When Suicide Squad was released back in 2016, it left a lot to be desired from many fans, but one specific casting was received quite well. Margot Robbie seemed to perfectly portray Harley Quinn, and she has since taken back up the role in Birds of Prey and James Gunn's soon-to-arrive The Suicide Squad. If we needed more evidence of Robbie’s perfect disposition to play the eccentric Queen of Crime, we now have it, because her reaction to Jared Leto, who played The Joker, giving her a rat is pretty on-brand for the wild criminal.
Viola Davis, Margot Robbie’s co-star on both Suicide Squad films, told Vogue for Robbie’s cover issue interview a story that happened one rehearsal for 2016's Suicide Squad. Apparently Jared Leto thought it would be funny to give Robbie a box with a rat in it, which is a fitting thing for The Joker to do. Instead of freaking out, which is what most people would have expected her to do, Robbie was delighted with the gift, much like Harley Quinn would have been. Here’s the story in Davis’ own words:
I was saying loudly, ‘Don’t open the box!’ I was halfway out the door when she opened the box,” says Davis, “and saw the biggest black rat you could imagine. Then… she cooed at it. No fear. Open. Receptive. Full of joy.
It would seem that Margot Robbie is a consistent surprise to those around her. Those who would buy into the typical beautiful, dumb blonde stereotype would be sorely mistaken to do so, because Robbie is far from typical. She is known for pushing the envelope in while filming, and shocked while shooting The Wolf of Wall Street by going off script and slapping Leonardo DiCaprio. Since then, she’s been pretty much unstoppable.
Her shocking reaction to being met with a big, black rat shows how purely 'go with the flow' the actress is, and how hungry she is for new experiences and interactions. I honestly can’t even imagine a more real life example of how Harley Quinn would be in our own world.
Margo Robbie just appeared (or, at least her voice did) in the newly released Peter Rabbit 2, and she has a number of projects coming up in the next several years that are already either in the works or announced. And while The Suicide Squad, is her last Harley appearance for now, the actress is eager to pair her character with Poison Ivy in the future. Another huge project she has coming up is Barbie, which, much like Robbie, will be something more than you’re expecting.
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is all finished up and set to be released to both theaters and HBO Max on August 6, and although a rat scene would be welcome, it will appear as though Harley Quinn will be without her Mr. J.
