Metalheads have defended Margot Robbie after Cate Blanchett expressed surprise over her fellow Australian actor’s taste in music.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Robbie told host Norton she had a “goth, very emo” phase, during which she listened to heavy metal music, “dyed my hair black and only cut it with a razor blade”.
Blanchett, who was also being interviewed by Norton, interjected to ask Robbie: “Does anyone like heavy metal music?
“Was that something you genuinely liked?” the Academy Award winner continued.
Robbie, 32, confirmed she still “genuinely” likes heavy metal music, before Blanchett quipped: “Do you like monster trucks and things like that?”
Robbie, who can currently be seen in Babylon, then revealed she has never had as many people recognise her as at a Slipknot concert she attended while starring in Neighbours.
“It wasn’t monster trucks and Slipknot; it was Neighbours and Slipknot,” she continued, explaining the intersection of people who liked metal music as well as the Australian soap opera.
“That’s quite the Venn diagram,” Norton joked.
Rolling Stone editor Marlow Stern tweeted a clip of their interaction, with the caption: “Love Cate Blanchett totally mystified that Margot Robbie was an emo girl into metal music”.
Metal fans on Twitter defended Robbie and branded Blanchett’s remarks “condescending”, with one person writing: “I love how Cate Blanchett has no clue about what metal fans are like IRL.”
Another dubbed Robbie the “metal representative for Hollywood”, while a third suggested Blanchett’s comment was “rather judgemental”.
“As a metalhead, this is the worst thing I’ve ever heard someone ask about metal. Smh [shaking my head] Cate Blanchett. Do better,” someone else wrote.
The Independent has reached out to Blanchett for comment.
