Margot Robbie loses her voice at her first premiere since the US actors’ strike

Margot Robbie explained with hand gestures that she had lost her voice and could not be interviewed at her first red carpet premiere since the US actors’ strike began in July.

The Barbie actress appeared at the premiere of “Saltburn” in Los Angeles on Tuesday after co-producing the thriller with Josey McNamara, directed by “The Crown” actress and Oscar-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell.

Robbie led the star-studded cast, including Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, down the red carpet for the first time since the Sag-Aftra U.S. actors’ strike began, which ended last week after a 118-day work stoppage.

When asked for an interview, Robbie, 33, pointed to her neck and shrugged to explain that she had lost her voice, which was later confirmed by her representatives.

The Australian actress was last seen with co-star Ryan Gosling at the London premiere of “Barbie,” just two days before strikes banned the stars from attending premieres.

Speaking about his co-producer, McNamara told the PA news agency: “It’s been brilliant, I’m very proud of the film and delighted we’re here. It’s been a long process, it feels like it’s been a long time coming, but I’m really pleased people can see it.”

“I love Emerald, I love Margot, they’re both great and it just makes going to work fun.”

The producer of “Barbie” and “Promising Young Women,” for which Fennell won an Oscar, added of the strikes: “It’s great to have them (the cast) back. To have a premiere is a dream. We took the step together and so it’s great that they can come and celebrate with us.”

In the thriller, which opened the BFI London Film Festival in October without a cast due to the strikes, Oscar-nominated actor Keoghan plays the role of student Oliver Quick, who struggles to find his place at Oxford University.

He finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites Oliver to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate in Saltburn, where he falls in love with the aristocrat.

The film, which is set to be released on November 17, also stars Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant, as well as British star Carey Mulligan, who also appeared on the red carpet at the premiere at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor also graced the red carpet after director Fennell decided to incorporate her 2001 hit “Murder On The Dancefloor” into the end of the film.

Ellis-Bextor, who sings the song at the premiere after-party, told PA: “My song is in the film, (it’s) involved in quite an unusual way. I really enjoyed it and it made me laugh as well and I can’t wait for other people to see it now.

“I didn’t know Emerald… I knew she was a great talent and it was nice to be approached. I saw a brief synopsis of how the song would be used in the film and that was really enough, I was convinced.

“When I finally saw the film, I was thrilled. But it’s also really nice to have a song like ‘Murder (On The Dancefloor)’ that I’ve been singing for over 20 years and to be so surprised by its new interpretation.”

“One character dances to it in a way I’ve never seen before, and when the whole thing takes off, it gives me a lot to process the next time I’m on stage,” she added.

British composer Anthony Willis, who scored Saltburn, told PA: “It’s such an English film.”

“Obviously I loved the script, and then when I saw Emerald’s first director’s cut with their incredible work, I was just blown away by all the great performances and the characters brought to life,” he said.

“And then it was so much fun composing the film music that accompanies Oliver on his crazy summer journey full of desire and longing and puzzles and all that.”