Walk into any bar in 2013 and people were talking about one thing: that stiletto. Specifically, the one Margot Robbie was digging into Leonardo DiCaprio’s chest. It was the "look" heard 'round the world.
Before she was the face of Barbie or a two-time Oscar nominee, Margot Robbie was a girl from Queensland who had just finished a stint on the Aussie soap Neighbours. She was barely 22. She had almost no Hollywood credits to her name. Then came The Wolf of Wall Street, and suddenly, the "Duchess of Bay Ridge" was born.
The story of how she actually landed that role isn't some boring tale of a perfect headshot and a polite "thank you." It involves a literal assault on one of the most famous actors on the planet.
The Slap That Changed Everything
Margot Robbie didn't just walk into the room and read lines. She was terrified. She knew she had about 30 seconds to make Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio remember her name, or she was going back to Australia.
The scene was an argument. DiCaprio was screaming. He was being intimidating. The script called for them to kiss at the end of the shouting match.
Robbie had a split-second internal monologue. She thought, I could kiss him, and that would be cool, and I’d tell my friends I kissed Leo. But then another part of her brain took over.
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She walloped him.
A "thunderclap of a slap," as Scorsese later called it. She screamed, "F*** you!" and the room went dead silent. Robbie honestly thought she was going to get arrested for battery. She was convinced her career was over before it started. Instead, Leo and Marty burst out laughing. Leo told her to hit him again. She had the part before she even left the building.
It Wasn't Just About Being "The Hottest Blonde"
People often look at Naomi Lapaglia and see a trope. The trophy wife. The gold digger. But if you watch the film closely, Robbie is doing something much more interesting. She’s playing the only person in the room who can actually control Jordan Belfort.
The nursery scene is the perfect example. Most actresses would have played that for pure sex appeal. Robbie played it for power. It’s a psychological warfare tactic. She’s not just "being hot"; she’s using her body as a weapon to punish a man who thinks he can buy anything.
She actually fought for the full-frontal nudity in that scene. Scorsese, being the old-school gentleman he is, offered to let her wear a robe. Robbie refused. She told him that Naomi wouldn't wear a robe. The point was that she was playing her "ace," and she needed to be completely exposed to win the argument. That’s not a "starlet" move. That’s a "storyteller" move.
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Behind the Scenes: It Wasn't All Glamour
If you think lying on a bed of cash looks fun, ask Margot's back.
The fake money used on set was basically made of stiff paper. Filming that "sex on a pile of money" scene resulted in hundreds of tiny paper cuts. She walked off set looking like she’d been whipped.
- The 17-hour nursery shoot: That infamous scene took nearly an entire day.
- The Tequila shots: Robbie has admitted she had to take three shots of tequila before 9:00 AM just to get through the nerves of the nursery scene.
- The E-cig incident: At one point, Leo hid his e-cigarette under a pillow during a scene, and Robbie accidentally sat on it. She had to apologize because it ended up... well, stuck in her butt crack.
It sounds ridiculous, but it shows the reality of a "breakout" role. It’s messy. It’s awkward. You’re in a tiny room with 30 sweaty crew members while you’re trying to look like a goddess.
The Financial Reality
There’s a weird misconception that because she was the lead female in a massive Scorsese flick, she made millions. She didn't.
Reports suggest Margot Robbie was paid roughly $347,000 for her role as Naomi. While that sounds like a lot to a normal person, it's "peanuts" in Hollywood terms, especially when you consider her co-star was making $10 million plus points.
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But Robbie was smart. She didn't do it for the paycheck. She did it for the "Scorsese Stamp." She used that $347k to launch herself into a position where, a decade later, she could command $12.5 million (plus production bonuses) for Barbie.
Why Naomi Still Matters in 2026
We’re still talking about this performance because it’s a masterclass in screen presence. Robbie didn't let the movie happen to her; she happened to the movie.
She took a character that was written as a "Belfort accessory" and made her the moral (and often literal) center of the home. Naomi is the one who finally calls him out. She’s the one who walks away.
Honestly, the legacy of The Wolf of Wall Street is as much about Robbie's ferocity as it is about Leo’s Quaalude-fueled crawling. She proved that you can be "the blonde" and still be the smartest person in the room.
If you want to understand how to build a career, look at what she did next. She didn't just take more "wife" roles. She started her own production company, LuckyChap, and began making movies like I, Tonya and Promising Young Woman. She took the power she earned in that stiletto and used it to change how women are portrayed in Hollywood.
To really appreciate the performance, re-watch the scene where she tells Jordan she wants a divorce. Look at her eyes. The glamour is gone. It’s just cold, hard reality. That's why she's a star.
Next Steps for Film Buffs:
- Compare the Accents: Watch Robbie's "Bay Ridge" accent in Wolf and then immediately watch her in I, Tonya. The vocal shift is insane.
- Read the Source Material: Jordan Belfort’s memoir gives a much darker (and less "fun") look at the real Nadine Macaluso, who Naomi was based on.
- Track the Evolution: See how Robbie’s production choices today mirror the "agency" she fought for on the Wolf set back in 2012.