Three powerhouse actresses fill the lead roles of BOMBSHELL, based on the shocking true story of the fall of Fox News CEO and chairman Roger Ailes. In 2016, a massive scandal revealed the toxic atmosphere of the media empire, and sexual harassment allegations piled up against the man in charge.
Among the women who came forward were Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, two of the network's biggest stars.
In the upcoming ripped-from-the-headlines drama, Nicole Kidman plays Carlson while Charlize Theron takes on the part of Kelly, and Margot Robbie is added to the top line as a fictional associate producer. Let's take a closer look at the actresses and the characters they play before BOMBSHELL'S explosive release on December 20.
Nicole Kidman
Oscar® winner Nicole Kidman really needs no introduction; she's one of the most emotive actresses of our time, and she's starred in many incredible movies, including last year’s DESTROYER, BOY ERASED and AQUAMAN, all of which are available to watch now through AMC Theatres On Demand.
In BOMBSHELL, Kidman stars as Gretchen Carlson, the first woman to speak out against Roger Ailes (played by Academy Award®-nominee John Lithgow). Carlson was a well-known Fox News personality who joined the network in 2005. Within a few years of being hired, Carlson experienced on- and off-screen sexist treatment from her "Fox & Friends" co-host, Steve Doocy. She brought her complaint to Ailes, who called her a "man hater" who needs to learn to "get along with the boys."
But Doocy's behavior wasn't the only problem. Carlson spent an entire year recording Ailes' sexually inappropriate comments, and the more she objected, the worse she was treated at Fox, until she was ultimately fired from the network in 2016.
Her courage to speak out, however, encouraged dozens of other women to come forward about Ailes. At least 20 other women contacted Carlson's lawyer, some as witnesses, almost all of them as victims.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is one of Hollywood's leading ladies, but the role that shot her to stardom was dark and even ugly. She completely transformed herself for MONSTER, to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The performance earned her her only Oscar win so far, but she's stayed busy filling parts in films like TULLY, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, and the MAD MAX films — all of which you can revisit on AMC Theatres On Demand.
In BOMBSHELL, she is almost indistinguishable from her real-life character, Megyn Kelly. Kelly was a second-year reporter when she was first harassed by Ailes. When she disclosed the incident to her supervisor, she was told to "just steer clear of him." And she followed that advice for a while, until Ailes became physical.
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie is the only actress to not play a real person in BOMBSHELL. Instead, she plays a fictional Fox News producer, Kayla Pospisil, who wants to be on the air. In a private meeting, Ailes tells her he could move her in front of the camera, if she proved her loyalty — clearly a quid pro quo setup.
Because her character is fictional, we don't have many other details, but she seems to play a part in taking down Ailes with Carlson and Kelly.
Robbie has been on the rise since her role in 2013's THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, but her big breakout was only three years ago as Harley Quinn in SUICIDE SQUAD. Since, she has starred in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, PETER RABBIT, and I, TONYA, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. All of these titles are available on AMC Theatres On Demand, so make sure you sign up through your AMC Stubs® account.
See Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie in BOMBSHELL when the film drops December 20.