Margot Robbie is used to playing rather frightening characters, such as the maniacal Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad.
It’s fair to say the 28-year-old actor would never be content to play ordinary women, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
It now looks like Margot may have landed her most terrifying role yet in Mary Queen of Scots, where she plays the ruthless Virgin Queen herself, Queen Elizabeth I.
Check out the enthralling trailer for yourself below:
With her powdered white face glaring over a Tudor ruff, it’s almost impossible to believe this is same beautiful, fair-haired star of I, Tonya.
This is a truly unforgiving physical portrayal of the daughter of Henry VIII; hair balding beneath a lurid wig, gruesomely thick make-up smeared over a sickly, smallpox-ravaged pallor.
Known for inheriting her father’s vanity, it is said the real Elizabeth I destroyed any paintings which dared show the decay of her health and beauty.
And yet she gorged herself on so many sugary treats her teeth turned black and in her later years would greet courtiers with her breasts fully exposed. Kate Middleton she was not.
Margot will star opposite Golden Globe winner Saoirse Ronan, who will play the title role of Mary Stuart, the Scottish queen raised in a French court who would become an eventual contender for the English throne.
The film will follow the 16th-century rival monarchs as they assert their claims to the crown. Strong personalities and politics collide in a blood soaked showdown of power.
According to the IMDb synopsis:
Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
Speaking about her dramatic transformation with Entertainment Weekly, Margot admitted she felt ‘inhuman’, leading to those on set avoiding catching her eye.
She explained:
It was nothing intentional, but I could see that it was uncomfortable for them, and the less they looked at me, the more isolated I felt.
Margot also spoke about the fascinating political period in question, with both fierce-some queens influenced by their environments:
They were both, in their own ways, making huge sacrifices to try to operate in this male-dominated world,
It’s not one against the other. It’s both of them against a particular environment that pitted them against each other.
It’s fair to say people are excited to Margot and Saoirse acting alongside each other, playing equally strong and intriguing historical figures.
One person exclaimed:
I cannot wait to see this movie!! The trailer looks brilliant!!! 2 strong leading women in history, portrayed by 2 strong leading women today!! Is it too soon to throw out the words Oscar buzz worthy?
Another simply said:
I’ve waited years for this moment.
Of course, in reality, the turbulent cousins never actually met face to face. However, they still endured a complicated, emotional relationship which lurched between respect and envy, affection and fear.
And this uncomfortable bond is well communicated in the trailer, which shows the kinship fracturing alongside Margot’s crumbling appearance.
Could this be a cinematic portrayal to match Cate Blanchett’s iconic performance?
Mary Queen of Scots will hit hit UK cinemas January 18, 2019.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.