Margot Robbie apparently enjoys playing villains. The actress will star as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, a film about the figure skater’s 1994 battle with rival Nancy Kerrigan. In addition to starring, Robbie will also produce the film based on a screenplay by Stephen Rogers.
Rogers’ script is based on interviews he conducted with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, who was arrested for hiring men to attack Kerrigan with the intention of breaking her legs prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Both Harding and Kerrigan were prominent figure skaters in the early 1990s and two of the favorites to win gold for the U.S. team at the 1994 Games.
https://youtu.be/3RG4ArHj8as
The attack on Kerrigan took place prior to the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and while the attack did not succeed in its original intent, the attackers did bruise Kerrigan’s leg badly enough for her to withdraw from the competition.
Kerrigan recovered went on to win silver at the 1994 Games, while Harding — under suspicion of wrongdoing —threatened to sue if removed from competition and finished eight. Harding eventually admitted to knowing about the attack prior to it happening, and was summarily stripped of her 1994 national championship and banned from figure skating for life.
Robbie’s turn as Harding will follow her upcoming roles as supervillain Harley Quinn in the comic book flick Suicide Squad and as Jane in The Legend of Tarzan. Robbie will also be involved in selecting a director for I, Tonya.
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About Ben Sieck
Ben is a recent graduate of Butler University where he served as Managing Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Butler Collegian. He currently resides in Indianapolis.