Margot Robbie & Will Smith

Host: I wanna know what was the, what was the thing that first interested you about this whole project? Will Smith: I love the work of, John and Glenn, the directors. They did, Crazy Stupid Love, and I love that film.

And when I read Focus, it was so interesting because it's so many different kinds of movies. They like, completely ignore genre. You know, so it's a, it's a heist film.

But then it'll be, a bizarre comedy for a while, and then it's really serious, and it's great action. And then there's a love story, as you were aware. You're aware there's a love story in the film.

I yeah. Yeah. There was a, there was a wonderful love story at the, at the center of the film. So I just loved how many different, styles and flavors that, they would demand of the actors, you know?

And there. We would be in scene sometimes, we're like, "So this is. So we're this is serious, right?" They say, "Yeah, but have fun with it."

And we you would just get to go through so many, ranges of the spectrum. Margot Robbie: Like Will was saying, they said at the heart of it was a love story. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, there was a lot to do for Jess in that sense because halfway through she's a woman scorned and it kinda transforms her after that.

So yeah, no, they develop it really well. Host: She has a great journey, though. She does. And I imagine it was fun to kind of, to bring to life.

Mm-hmm. Margot Robbie: Yeah. It's really nice to have a character that has one starting point and Mm-hmm. A totally different person by the end of the film. Mm-hmm. It's kinda nice to, play with that.

So I was lucky. Host: Who do you think's in control by the end of the film, more in control between the two? Who's in charge Will Smith: Who's in charge?

Yeah. Yeah. I think it's pretty obvious. It's pretty obvious. Yeah. Yeah. The thing about Margot

She is absolutely certain of who she wants to be and what she wants to do. But she's absolutely certain of who she wants you to be and what she wants you to do too.

So that was, that was, that was I'm s in the scenes. She would say, "No. Not, like, dude, so I'm sorry.

Hold on one second. Do it. No." Like, "Oh, you know, I've made a couple movies, Margot. I can I have some ideas too."

I bet you quite liked that, though. No. You know what's great? She's, she's right most of the time, which is fantastic, right?

You know, 90% of the time, if something doesn't feel right to her in a scene, it's, it's correct, you know? But I'm a man, I gotta go against it anyway. Mm. So but she her instincts are really brilliant.

You know, she can't always, she can't always say why it doesn't feel right. She just says, "Just, oh, just do it the way I said," you know? So I just do, I learned to do that, but it was, it was, it was really fun working with someone with that level of instincts that were so different than my own.

Host: Did you guys get much of a chance to improv on this film, or was it kind of stick to the script for the, for the Margot Robbie: I feel like we improved quite a bit. Yeah. Yeah. Which is surprising because there are so many plot points that we obviously had to hit in each Yeah. Or hit to a certain degree or hide to a certain degree.

So it was, it didn't, it shouldn't have left much room for improv, but the guys still really encouraged it. Host: Is there one scene that sticks out for you that was, that was a kind of really good example of you guys Margot Robbie: getting to rip? I think the end scene.

The end scene. Oh my goodness, yeah. Because when we did that end scene. I don't wanna ruin it for people who haven't seen it, but when we did the end Yeah.

It's, it's quite dramatic, but there were takes where we were just, like, in hysterics. Will Smith: Yeah. And when you watch it's, it's, it'It looks like it makes sense. Yeah. You know? But no, what's really great, what they do that's fantastic is they create a set where everyone's involved.

So they get what they Mm. And you're rolling, and they'll let anyone yell out a line, like, you know, the If it's funny. Like, if someone should say it.

If it's funny. Somebody could just yell something Yeah. That's funny, and say, "Oh, yeah. Margot, say that. Say that."

Mm. Somebody, the grip says, "Hey, he should say, you know, the." Yeah. You know? You're like, "Oh, yeah, Will. Yeah, that's funny. Everyone's involved.

Say that. Say that." So it's like this real great family. It's good, though. Everyone's in it together.

Everyone's working towards the same goal. It'It was a little awkward for me in the love scene, but other than that. It was. "Wait.

Put your leg up. Put your leg up." "Man, I've done this before."

Host: Have you been, robbed And how, if you have Yeah. Robbed, how did it feel? It didn't feel like anything 'cause I didn't notice I was being robbed at the time.

