It was 2013. The world didn't really know who Margot Robbie was yet. She was just that "girl from the soap opera Neighbours" or the face from the short-lived series Pan Am. Then came a single, high-voltage moment in a nursery room in The Wolf of Wall Street. Suddenly, the name was everywhere. People weren't just talking about the movie; they were obsessed with the Margot Robbie naked scene that seemed to redefine what a "breakout role" looked like in the 21st century.
Honestly? Most people think it was just another case of Hollywood being Hollywood. You know the drill—put a beautiful woman on screen, take her clothes off, and watch the box office numbers climb. But the reality behind that scene is way more interesting than the scene itself. It wasn't some studio mandate. It wasn't Martin Scorsese being a "dirty old man."
It was actually Margot’s idea.
Why the Margot Robbie naked scene was her choice
When you're a 22-year-old actress working with a titan like Scorsese, you usually do what you're told. You don't rock the boat. But Robbie isn't "usual." During the filming of that iconic nursery standoff where Naomi Lapaglia punishes Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) by withholding sex, Scorsese actually tried to give her an out.
He suggested she wear a silk robe. He wanted her to feel comfortable.
Robbie said no.
"In the movie, Naomi’s body is her only form of currency," she explained later in an interview with The Telegraph. She felt that if the character was trying to exert total power over a man like Jordan, she wouldn't be half-hiding under a robe. She would lay her cards on the table. Literally. She insisted on being fully nude because, in her mind, that was the only way the scene made sense for the character.
It was a power move.
Most people assume actresses are pressured into these moments. While that definitely happens in this industry, this was a rare case of a newcomer asserting her creative agency. She knew the risks. She knew it would be on the internet forever. But she did it for the story.
The tequila and the "merkin" room
Don't think for a second she wasn't terrified. You've gotta remember she was essentially a kid from Queensland, Australia, suddenly thrust into a room with 30 sweaty crew members and Leonardo DiCaprio.
To get through it, she did what many of us would do. She took three shots of tequila at 9:00 AM.
"I was very, very nervous," she admitted during a BAFTA Life in Pictures event. She actually thought no one would notice her in the film because everyone would be looking at Leo. Talk about a massive miscalculation.
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There's also the weird technical side of things that people rarely talk about. In an interview on the Fitzy & Wippa radio show, she revealed a bizarre "behind-the-scenes" fact: the set had a dedicated "merkin" room. For the uninitiated, a merkin is basically a wig for your nether regions. Because the film was a period piece set in the 80s and 90s, the "look" had to match the era. Robbie described it as a room full of options where people would just go in and pick one out.
Filmmaking is glamorous, right?
Slapping Leo: The audition that changed everything
The Margot Robbie naked scene might be what the internet searches for, but the slap is why she got the job.
During her final chemistry read with DiCaprio, the script called for them to have a big fight that ended in a kiss. Robbie knew she had about 30 seconds to make an impression. In her head, she thought, "I could kiss him and tell my friends I kissed Leo, or I could do something crazy."
She chose crazy.
She screamed at him. He screamed back. Then, instead of kissing him, she wound up and "walloped" him across the face. Hard.
The room went dead silent.
She was convinced she was going to be arrested for assault. She thought her career was over before it started. Then, Scorsese and DiCaprio burst out laughing. Leo told her to hit him again. That's the exact moment she won the role. She had the "fire" that Naomi needed.
Dealing with the family fallout
Doing a scene like that has real-world consequences, especially when you have brothers.
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Robbie actually lied to her family for a long time. She told them there was no nudity. Then, she told them it was a body double and they just CGI'd her head onto someone else. She figured by the time they saw the movie, it would be too late.
One of her brothers didn't speak to her for three months after seeing the film. Not because he was angry, but because he just "needed a minute" to process seeing his sister like that on a 40-foot screen. Her mom, on the other hand, was surprisingly chill about it, telling her it was done "tastefully" and made sense for the story.
The "Currency" of the 2020s
It's interesting to look back at this scene now, especially after Barbie. Robbie has gone from being the "sex symbol" breakout to one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood.
She’s spoken out against "nudity for the sake of nudity." She finds it "shameful" when a film forces an actress to be naked just to get a reaction. But she also finds it "disgusting" when a scene clearly calls for it—like a character getting out of bed—and they're awkwardly clutching a sheet to their chest.
To her, it's about honesty. If a person in real life would be naked in that moment, the character should be too. If it's just to sell tickets, she’s out.
Actionable Insights for Film Fans
If you're looking at this from a film history or career perspective, there are a few things to take away:
- Creative Autonomy Matters: Robbie’s career didn’t just happen to her; she made specific, high-risk choices to define her own image.
- The "Scorsese Factor": Working with directors who prioritize actor comfort (like offering a robe) allows for more daring performances because the trust is there.
- Context is King: The scene works because it’s a character beat, not just a visual. It establishes Naomi as the person who truly holds the power in the Belfort household.
The next time you see a viral clip or a "top 10" list mentioning the Margot Robbie naked scene, remember that it wasn't just a "hot girl" moment. It was a 22-year-old woman standing her ground against a legendary director, downing tequila to find her courage, and making a calculated decision that would turn her into the biggest movie star on the planet.
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Keep an eye on her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. They're the ones behind Barbie, I, Tonya, and Promising Young Woman. It’s pretty clear she’s moved from being the "currency" to owning the whole bank.