Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Jay Roach, ‘Bombshell’ is a biographical drama centered around three Fox employees, Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, and Kayla Pospisil, who come together to bring an end to the sexual harassment of their boss, Roger Ailes. As the founder of Fox Media and the person behind much of its success, Ailes holds considerable power within the industry, but that belies his darker secrets. When Gretchen reaches a tipping point in response to his actions, the lid comes off at last, and the two prepare for an ultimate showdown. Gretchen’s decision, in turn, serves as an impetus for several others to speak up, creating a domino effect that strongly challenges everything Ailes stands for. Alongside Megyn, Kayla becomes one of the defining presences in the narrative, changing its flow forever. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kayla Pospisil is a Fictional Character Channelling the Voices of Many Ex-Fox Employees
Although ‘Bombshell’ borrows significantly from real life, the character of Kayla Pospisil is a fictional creation of writer Charles Randolph, who created her specifically to search for a larger narrative. While that may be the case, her character is nonetheless inspired by a collection of real-life accounts by former Fox News employees who alleged sexual harassment by the former Fox News CEO, Roger Ailes. In an interview with IndieWire, director Jay Roach talked about the creative process and the intricacies involved within: “We’re not revealing the people we talk to. We’re trying to protect them.” Roach further said, “We had heard that the Murdochs were responsible for giving Megyn the names of the women who had reported over the decades … we talked to some real people.”
Within the movie, Kayla’s ambitious journey reaches a harrowing point when Roger Ailes sexually harasses her in exchange for making her an on-air personality. After having to silently bear through this ordeal a number of times, she finds an outlet in Carlston’s brave campaign, which gradually sees an increase in participation. As such, although Kayla is a fictional character, she finds her place among the many real-life employees who participated in the lawsuit and were eventually made to sign a non-disclosure agreement after a settlement. For the making of ‘Bombshell,’ a number of the signees reportedly violated their non-disclosures to get their perspective on the case on the silver screen. This decision helped make Kayla a defining presence in the narrative, while at the same time grounding her in reality.
Additionally, Kayla bears a striking resemblance to certain conservative broadcasters, such as Tomi Lahren, a well-known conservative political commentator and television host. Lahren hosted ‘Tomi’ on TheBlaze before eventually joining Fox News as a regular contributor and co-host. This puts her close to her fictional counterpart, who has a kindred career trajectory. In addition to their similar appearance, the two share some commonality in their political opinions. Within the movie, Kayla also mentions having a substantial social media following, which aligns with Lahren’s status as an internet celebrity.
While some parallels have been drawn between Lahren and Kayla in terms of career trajectory, appearance, and mannerisms, the filmmakers have never indicated that Kayla was based on Lahren or any single individual. These overlaps are largely superficial in nature, simply giving Kayla a layer of authenticity as well. In all, Kayla is a wholly fictional character, created to represent the broader experiences and voices of multiple former Fox employees.
Margot Robbie’s Portrayal of Kayla Involved a Comprehensive Research Process
In a conversation with Inquirer, Margot Robbie, who essays the role of Kayla, discussed her approach to bringing the character to life, stating, “The filmmakers spent hundreds of hours talking to so many women who worked at Fox. Then I was given that information and those experiences, which were available for me to use and were incredibly helpful for research purposes. I loved playing Kayla.” She extended this idea in an interview with Business Standard, explaining that while she initially did not have a complete grasp on her role, she relied on research. Exploring Kayla from every single perspective played a crucial role in Robbie’s development of the character, following which she had the confidence to let it all perform organically on set. This method likely added a personal element to Kayla’s journey, while also adding a layer to the overall immersion.
Margot Robbie also pooled her own set of inspirations to mold Kayla after. In particular, she brought up rehearsing the famous monologues by Elle Woods, the protagonist of ‘Legally Blonde.’ The actor explained that she drew parallels between Woods and Kayla in how they were both intelligent and talented, but often underestimated due to their conventional attractiveness. In addition to this, Robbie also followed a number of young conservative women on social media to absorb that mindset and recreate it perfectly. She reportedly also watched videos of politician Katherine Harris, Florida’s former secretary of state, likely to gain a better handle on the contemporary political climate. As such, Robbie went above and beyond to add her own unique touch to the character, which itself was informed by her real-life references.
Read More: Bombshell: Is Jess Carr Based on a Real Fox News Staffer?
