Luring a Gold star
COMMONWEALTH GAMES ORGANISERS MOUNT SECRET PLAN TO ATTRACT HOMETOWN HERO ROBBIE
GOLD Coast Commonwealth Games organisers made a secret pitch to Margot Robbie to play a lead role in the opening ceremony and give genuine star power to Wednesday’s highly anticipated spectacle.
Officials reached out to the homegrown Hollywood star to be part of the Queen’s Baton handover to Prince Charles inside Carrara Stadium.
While pop diva Delta Goodrem is confirmed for the opening ceremony, in which surf lifesavers and indigenous performers will play a starring role, organisers are promising “a few surprises”.
It is understood organisers wanted the Gold Coast’s most glamorous export to be among up to six icons to run with the baton at the ceremony, before it is handed to the Prince.
The identity of the final runners has been a closely guarded secret and it is not known whether Robbie, the Gold Coast-raised star of films including Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad and I, Tonya, accepted the offer.
The arrival of fellow international big-screen superstar Chris Hemsworth in Australia on Saturday has fuelled speculation the Thor star may have a role.
While a source said Hemsworth wasn’t part of any official program for the Games, the Tourism Australia ambassador travelled Down Under from Vancouver, where he has been filming his latest movie, and joined his family and friend Matt Damon at Byron Bay.
Hemsworth recorded a message of support for a Canadian weightlifter bound for the Games after they met on the same flight to Brisbane on Saturday.
Both Robbie and Hemsworth have also received special Palaszczuk Government VIP invitations to be spectators at the Games, along with supermodel Miranda Kerr, golfing greats Greg Norman and Adam Scott, country music star Keith Urban, surf champs Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore, pop duo The Veronicas and Bindi, Bob and Terri Irwin.
A Government spokesman said the invited celebrities were yet to confirm if they would attend.
Last month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Games would be one of the best places in the world for talent spotting.
“This is the biggest event in Queensland’s history and 1.5 billion eyes will be on us,” she said. “We’d love to see some of our best-known celebrities come to see what will be one of the most important events in Queensland’s history.”
Meanwhile, Games chairman Peter Beattie has called on sponsors who dumped Australia’s cricketers in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa to get behind the Games.
Mr Beattie said the Games sponsorship target of $85 million had been reached but it was not too late for more sponsors to get on board.
He has been critical of the big banks for not supporting the Games and said the Commonwealth Bank, which last week dumped Australian captain Steve Smith, should divert the cash into the Gold Coast mega-event.