Margot Robbie has made a splash hit as the titular character in the new “Barbie” movie, which grossed an estimated $337 million worldwide during its box office debut over the weekend.
But Robbie, who earned an estimated $12.5 million for her role in the film, didn’t always have such success, especially early on in her career.
The Australian actress spoke in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning and revealed that her mother used to take money out of their house mortgage to help fund her daughter’s career — something Robbie said was pertinent for her to pay back once she could afford it.
Robbie was raised in Queensland, Australia, by a single mom.
“I kept it. Everything I owed my mom, I had written down,” she said. “One day, when I made enough money, I just paid that whole mortgage off completely. I was like, ‘Mom, don’t even worry about that mortgage anymore. It doesn’t exist anymore.'”
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Robbie has an estimated net worth of $40 million, much of which has been fueled by her successful roles as Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” (which she earned an Academy Award nomination for) and as Harley Quinn in “Suicide Squad” and other Marvel spinoffs.
Her breakout role was in the 2013 hit “The Wolf of Wall Street” with Leonardo DiCaprio. Robbie also runs a production company with her husband, Tom Ackerly, called LuckyChap Entertainment.
“Anyone in my position, you’d do that for your mom,” Robbie said. “Of course, you would.”
“Barbie” is already breaking box office records after its mid-July premiere: the biggest U.S. opening for a non-superhero film and the biggest opening for a female director (Greta Gerwig).
