Margot Robbie refused to lose weight for Tarzan role

Margot Robbie refused to slim down to portray Jane in The Legend Of Tarzan because she secretly wanted to enjoy what London's pub scene had to offer.

The Australian beauty stars opposite Alexander Skarsgard as the titular hero in the new Hollywood blockbuster, and while her leading man had to undergo a strict diet and grueling training regime to look the part, Margot managed to convince producers her character needn't be so toned.

"It's the 19th century (in the film) - if she's got a bit of weight on her, it's probably a good thing," she told Australia's TV Week. "I'm not going to look thin just for the sake of it."

However, the 26-year-old confesses she may have been "defiant for selfish reasons", laughing she was "like a naughty school girl" as she ran off after work each day to visit a new drinking establishment in the British capital.

"It was my first time living in London properly and I wanted to try every pub," she explained.

In contrast, Alexander, son of Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, had to overhaul his eating habits before and during the shoot, and he couldn't wait to indulge in his favorite comfort foods as soon as the job was done.

"The diet - horrible!" he recently shuddered to America's Us Weekly magazine. "I've got to give credit to Guy, our chef. He had his hands tied - like, no sugar, no dairy. It was very strict. When we wrapped, I got in my car and went straight to my dad's. He loves to cook, so I spent four days on his couch being fed. It was the most incredible week: bone marrow, fried mozzarella, pasta, red wine. I was like, 'Ahhh'."

To help combat the harshness of his diet during filming, Alexander would live vicariously through his co-star Margot, and get her to describe her weekend meals when they started shooting on Monday morning.

"I remember the day that he was allowed an apple, and he kissed the apple," the actress added to Entertainment Weekly. "It hit me how deprived you are if you're that excited to see a piece of fruit."

The Legend of Tarzan swung into cinemas as America's number two movie over the Independence Day weekend (01-03Jul16). The latest take on author Edgar Rice Burroughs' literary ape man, which also stars Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson, grabbed a three-day gross of $38.1 million .