Time’s Stephane Zacharek was less enthused, writing that “Babylon isn’t a film made with love, or even with any degree of exactitude”.

Babylon arrives in Australian cinemas on Thursday.