Delightful Margot Robbie Had An Unintentionally Funny Response After Finding Out Martin Scorsese Was Interested In Her For Wolf Of Wall Street

Margot Robbie wearing pink in Wolf of Wall Street.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Margot Robbie is one of Hollywood’s most bankable actresses these days, but she only skyrocketed to fame after starring in The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio when she was only 22. The breakthrough role moved mountains for the actress, and she has spoken over the years about how much the part meant to her when she was cast. At the time, she was flabbergasted when director Martin Scorsese asked to meet with her, and she had an unintentionally funny response when she was found out the famous director was interested in her for the role.

When Martin Scorsese was casting The Wolf of Wall Street, hundreds if not thousands of actresses vied for the role of Naomi. Even on the page it was a star-making part, and a juicy role alongside one of cinema’s most well-regarded leading men. There was something about Robbie’s audition tape that caught his eye, and he wanted to meet with the young Australian actress. When she heard the news, she couldn’t believe it, and almost couldn’t comprehend that Scorsese had actually seen her tape. She told CBS Sunday Morning: 

No part of me considered that my tape would ever be seen by Martin Scorsese. … I was so confused. I didn't know who 'Marty' was, to be honest. And I was, like, 'Who is Marty?' They're like, 'Martin Scorsese.' And I was, like, 'How does he know who I am?' 'He watched your tape.' 'Martin Scorsese watched my audition tape?' And they're like, 'Yeah, and he wants you to come in and read with Leo.' And I was like, 'Leo, as in Leonardo DiCaprio? Oh my God. I'm on nickname basis already with everyone.'

While it may have been surprising for her to get the call, it wasn’t surprising for the world when they saw her performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. Robbie holds her own against powerhouse performances by DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, and clearly was the right actress for the role. She is funny, animated, sexy, and effortlessly switches between comedic and dramatic scenes.

Robbie hilariously may not have known how she got into the mix, but it was clear the aforementioned "Marty" had a good eye. She end up having strong instincts about the characters, and pushed strongly to come out "completely naked" for a pivotal onscreen scene with Leonardo DiCaprio. The role could have easily been one note in the hands of another star, but she truly steals the show in every one of her scenes.

Those strong instincts have served her well in Hollywood since. Alongside Margot Robbie's myriad movie roles, She has since evolved into one of the biggest producers in Hollywood too. Doubtless, the Barbie actress is probably on a first name basis with everyone now; however, it’s still endearing to hear her reminisce about her humble beginnings. 

Since then, Margot Robbie has not only made an effort to take on challenging roles like Tonya Harding and Harley Quinn, but her experience with Scorsese also influenced her in consistently choosing to work with auteur directors. She has worked with big names like Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and Greta Gerwig, and continues to seek out interesting material. She also worked with DiCaprio again in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood… and probably now confidently calls him “Leo.” 

Caroline Young
Writer

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.