Margot Robbie doubts she will star in her first directorial project

Margot Robbie doubts that she will star in her future directorial debut because pulling double duty feels "inefficient".

The Wuthering Heights actress, who has been running the production company LuckyChap for the past 11 years, has been open about her ambition to direct a feature one day.

During an appearance on the Table Manners podcast, Robbie was asked if she would "do a Yentl", referring to the 1983 drama Barbra Streisand co-wrote, co-produced, directed and starred in.

The Australian actress insisted that she "would never" because acting and directing at the same time feels inefficient.

"I've spoken to a lot of actor-directors and been like, 'How do you do both?' It just sounds inefficient," she replied. "Like, to do a take and then go back to the monitors, watch the take, make the adjustments and go back instead of... you've got to jump straight back into it. I don't know how I could do it and not be like, 'This is not efficient.' I don't like a not efficient set."

The 35-year-old explained that through her experience as a producer, she knows the financial impact of those lost minutes.

"Once you know your day cost, if you divide that by the minute. Sometimes I think, 'If actors only knew (how much each minute costs),'" she divulged. "If an actor makes you wait for 20 minutes, I'm like, 'You just wasted $600,000.'"

The I, Tonya star added that she really wants to direct, but she doesn't have the time as running LuckyChap with her husband Tom Ackerley and friend Josey McNamara is a 24/7 job.

"Producing takes up all of my time. It's not acting that takes up my time; acting takes up a chunk of time but then you're like, 'I'm done with the job.' Producing is 24/7, every day of the year. It doesn't stop," she admitted.

"For the last 11 years, I've never not been actively producing. It's been great but I need to figure out how to step away from that more so that I can make space to try and direct."

Robbie's latest film as a star and producer, Wuthering Heights, will be released in cinemas on Friday.