Margot Robbie Reveals Actor’s Unsolicited Diet Book Gift 

Margot Robbie recalls an actor giving her a diet book to lose weight early in her career.

Margot Robbie Reveals

What do you give the woman who would eventually build the Barbie empire? If you were a certain unnamed male actor early in her career, the answer was apparently a diet book and a side of audacity.

In a recent Complex sit-down with “Wuthering Heights” collaborator Charli xcx, Margot Robbie revisited a memory from her “back in the day” files that perfectly encapsulates the subtle toxicity of early 2000s Hollywood.

The gift in question? A copy of Why French Women Don’t Get Fat. It wasn’t a suggestion for a light summer read; it was a blatant, unsolicited directive to lose weight.

The Audacity of the “Mentor” 

Robbie’s response was a masterclass in understated disbelief: “I was like, ‘Whoa, dude.’” At the time, she was a young actress navigating an industry that frequently treated female bodies as projects to be managed.

The actor who gave it to her—now a ghost in her professional rearview mirror—likely thought he was being “helpful.” This is where the deep dive into Hollywood’s “Hierarchy of Advice” begins.

For decades, young women in film were subjected to a “survival of the thinnest” mentality. This wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was about control.

Giving a colleague a diet book is an act of professional sabotage disguised as peer support.

While Robbie has gone on to earn three Oscar nominations and become one of the most powerful producers in the world, her gift-giver has vanished into the “I have no idea where he would even be now” category.

Charli xcx’s sharp retort—“Your career’s over, babe”—wasn’t just a joke; it was a factual observation of how the tables have turned.

A Contrast in “Worst Gifts” 

The interview took a turn for the surreal when Charli xcx shared her own worst gift: a necklace containing the ashes of a fan’s mother. It highlights a strange dichotomy in the lives of stars.

• The Fan’s Gift: An overwhelming, slightly terrifying display of misplaced intimacy.
• The Peer’s Gift: A calculated, insulting attempt to diminish a colleague’s confidence.

Both gifts involve “objects” that the recipients didn’t know what to do with, yet Robbie’s story lingers because it speaks to a shared experience of workplace harassment disguised as “lifestyle coaching.”

Beyond the Headline 

While the internet loves a good “blind item” mystery, focusing on who the actor was misses the point entirely. The real takeaway is the shift in agency.

We often assume that stars like Robbie were always immune to this kind of behavior.

The truth is more nuanced: her ability to laugh about it now is a testament to her resilience, but it doesn’t erase the fact that she had to endure it to get here.

Furthermore, many believe these stories are relics of a distant past. In reality, while the “gifts” might have changed, the pressure on performers to conform to specific body standards remains a quiet, persistent hum in the background of production offices.

The New Guard 

Today, Robbie is busy leading the charge for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, with Charli xcx providing the sonic landscape.

This collaboration represents a shift away from the “diet book” era and toward an era of female-led, unapologetic storytelling.

• The Cast: Featuring Jacob Elordi and Hong Chau.
• The Vibe: Dark, classic, and decidedly modern.
• The Heartthrobs: While the unnamed actor is forgotten, Robbie and Charli spent their time praising legends like Montgomery Clift and Jack Nicholson.

Summary: 

Margot Robbie’s “Whoa, dude” moment serves as a reminder that even the most successful women in Hollywood once dealt with unsolicited, body-shaming “advice,” highlighting a massive shift in industry power dynamics.