Standing tall among nine other contenders, 2023’s highest-grossing flick, Barbie, will test its chances of winning the Best Picture Oscar. While Greta Gerwig set the tone, narrative, and style, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling became the movie’s breathing soul as they added their charisma and flair to their roles. However, for the Australian actress, the state of affairs holds even further importance, for she also served as one of its producers along with her husband, Tom Ackerley.

As they both prepare to grace the 96th Academy Awards red carpet, here is a look at the story of the man who has stood as a pillar of support for his wife from time to time.

The early life and education of Tom Ackerley

Tom Ackerley (Thomas Francis Michael Ackerley) was born on 13 June 1990 to a father working as a property developer and a homemaker mother in Surrey, England. Growing up in the Guildford town of the city, as a child, he enjoyed taking an active part in sports and developed a passion for watching films. From 2001 to 2008, he attended a Catholic independent school in Weybridge, St George’s College, before moving to a sixth-form college called Godalming College to pursue film and media.

The tryst with the film industry: From Harry Potter to television

Tom Ackerley began his film career by playing an uncredited extra in the Harry Potter movies franchise, starring as a Gryffindor student in three installments from 2001 to 2004. Thereafter, he took a brief break from the movies for the majority of the 2000s, returning as a production runner in the next decade for 2012’s Gambit and 2013’s Rush. Following this, he also worked as an assistant director for various television series and films. In his role in the latter capacity, he worked on 2014’s historical comedy-drama film, Pride, which won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, director, or producer in 2015.

In the same year, he acted as the third assistant director for Suite Française, a romantic drama, and as a second assistant director in another thriller film, The Two Faces of January. Ackerley then showcased his talents in the same role in 2015’s Macbeth starring the likes of Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and David Thewlis while also winning two BAFTA Awards and six British Independent Film Awards. Finally, for television, he worked on the series Da Vinci’s Demons and American Odyssey, winning acclaim.

LuckyChap Entertainment, Barbie, and Oscar

In 2014, Tom Ackerley, along with Margot Robbie, Robbie, Josey McNamara, and Sophia Kerr founded a Los Angeles-based production company titled LuckyChap with a focal point on female-focused film and television productions. Among the most notable and first movies rolled out by it, 2017’s black comedy, I, Tonya, starring Robbie as the American figure skater, Tonya Harding won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Allison Janney’s performance.

In 2020, Emerald Fennell unrolled his dark comedy thriller Promising Young Woman from the gates of the production company starring Carey Mulligan. The flick received critical acclaim and multiple awards and nominations, including five Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Screenplay. Finally, in 2023, Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley co-produced Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, launching into chart-busting fame and earnings while also landing eight 2024 Oscar nominations.

Tom Ackerley and Margot Robbie: Marriage and family life

Tom Ackerley met the love of his life, Margot Robbie, on the set of Suite Française in 2013, where she starred as one of the main characters. A year later, they began dating while keeping it low-profile by avoiding public appearances and social media posts. Soon, they moved in with Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara, sharing a house in London. The couple married in a private ceremony in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in December 2016.

Keeping it private, again, they did not share the news until much later when The Wolf of Wall Street actress broke the news by posting her ring on Instagram. As of 2024, they shifted and live in Los Angeles, along with a named Boo Radley, from where they also oversee operations of LuckyChap Entertainment. Finally, with Barbie securing wins and praise, Tom Ackerley and Margot Robbie will probably mark an appearance together at the 96th Academy Awards as the flick takes on its twin release and Oscar front-runner, Oppenheimer.