An emotional Margot Robbie shared pictures from her childhood in Australia while asking her followers to donate money towards the bushfire crisis currently devastating the country.
The Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood star addressed her fans through a teary video, in which she explained she didn’t want to show ‘more pictures of the devastation’ and the bushfires currently raging in Australia.
Instead, Robbie flicked through a photo album full of pictures of her younger self playing outside on her family’s farm in rural Queensland, where she made mud pies, rode motorbikes and learned to drive.
Check out the video below:
The 29-year-old actor, who was born and raised in Dalby, Queensland, but has since moved to Los Angeles, made clear she has not forgotten her roots as she begged her followers to donate anything they could towards charities helping in the crisis.
Robbie pointed out she doesn’t ‘normally do this’, but wanted to share ‘personal’ photos from her childhood to show how ‘beautiful’ Australia is and highlight a different side of the country that is currently on fire.
She continued:
I’m sure you’re all aware of what is happening in Australia at the moment with the fires… I wanted you to see how beautiful our country is, because it is so beautiful and it’s really hurting right now.
It really, really needs you so please, please donate anything you can.
The Birds of Prey star explained, despite being ‘terrible with technology’, she herself had been on ‘so many different websites’ to donate. She emphasised it took less than a minute to do so, adding it was ‘really, really easy’.
Robbie went on:
Whatever you would have spent on your next cup of coffee, even one dollar would help. It’s so needed right now.
Please, please if you haven’t already donated, please do and let’s give future generations the childhood I was so lucky to have.
The actor tagged some charities as suggestions for who to donate to, including the Australian Red Cross, WIRES Wildlife Rescue, The Salvation Army, the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Country Fire Authority.
The 29-year-old is one of many celebrities helping raise awareness for the fires, which continue to destroy lives, homes and land across the country.
Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban recently donated $500,000 towards firefighting servies, as did popstar P!nk.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg urged Australia’s prime minister to take action, in a post on Instagram, in which she pointed out Australia’s summer has ‘only just begun’, meaning there is much more hot weather to come.
Speaking of the devastating effects of the crisis, Thunberg continued:
500 million animals are estimated dead because of the bushfires.
Over 20 people have died and thousands of homes have burned to ground. The smoke has covered glaciers in distant New Zealand making them warm and melt faster because of the albedo effect.
You can donate to the Australian Red Cross here. Alternatively, you can donate to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service here, or the Queensland Fire Service here.
You can also donate to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Brigades Donations Fund here.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.