Margot Robbie reveals she didn't recognize Sebastian Stan during their initial I, Tonya table read due to his character's wardrobe and look. The 2017 biographical drama chronicled the life of figure skater Tonya Harding as she deals with her abusive mother, rises to stardom in the sport and deals with her abusive husband Jeff Gillooly, all leading up to her 1994 attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. I, Tonya takes a metafictional approach to telling Hardy's story, including mockumentary-style interviews with the various characters set in the modern day and presenting both its titular athlete and Gillooly as unreliable narrators in their own stories.
Alongside Robbie and Stan, the cast for I, Tonya included Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Paul Walter Hauser and Bobby Cannavale. Directed by Craig Gillespie on a script from Steven Rogers, the film was a critical and commercial hit upon release, scoring over $53 million against its $11 million production budget and garnering three Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, with Janney winning for Best Supporting Actress at both ceremonies. As I, Tonya celebrates its fifth anniversary, those behind the film are looking back on their time with the hit movie.
In a recent issue of L'Officiel, Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan reunited to reflect on their time during I, Tonya together. Robbie revealed that she didn't recognize Stan during their initial table read due to him donning a turtleneck and mustache as part of his look for the titular skater's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly. See what Robbie shared below:
"We physically met during the chemistry read for I, Tonya, but I had seen your tape before. I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but I didn’t recognize you at all. I think you were wearing a turtleneck and you may have even grown the ‘stache. I remember being like, ‘Wow, this actor is so good, who is this guy? He’s going to be such a find.’ And then I looked you up and I was like, ‘Holy shit, it’s the hot guy from Gossip Girl and those Marvel movies!’"
Stan's appearance as Jeff Gillooly may not entirely hide the actor for those who love the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Winter Soldier actor, but it was a testament to his efforts in recreating the look of Harding's abusive husband. The efforts made by the Hair and Makeup teams on the film were as positively received as the performances of the stars, earning nominations at both the BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards. I, Tonya would lose the award at both ceremonies to the Gary Oldman-starring biopic Darkest Hour, which also earned the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling alongside its Best Actor win.
Though he received rave reviews for it and loved working on the film, Stan has recalled feeling mortified to be playing a real person in I, Tonya given he hadn't lived Gillooly's life and it was his first time playing such a role. Stan would ultimately return to the biographical genre with Hulu's Pam & Tommy miniseries as Mötley Crüe founding member Tommy Lee, reuniting with Gillespie as well, for which he has again scored rave reviews for his performance, with MCU co-star Anthony Mackie joking he was horrified when he first saw his transformation. Audiences can revisit I, Tonya in honor of the film's fifth anniversary streaming on Hulu now.
Source: L'Officiel
