Actress Margot Robbie enlisted her husband, Tom Ackerley, to deliver a playful acceptance speech at Variety's Power of Women event in Los Angeles. Robbie's production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, received the producer of the year award presented by Dua Lipa. However, the 33-year-old actress had unfortunately lost her voice and was unable to speak, so she prepared a speech for Ackerley and producing partner Josey McNamara to read on her behalf.
Apologizing in advance for their lack of experience in public speaking, Ackerley stated, "Margot's lost her voice about four days ago," while McNamara added, "So she's written this speech that Tom and I are going to read.
" Acknowledge their unpreparedness, Ackerley confessed, "We also haven't read the speech yet... We agreed to this yesterday."
Robbie's speech was both witty and heartwarming, as she had Ackerley admit multiple times that Lipa was his "crush." She also expressed how her producing partners often relied on her for public-facing events, even though she found public speaking equally terrifying. In the speech, Ackerley announced, "We know that, so I vow here and now, in front of all these people, and Dua Lipa, who I have a secret crush on, true, to not leave all the speeches to Margot from now on.
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The couple, alongside McNamara, shared their journey of meeting and establishing their production company. Robbie cleverly addressed the irony of having two men speak at an event celebrating women, stating, "Wow, for a Power of Women event, we sure are hearing a lot from these two Dudes." Nevertheless, she commended her partners for dedicating their careers to supporting women in the industry.
On a lighter note, McNamara concluded the speech by thanking Variety for giving her the opportunity to make her friends say things they would never say themselves. The event also honored Carey Mulligan, Fantasia Barrino, Lily Gladstone, Billie Eilish, and Emily Blunt, with notable presenters including Emerald Fennell, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Finneas O’Connell, and Ariana Greenblatt.
