Margot Robbie is explosive on screen as Nellie LaRoy, a party-going starlet with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. Her character, like Brad Pitt's, is inspired by real actors of the silent film era, particularly Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, and Alma Rubens.
Known as "The It Girl," Bow appeared in 46 silent films and quickly became one of the most popular actors of the time, as well as a sex symbol, as reported by The Guardian.
Similar to Bow, Eagles was a rising actor throughout the 1920s, and was even nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the 1929 film, "The Letter."
Rubens landed her first acting role in 1915 and continued to appear in over 40 films on screen until 1929. A testament to the wild times of the Roaring Twenties, each actor struggled with fame and drug use.