Who: Star of blockbusters Suicide Squad and The Legend Of Tarzan
Why: This was the year Margot Robbie capitalised on the ‘next big thing’ heat she gained from 2013’s The Wolf Of Wall Street. As grade-A nutjob Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and Jane in The Legend Of Tarzan, she leapt from unknown supporting actress to female lead in two of the most high-profile films of the year. A 24-carat movie star, at ease with comedy, action and drama, Robbie was superb in each, playing good-hearted heroine and black-souled villain with equal magnetism, and proving that a female character can steal the show in the male-dominated world of superhero movies. And what really made Robbie stand out this year, aside from the work, was her willingness to call out the sexism that goes with being a newly minted female star. When a Vanity Fair cover story kept harping on about how “beautiful” and “sexy” she is, as well as knocking her home country Australia, she ripped it for being “really weird” and “insulting”. When you’re still on the ascent, that’s brave.
What she says: “I know my look is more toothpaste model, as opposed to artsy, which sucks because I can play those roles” – Marie Claire
What people say about her: “She’s a tough girl and she’s incredibly smart and mature beyond her years. She has ridiculous depth, and she’s never been coddled, so she’s very physically courageous” – David Ayer, director of Suicide Squad
How she made the world a better place: She gave us the best female supervillain ever captured on camera – and an easy Halloween costume option, too.