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Jun 28, 2023

Margot Robbie Was A "Favorite" Casting Choice For 'American Horror Story: Asylum' But She Didn't Land The Part

Thanks to “ Barbie ,” Margot Robbie is now one of the biggest names in Hollywood, having already been an A-lister for a decade now. In fact, it’s close to ten years since Robbie’s breakout role as

Thanks to “Barbie,” Margot Robbie is now one of the biggest names in Hollywood, having already been an A-lister for a decade now. In fact, it’s close to ten years since Robbie’s breakout role as Naomi LaPaglia in “The Wolf Of Wall Street.” But Robbie’s earlier Hollywood career could’ve gone in a much different direction had she been cast in other things she auditioned for around that time.

READ MORE: ‘Barbie’ Cost $145 Million, But Margot Robbie Pitched It As A Billion Dollar Movie

Best example there? IndieWire reports that Robbie auditioned for an undisclosed role in FX‘s “American Horror Story: Asylum,” but the casting directors didn’t hire her because they knew her star was ascendant. “Margot has a lot of ‘it’ factors,” explained casting director Eric Dawson on the “In The Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast.” “That’s the tough thing for casting directors who aren’t in the room with actors. Margot is probably one of my favorite auditions of all time, and it was right before she broke out. She was such a star. It was crazy, her star appeal when she walked in the room. Even though she didn’t get that role, that was one of those things as a casting director where you go: This is a star, what do we do with her?”

So if Robbie’s audition was so good, why didn’t she land the role? Explained Dawson: “Immediately, though, she was out of our realm of possibility of hiring. But that’s really the fun part of casting, is seeing the people whose careers are just rising.” One wonders which role Robbie auditioned for “Asylum.” The series starred regulars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Lily Rabe, with Chloë Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Adam Levine, and Jenna Dewan in guest spots.

Right before Robbie’s Holllywood breakout, she starred in the short-lived ABC series “Pan Am” before landing roles in “About Time” and “The Wolf Of Wall Street.” And despite the cancellation of “Pan Am,” Robbie called in 2018 how fearless she was in auditions after the show got dropped. “I would go in thinking, ‘You fucking wait, look up from your papers, watch me, I’m going to blow your fucking mind,” Robbie recalled to The Guardian. The rest is history there: Robbie’s been starring in big movie ever since her breakout, “Barbie” being the most recent (and arguably the biggest and most successful).

The sky is the limit for Robbie after “Barbie.” Where will the Australian actress go from here? It certainly won’t be in the latest “AHS” entry, subtitled “Delicate.” That premieres on FX on September 20, with Emma Roberts, Cara Delevigne, and Kim Kardashian in starring roles. But Robbie’s next film? “Queen Of The Air,” in pre-production, and obviously on hold due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA guild strikes.

American Horror Story: AsylumMargot Robbie