Will Smith: I've been pickpocketed very, effectively, and I've been blatantly robbed, so you know, that I was aware of. Margot gets robbed all the time. I don't. I'm like, how do you manage to get robbed so 'Cause I'm not 6'3"

Dude walking around. Yeah. I guess that's I'm an easy target. Yeah. She grew up, grew up in Australia where, like, people are nice all the time.

So she's like. I was like, when I leave the house, 5% of my money's in my sock, another piece of it in, the back. Put some under your arm. Like, you split all your stuff up 'cause you know you're gonna get robbed.

Yeah, I didn't have that. Host: And how difficult were the kind of the tricks, I guess, or the trade to learn? Margot Robbie: Yeah. It's a lot harder than it looks.

Yeah. Yeah. The more you understand about it, the easier it gets. So the more you look into the psychological side of it, the more the physical side makes sense. Mm-hmm. Because you to begin with, can't believe that you could steal something in plain sight.

Right. You're just like, "They will catch me. There's no way I'm gonna try that." But if you. And Apollo Robbins, who I'm, I think you've all met, Yeah, he's amazing.

Yeah, I mean, when he explains, you know, distraction and things like that, yeah, it makes the physical side of stealing a lot easier. Tried it on mates and stuff, see if you Will Smith: I have, yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Margot came to read for the role that she didn't think there was any chance that she was gonna get it because of how different we are.

You know, I mean, I'm, And the long list of actresses I was up against. Of the. Yeah. It was a little bit intimidating.

Yeah, 'cause, when we. Down, I'm 46 and Margot was 23 when When we did it. So it seemed like it wouldn't work in that way.

And I'm from Philly and she's from Australia so it was pretty. And there's obvious genetic differences. Yeah, the stealing thing's already in there.

Yeah. So but for some reason it just worked perfectly. You know, when you see it on screen none of those questions come up. Margot Robbie: You know, it's, "Oh, God, why would they do that?"

It just like, it's a, it's like a wonderful puzzle. It works together. Mm. It works very well.

Mm. Very well. I enjoyed myself. Well, we've, we've said it a couple of times. It was something neither of us were really expecting, but for some reason when we walked into the room we just really got along.

Yeah. And that kind of continued throughout the shoot and it made every scene exciting and fun. And it's not really something you can manufacture No. I it wasn't forced or planned I suppose.

No. It just existed already, which was handy. Press: Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith. Oh, come on. Who's hotter?

Yeah. Margot Robbie: Everyone's trying to get me in trouble. Who's hotter? No, wait a minute. I can't win. Yes.

Wait a minute. Will Smith: Yeah. That's a good question. Answer the question. That's a good question.

Your Honor, will you please instruct the witness to answer the question? Answer the question. Margot Robbie: I can't win with this. Either way I'm gonna get in trouble.

Okay. But and then what did you take from working with Leonardo and Will Smith? Well, you know, something I took from both of them, and they actually have a few things in common, they have extremely huge profiles. Mm-hmm. But on But one of our profiles is huger than the other's.

Will Smith: Keep your mind on Margot Robbie: the question. I'm trying to give you a compliment here. I'm sorry. I am sorry.

I'm sorry. Okay. I'm sorry. But despite how, I don't want to say it now, but but despite that when they walk onto set they're extremely professional.

They are so courteous to everyone on set. Will Smith: To Bollywood. I've I love. I've been there a few times.

I got, I hung out with some of the best. I was there I think it was, it was four years ago when Big B wasn't feeling well and everything shut down. And I was like, "Now this is how actors are supposed to be treated."

You know, he he wasn't, he wasn't feeling well and you know, people were at the hospital and you know, it was like every, they shut everything down to make sure he was okay. So I we could learn some things from Bollywood treatment of actors. Press: Margot, as a woman, why do you think Jess, like, forgave Nicky for being such a loser with you in the beginning?

Mm. Margot Robbie: I think it took her a little while to forgive him. Yeah. Years. She kind of punished him. Yeah, about three years.

Years. And she kind of punished him for a while. I think eventually she just realized that that sort of game didn't matter and she didn't want to play the game anymore. Mm-hmm. And if he was, you know, willing to give it at all, give it his all she would too