Movies - TV
The Part Of Harley Quinn’s Character That Frustrated Margot Robbie Most
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
Harley Quinn’s origin was simple. Formerly the Joker's psychiatrist, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, she left her ordinary life behind to become his supervillainess girlfriend.
When Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) first appeared in live-action in "Suicide Squad." She was in prison and trying to orchestrate a reunion with her beloved Joker (Jared Leto).
Robbie told the Washington Post in 2016 that she didn't understand why Harley was drawn to an abusive boyfriend like the Joker. Then she researched co-dependent relationships.
The actress bought a pile of DC Comics starring Harley Quinn and made a deep dive into the character, hoping to understand what she saw in the Joker, a madman and murderer.
"I just didn't understand how she could be such a badass and then fall to pieces over some guy. I found that really frustrating,” Robbie said.
Her acting coach, Jean-Louis Rodrigue, suggested she read Sam Shepard's 1983 play "Fool for Love" to get some insight into the pain and abuse of codependency.
It all began to fall into place for Robbie — even badasses can be abuse victims prone to manipulation. "Once I could view it in those terms, it suddenly made sense,” Robbie said.