Margot Robbie on why she insisted on going fully nude in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ scene: “She has to be naked”
The Martin Scorsese movie The Wolf of Wall Street may have been released over ten years ago, but the provocative crime drama remains a favourite for many across the globe, largely due to the film providing an industry introduction for the Australian actor Margot Robbie.
Naturally, Scorsese’s commercial behemoth was criticised in some corners for glorifying the lifestyle and manipulative schemes that built Jordan Belfort’s empire, but that was only one of the many interpretations to be found in one of the best films of 2013. It’s easy to see it that way, sure, but it’s just as viable to say that at no point does The Wolf of Wall Street offer the implication that its central figure is anything less than an unscrupulous snake oil salesman who got everything he deserved.
The film, famously starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead and flanked by the goofy and often despicable Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill, quickly earned a reputation known for its explicit nature, including several moments of heavy drug use and graphic sex scenes.
For the latter, it was Robbie who quickly became the name spreading across Hollywood like wildfire. As the unpromising Naomi Lapaglia, Robbie seized her first big cinematic opportunity and never looked back. While a relative unknown when cast in the role by Scorsese, Robbie refused to be overwhelmed when on set with the biggest names in the business and, instead, she insisted on shooting one of the most infamous scenes fully nude, arguing that the choice would improve the overall authenticity of the moment and add to the nature of her character.
Taken aback by the request, Scorsese offered to reduce the amount of nudity, but Robbie again insisted on the creative choice. Speaking about this in an interview with the Telegraph, Robbie stated: “I think nudity for the sake of nudity is shameful. If they’ve put it in just so that a girl gets her top off, then that’s disgusting. And you can always tell”.
Continuing, she states: “But I also think it’s disgusting when someone would have got naked in real life, in the film they conveniently leave their bra on or hold up the bed sheet. Seeing someone being choreographed into being covered up irritates me just as much”.
Fully committed to her character in the movie, who is something of a shallow social climber, Robbie adds, “The whole point of Naomi is that her body is her only form of currency in this world. So when Marty [Scorsese] was trying to help me out and said in the scene where she seduces Jordan, perhaps I could have a robe on, I said she wouldn’t. She has to be naked. She’s laying her cards on the table”.
Given that Robbie was only 22 at the time of shooting, she was understandably nervous. Before entering the set, the actor admitted to drinking “a couple of shots of tequila” in order to build up the courage. “I’m not going to lie, I had a couple of shots of tequila before that scene because I was nervous – very, very nervous,” she explained. “Honestly, I know it sounds silly now, knowing how big the movie became, at the time I thought, ‘No one is going to notice me in this film’.”
“I just turned 22,” she recalled. “I mean, we were a couple of months into the shoot at that point, so the tone had been set that it was a bit of a free for all on that film. It was kind of like, the crazier you are, the more Marty is going to love it, and the more screen time you’re going to get, so it was a real sink or swim situation”.
With the benefit of hindsight, everyone can now see that The Wolf of Wall Street was the role of a lifetime, but following its release, Robbie wasn’t so sure. After thinking she would “slip under the radar” because all attention would be on DiCaprio, the actor later revealed how she struggled with the many issues that come with being suddenly plucked out of obscurity and into the spotlight of world fame.
When asked about how she dealt with such a meteoric rise, Robbie later explained how it led to her question the path she was taking: “Something was happening in those early stages, and it was all pretty awful. 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 realised the only way was forward.”
However, since Robbie collaborated with Scorsese, she has gone from strength to strength, working with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, James Gunn and David O Russell, Wes Anderson and Greta Gerwig. From there, building on her remarkable success, Robbie also stepped away from the camera to build Lucky Chap, which is now one of the most successful production companies in Hollywood, proving that Robbie’s bold early career decisions were just one stepping stone on to greatness.
