Before breaking into Hollywood, Margot Robbie was already a household name in Australia thanks to her role in the soap opera Neighbours. In her early 20s, she decided to try her luck in the international film industry. Her first "foreign" movie, the British time-travel rom-com About Time, premiered in the fall of 2013. Just a few months later, Robbie's first American production hit theaters—The Wolf of Wall Street. In this Martin Scorsese-directed film, she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and made a bold impression as Naomi Lapaglia, the love interest of DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort.
Robbie’s performance included a memorable nude scene, a risky move for her Hollywood debut that could have backfired. However, over the last decade, she’s proven that her talent goes far beyond her physical appearance. Interestingly, Scorsese didn’t insist on the nudity; the decision came from Robbie herself, who believed it was essential for the scene.
“Scorsese said, ‘Maybe you could wear a robe if you’re uncomfortable.’ But that’s not how Naomi would behave in that situation. The whole point is that she walks out completely naked—it’s her power move in that moment,” Robbie explained during an interview on the Talking Pictures podcast.
Her willingness to take risks wasn’t limited to the role itself. Robbie also impressed Scorsese during her audition by bringing her own ideas to the table. She was tasked with performing a kissing scene with DiCaprio, but instead of following the script, she made a split-second decision that caught everyone off guard.
“I thought, ‘I’m about to kiss Leonardo DiCaprio. This is amazing! I can’t wait to tell my friends.’ But then I thought, no—and I just slapped him across the face,” Robbie recounted. The unexpected move left the room in stunned silence.
Robbie feared she had ruined her audition, or worse, her career, by slapping one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. “In those endless seconds of silence, I was thinking, ‘That’s it. My career is over. I’ve just assaulted Leonardo DiCaprio,’” she joked.
But then, the silence broke into laughter. “Leo and Marty were laughing so hard. They said it was perfect,” Robbie said, recalling the moment of relief that followed. Instead of punishment, she got the part—and The Wolf of Wall Street launched her Hollywood career.
Since then, Robbie has reunited with DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and achieved her biggest success to date with Barbie. In the 2023 blockbuster, she not only starred as the titular character but also served as one of the film’s producers.
