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What Is Imposter Syndrome? Condition Explored As Margot Robbie Opens Up About 'Crisis' Before Filming Barbie
Learn about Margot Robbie's battle with imposter syndrome as she opens up about her struggles before filming Barbie, shedding light on this common yet debilitating condition.
Margot Robbie, the acclaimed actress and producer, recently opened up about her struggle with imposter syndrome, particularly before filming her role in Barbie. In a candid interview with the Los Angeles Times, Robbie revealed how she experienced a full-on panic right before the commencement of shooting for Barbie, a film she both starred in and produced.
Margot Robbie struggled with her imposter syndrome before shooting for Barbie
Margot Robbie's recounting of her pre-filming crisis provides a glimpse into the inner turmoil experienced by those grappling with imposter syndrome. She described visiting Greta Gerwig, the writer-director of the film, in a state of panic, expressing doubts about her abilities and feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project. “I went to Greta’s house and had that crisis. I’d spent years trying to get this movie going. And suddenly we’re going to shoot the thing. ‘I was like, ‘Oh my God, I dunno how to do this.’ It happens before every single movie I’ve ever done,” she recalled.
The superstar, despite delivering several memorable hits in the industry, shared her fear of worthlessness which eventually matured into her panic stating, “I have this meltdown where I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I don’t know how to act. Everyone’s going to suddenly realize that I can’t do any of this, and it’s going to be terrible.’ And then it is just sheer panic. So yes, I went to Greta’s house. The panic was palpable and debilitating. ‘I don’t know how to apply any of this research I’ve done, and I’ve done all the things, and I still don’t know who she is.”
“It was so hard because it was trying to pick up something that had nothing to hold onto. It was like when you’ve got just a grape left in your bowl and you’re trying to get it with your fork, and I’m like, ‘I can’t get you.’ There’s nothing here to hold onto because she doesn’t have childhood trauma and she doesn’t have all these things that I normally latch onto and then build off. She doesn’t have any of it, and I couldn’t get her. And then Greta helped me through that and pointed me in all the right directions, and we talked through it,” Robbie concluded, marking the help provided by Greta Gerwig to her.
Robbie's statements reflect the common symptoms of imposter syndrome. Greta Gerwig also recalled Robbie's visit to her house before production began, emphasizing the actor's palpable sense of panic and self-doubt, sharing, “I have a distinct memory of Margot coming over to my house before we started shooting and having a bit of an actor crisis: ‘How am I doing this?’ It’s the actor equivalent of facing a blank page.”
ALSO READ: Has Margot Robbie Broken Her Silence Over Oscar Barbie’s Snub? INSIDER Opens Up
What is Imposter Syndrome? Understanding Margot Robbie’s battle with it
Imposter syndrome, as experienced by Margot Robbie and countless others, is characterized by feelings of anxiety and inadequacy derived from self-doubt, despite external evidence of success. “Imposter syndrome is the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally, despite being high-performing in external, objective ways. This condition often results in people feeling like ‘a fraud’ or ‘a phony’ and doubting their abilities. With imposter syndrome, a person doesn’t feel confident or competent, regardless of what they achieve,” as retrieved via BetterUp.
From her breakthrough role in The Wolf of Wall Street to memorable performances in I, Tonya, Suicide Squad, and Bombshell, Robbie has cemented her status as one of Hollywood's most talented and versatile actors, yet the superstar has been pretty vocal with her inner feeling of worthlessness, thanks to her imposter syndrome. In a past interview with Vogue, Robbie opened up with her admission of experiencing imposter syndrome even after a decade in Hollywood highlighting the persistent nature of this phenomenon. Despite her numerous accolades and successful career, Robbie's fear of being "kicked out" of the industry underscores her prevalent history with imposter syndrome.
"After 10 years of going to red carpet events, and for sure for the first couple years, I had major imposter syndrome, where every time I'd go, I was like, 'I can't believe they've let me in. Someone's gonna notice that I don't belong here, and they're gonna kick me outta Hollywood.' ... [But] you go to these [industry events] and you're saying hi to everyone, and you realize like, 'Oh wow. I don't have that imposter syndrome anymore. I'm really in this industry.’ It's not this wonderful dream that I'm gonna wake up from, and it's all gonna disappear. It's like, no, it's real,” she shared, making her symptoms of imposter syndrome clear to the public.
Despite grappling with imposter syndrome, Margot Robbie's resilience and determination have propelled her to remarkable success in the entertainment industry. As Barbie earns critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture, Robbie's talent stands crystal clear to both the public and critics alike.
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