August will be with us in a blink of an eye, and with it comes the end of the summer blockbuster season. Luckily for us, we are getting a highly anticipated comic book movie in just a week's time in the form of David Ayer's Suicide Squad. The villainous romp is set to hit theaters August 5th, featuring some seriously bad guys playing at the role of heroes. One of these is none other than Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, which will mark the first time the sidekick/villain appears on the silver screen. And while Harley doesn't have superpowers like Killer Croc or Enchantress, Margot Robbie certainly has a few tricks up her sleeve.
In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Margot Robbie told host Jimmy Fallon that she picked up a pretty dangerous skill in preparation for Suicide Squad. Namely, she learned how to hold her breath for over 5 minutes. She did this for a scene where Harley has a scuffle underwater, which did require the Australian actress to hold her breath for some time. She says the following of her training:
I worked with this amazing free-diver, and he came in and I did four sessions with him. His name's Kirk. It's all about lowering your metabolic rate...You kinda, like, meditate underwater. It's what free-divers do, but it's amazing.
Later in the interview, Margot Robbie admits to feeling competitive with her stunt double, wanting to hold her breath for even longer than the professional. Luckily for both herself and us, she eventually conceded and went on to film the rest of the crazy movie and presumably get a few more gifts from co-star Jared Leto.
I got to five minutes and I was like, 'You know what? This is above and beyond what I thought I'd get to. I'm good, I'm good with five.
Margot Robbie's training and competitive lack of oxygen is just the latest in a long line of events where Suicide Squad cast and crew perhaps took things a bit too far. We've been reporting for a while that Jared Leto would refuse to break character during the entirety of the movie's filming, as well as the strange and disgusting gifts he sent to his costars. Jai Courtney recently spoke up regarding using hallucinogenic mushrooms to delve into his psyche and find Captain Boomerang within. Additionally, director David Ayer reportedly would convince his actors to divulge their fears and insecurities, and then use it during scenes without warning.
Although somewhat troublesome, Margot Robbie's story of Harley's underwater battle does speak well to the character. Harley is typically a Joker sidekick and lover who isn't always the most deadly of characters. She's funny, surprisingly tender, but not really a killing machine the way that other Batman villains are. But her gymnastics, bat, gun, and now underwater skills certainly makes it seem like the Harley in Suicide Squad will be a force to be reckoned with.
