Before Margot Robbie got her big break on The Wolf of Wall Street, she was best known for her role in the Australian soap opera Neighbors. At the age of 21, she left her character and cast mates behind in search of something bigger in America, and she found it along with a believable Brooklyn accent and great wardrobe.
When Robbie auditioned for the role of Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street, she had a few things running through her mind. Robbie knew her character was going to be the mistress to Leonardo DiCaprio's character, and that was nerve wracking. She also took note that Naomi is meant to be more of a sex object rather than a loving mother or intelligent partner. While she was reading the script with DiCaprio next to her, Robbie made a bold choice to stand out to the directors. She slapped DiCaprio across the face—while in character, of course. She later told People that she felt like she had to do something to set herself apart from the others, and as we all know, she got the role.
Playing Naomi was a challenge for Robbie in more ways than one. Robbie wanted to truly become her character, and that meant becoming very vulnerable in front of the camera. She never imagined the fame that would follow after her performance, but because of it, she has joined a few other women in Hollywood as they change the game for women in the industry. In 2014, Robbie became a co-founder of LuckyChap Entertainment where she, her husband, and a couple others produce movies that highlight strong female characters. With The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, and now Barbie under her belt, Robbie seems to be successfully making her way through the industry.
Here are Margot Robbie's best moments in The Wolf of Wall Street, ranked.
8 Opening Scenes in Underwear
When The Wolf of Wall Street first begins, DiCaprio's character, Jordan Belfort, is narrating while the camera pans over her different assets. He first talks about his most prized possession, his white Ferrari. Then he goes on to brag about his huge mansion. Finally, he draws attention to his beautiful wife, Naomi, who is a gorgeous blonde in lingerie. While different angles are splayed across the screen, Robbie exudes confidence as her character.
This scene becomes important because it shows that Naomi is self-assured and knows how to work her strengths with her husband, even if he only cares about her looks. While many may look at this opening scene and just see another pretty face, others can see that Robbie is ready to take the spotlight for the rest of the film.
7 Naomi Knows She Did Nothing Wrong
After Jordan has officially been found out, and he is looking at jail time, he tries to gaslight Naomi into thinking he got her out of trouble. In the bedroom, Jordan looks at Naomi and tells her that she is "off the hook," as if he took the blame for her. Instead of thanking her husband, she causally responds with, "I know that already." This surprises Jordan because he wanted to play the hero in The Wolf of Wall Street, but Naomi knows she was never involved in Jordan's business. Therefore, she did nothing to incriminate herself.
Robbie does a fantastic job at appearing uninterested in this turn-of-events conversation. She brings a certain energy to the scene to let the audience know that Naomi is done with the relationship before she tells Jordan she wants a divorce. Scenes such as this one can easily fall flat because there is no exaggerated facial expressions or dialogue. Robbie does not deliver a single boring moment in this film.
6 Mama Bear Mode
Raw and emotional do not begin to describe the moment Naomi went from screaming at her husband to full "mama bear mode" when Jordan attempts to kidnap his own child. During a fight, Jordan wakes his daughter up and rushes to put her in his car to prove to Naomi that she will not be taking his kids away from him in a divorce. Naomi screams at Jordan, and once she realizes she cannot get into his car, she takes a metal bar to the driver's side window. This still does not stop her husband from trying to peel out of the driveway (where he ends up crashing) with his screaming child. Naomi then runs to retrieve her frightened daughter, and she walks back into the house without a care in the world for her drugged-up husband.
Robbie's character takes a bit of a turn in this scene from The Wolf of Wall Street. Until now, she has been idolized as a trophy wife, but this moment finally gives her character depth. She released a blood-curdling scream and proves that she loves her children more than her lavish lifestyle.
5 Wake-Up Call with Water
Though The Wolf of Wall Street itself is humorous in the darkest and most repulsive ways, there are truly no likable characters. Jordan is sleazy, a cheater and an addict; all of his friends come with their own set of problems, and Naomi is Jordan's "wifed up" mistress who knew he had a wife while he was sleeping with her. When Naomi hears Jordan calling out for another woman in his sleep, fans aren't too surprised. Naomi, however, is appalled and wakes her husband up with a glass of water thrown in his face. Audiences cheered for this wake-up call, and she had every right to be upset — then again, what did she expect?
This scene stands out because it is the first fight between Naomi and her husband, but for Robbie to be able to throw water in the face of the infamous Leonardo DiCaprio probably felt amazing for her first big film.
4 Controlling the Conversation
While Naomi is the perfect example of eye candy, she is also incredibly smart when it comes to getting what she wants. After she and Jordan meet at his house during a large party, Jordan asks Naomi out to dinner. She mentions that the offer came as a surprise because he is a married man. Jordan then goes on to say that the two of them can still be friends. Without hesitation, Naomi responds with, "We're not gonna be friends." This single line in this moment in The Wolf of Wall Street gives her all the power. She has decided that she wants more from Jordan than friendship, and she is going to make sure she gets exactly what she wants.
DiCaprio may be the titular character of the film, and his character is obviously cunning. However, from this scene on, Robbie establishes that her character is dominant. Naomi is not savvy in the same way as Jordan, but she is a cut-throat woman who knows no bounds.
3 First Nude Scene with Leonardo DiCaprio
During a conversation with director Martin Scorsese, it was suggested to Robbie that she could leave a robe on rather than appear completely nude. Robbie, staying true to her character, simply said that the woman trying to sleep with Jordan Belfort would strip naked. She felt Naomi needed to give him that "shock factor" that left him speechless, and once again, put the power in her own hands.
Robbie's decision to shoot the scene completely nude for her co-stars, cast members, and audiences everywhere to see was not made lightly. She was not thinking "let me be naked with Leonardo DiCaprio." Robbie was strategic about staying true to the character, Naomi, but she also considered the real-life "Naomi" — because The Wolf of Wall Street is based on a true story — who had lived through these experiences with the real Jordan Belfort.
2 Teasing Her Husband with No More Sex
One of the most iconic scenes in The Wolf of Wall STreet is that of Robbie's character, Naomi, openly teasing her husband and touching herself in an attempt to show him what he will be missing for the foreseeable future. Naomi knows that her husband only loves her for her body, so she uses that to her advantage when he behaves in ways she deems unfit. Unfortunately, Jordan gets back at Naomi and lets her know that their security guards can see everything she is doing through the nursery's teddy bear camera. This sends Naomi running from the room.
Robbie once again had to put herself in a very vulnerable position, but she nailed the scene by keeping a calm tone and demeanor. She plays up her sexuality as Naomi and uses the typical male gaze scene to her advantage.
1 "Don't you f***ing Duchess me!"
During dinner, when the two are out on their first "friendly date," Jordan learns that Naomi was born in England, but she grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He then proceeds to call her the "Duchess of Bay Ridge." He sweetly calls her by this nickname quite often, but after the brutal wake-up call with a cup of water, Jordan doesn't know whether to appeal to his wife with sweet talk or to continue arguing with her. While she is heated and armed with a second cup, he calls her "Duchess" which earns him a finger in the face and her putting him in his place. Jordan immediately drops to his knees and pleads with her to believe him. She doesn't, and he gets drenched yet again.
Robbie had some of the best dialogue in The Wolf of Wall Street, and she used every bit of it to her advantage. One only hopes that DiCaprio did not take some of her insults and reprimands too literally even if it did feel very real on the screen.