While Margot Robbie is getting attention for playing Barbie, her first massive movie role was Naomi Lapaglia in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, and she has shared what filming was actually like. From Tonya Harding in I, Tonya to Sharon Tate in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the actress has portrayed many real-life figures. But whether she's playing someone who really existed or a fictional character, she's always one to watch.
The Wolf of Wall Street is definitely a pretty extreme movie, telling a tale of people living large and trying to make as much money as possible. Robbie's character Naomi is married to Leonardo DiCarpiro's character Jordan Belfort. DiCaprio was nervous about a kissing scene... and there are a few scenes between Naomi and Jordan that gave the actress pause. How did she really feel about filming The Wolf of Wall Street?
Inside Margot Robbie's Most Famous Scene In The Wolf Of Wallstreet
Margot Robbie wasn't paid much for Wolf of Wall Street, which is amazing since she's such a massive name now. And in interviews that she has given in the years since the movie was released in 2013, it sounds like she didn't have a super easy time making the film.
When people think about The Wolf of Wall Street, they can't help but think about Naomi and Jordan's relationship. The characters meet at a pool party and he immediately impresses her with his adventurous personality and money that he clearly makes. There's an immediate connection between the two and it only grows stronger.
Margot Robbie talked about a Wolf of Wall Street scene between Naomi and Jordan in an interview with Porter magazine and was honest about how tough it was. It's easy to assume that because someone is an actor, they're super used to filming any type of scene and that they never feel insecure, uncertain, or unhappy about it. But thankfully, Robbie has gotten real about what it was really like. And considering that she hadn't starred in any massive movies before this, it sounds like it was a fairly intense film to start with.
Robbie said, “It doesn’t come across when you’re watching the movie, but in reality we’re in a tiny bedroom with 30 crew crammed in. All men."
She said that "for 17 hours" she had to act as if she was performing an intimate act. She continued, "It’s just a very weird thing and you have to bury the embarrassment and absurdity, really deep, and fully commit.”
Robbie also said that she was "nervous" about filming Naomi and Jordan's intimate scene. According to CNN, the actress said, “I’m not going to lie, I had a couple of shots of tequila before that scene because I was nervous - very, very nervous."
It makes sense that Robbie would have had some strong feelings about these Wolf of Wall Street scenes since they're not typical intimate moments that cut away and suggest what's going on instead of being too detailed. Instead, they're pretty intense, and they definitely got audiences talking.
But even though the actress did share her real opinion of this intimate scene, she shared in an interview with Indiewire in 2014 that she knew that these scenes were necessary for the movie. She explained that the scenes show "Naomi’s power over Jordan and that’s her only way of getting what she wants. That’s her form of currency in a world of millionaires when she comes from nothing."
Was Margot Robbie Injured Shooting A Wolf Of Wall Street Scene?
That wasn't the only scene in The Wolf of Wall Street that Margot Robbie had an out-of-the-ordinary experience filming. Robbie talked about the movie in an interview with The Daily Beast and mentioned that when her character is intimate on top of cash, that actually ended up hurting her.
Robbie said, "I got a million paper cuts on my back from all that money! It’s not as glamorous as it sounds."
The actress told The Daily Beast, "Or maybe real money is a bit softer, but the fake money is like paper, and when I got up off the bed, I turned around to get my robe and everyone gasped." She said that she was told "Your back is covered in a thousand red scratches.”
According to Unilad, watching The Wolf of Wall Street was a little awkward for her family, too. The actress appeared on the podcast Screen Time and said that it was difficult for her brother to see the intimate scene between her and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Robbie said, "I can’t tell you how uncomfortable that was. One of my brothers didn’t speak to me for three months afterwards - not because he was mad, he was just, like: ‘I just need a minute before I can consider you my sister again!’
How The Wolf Of Wallstreet Changed Margot Robbie's Opinion About Being Famous
Margot Robbie is a clearly talented actress, but after The Wolf of Wall Street was released in 2013, she became incredibly famous. That meant that people everywhere were talking about her and commenting on her appearance, and she didn't love that experience.
In an interview with Vanity Fair for the issue that was published in December 2022/January 2023, Robbie talked about how tough it was to be so noticed after the movie came out. And she ended up having a hard conversation with her mother about whether continuing to pursue her craft was the right thing.
Robbie told Vanity Fair, “Something was happening in those early stages and it was all pretty awful, and I remember saying to my mom, ‘I don’t think I want to do this.’ And she just looked at me, completely straight-faced, and was like, ‘Darling, I think it’s too late not to.’ That’s when I realized the only way was forward.”
This is definitely something that every young actor has to go through. And it's easy to understand that at first, getting noticed while ordering coffee, sitting in a restaurant, traveling, or even just going into a grocery store is going to feel pretty jarring.
But it's great that Robbie realized that she is too talented not to keep following her dream and pursuing the passion that she has for acting.