The scene in which she was n****d for 17 hours with 30 men and the slap to Leo Di Caprio: Margot Robbie's bad experience in The Wolf of Wall Street
She got the role in Martin Scorsese's successful film thanks to a bold gesture. However, she has the worst memories of the shoot. "I didn't know you could say: 'I've been s3xually harassed', without anyone touching you," she would reveal later
Behind every cinematic success there are hours of work, predisposition and focus. A team that goes down the same path towards a common goal. In the middle, actors who give their all and much more so that what is later seen on the screen is as effective as possible. Achieving this for the vast majority means immediate glory, and then going for eternal glory.
If you want to continue climbing the ladder in an industry like Hollywood, which almost every actor aims to reach, it is essential to start on the right foot. There are usually no second chances, beyond specific situations that are not relevant now. In this context, the one who did all this - and on her own merit continues to rise - is Margot Robbie.
At 30 years old, she carries on her shoulders an exquisite journey. Roles that catapulted her, placing her at the top. In 2008, while she was parading on the best catwalks in the world as a model, her other passion, the Australian debuted as an actress with small appearances, but already leaving a registered mark. Although the exact moment in which she became known worldwide by film lovers occurred in 2013. Her hard-working role in The Wolf of Wall Street was her before and after as far as the big screen is concerned, the starting point to reach consecration and be what she is today: a figure in the entertainment industry.
However, it was not easy for Margot. During filming there were specific scenes that made her think about how invasive a job can be. Now, seven years after the debut of the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the details of the days of filming have come to light, which, due to the trauma, the actress remembers in great detail.
The blockbuster film (it grossed 392 million dollars) was inspired by the stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who carried out one of the largest monetary scams in the United States. His ability to manipulate the market and make huge profits, money laundering and so on, made Justice set its sights on him. After prison, in 2008 he was released, began to write a book about his life, and ended up authorizing the making of the film of this story that we tell.
In The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot Robbie put herself in the shoes of Noami Lapaglia. First she was Belfort's (DiCaprio) lover, then she became his wife. Throughout the film the Australian had to deal with racy scenes, and others of abuse, disappointment and violence. However, what traumatized her the most was the erotic sequence: she had to put her body on the line and deal with the environment and the work team.
Director Martin Scorsese confessed that he hired her for the role because of an unexpected act of bravery during her first audition. According to reports, Margot improvised a scene that was not in the script, leaving the entire room with their mouths open. “She slapped Di Caprio in the face, that was not in the script. It was an improvisation that we thought was wonderful, and we even included it in the script,” Scorsese remarked.
The press asked her about that event: Margot replied that she did everything she could to captivate and be hired. Then, she added one of her maxims: “If you don't do something impressive, nothing will ever come of it. If it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, then take advantage of it. Maybe I should have kissed him... When will I have the chance to kiss Leo Di Caprio? But when the slap happened, the other part of my brain clicked! And I punched DiCaprio in the face.”
An anecdote that she tells with grace and that shows her desire to excel in order to achieve her goal. Words that mix between enthusiasm for making the leap to the world and showing that she can be on par with the best in Hollywood. But that smile would later fade. And years later, she would dare to talk about her suffering.
The trauma that haunts her
When talking about The Wolf..., she focused on the moment when her character tries to seduce Leo in her daughter's room. “He doesn't appear when you're watching the film, the audience doesn't see him, but in reality we're in a small room with 30 members of the technical team. All men. For 17 hours I was pretending to be touching myself,” she remarked in an interview with Porter magazine, and immediately sparked controversy.
There was a lot of talk in the press about those statements that Margot made, annoyed by what she faced during the filming of the movie that, paradoxically, opened the doors to stardom for her. It was said that she was not taken care of by the production, and it was discussed that, for that type of script, another harmony would have to be generated on the film sets. Greater care for the actresses. Her testimony made several producers take this into account.
For now, she referred to how she felt that day and to everything she had to put aside in order to move forward without being affected: “It is a very strange thing, you have to bury the shame and what seems absurd to you… It was really uncomfortable, deep and completely compromised.”
It was she herself who spoke of s3xual harassment. She said that after that she was able to realize what it truly means, by experiencing it firsthand. “I am at the end of my twenties, I have studies, I have everything, I have worked, I have my own company. And (however) I did not know what that was, the harassment. It's crazy. I didn't know you could say, 'I've been s3xually harassed' without anyone touching you. That you could say, 'This isn't right.' I had no idea..."
"Now I know what it is because, following the scenes, I've researched what s3xual harassment is, how to be discriminated against at work or economically. I've fallen into s3xism at some point in my life, now that I think about it and I know what it's about," Robbie said.
Returning to that moment when she felt perplexed by having to be n***d and simulating a s3xual act in front of many people staring at her, she told part of her ritual to be able to do it without being embarrassed. Years later, in another interview - this time for the New York Times - she said: "That morning I went to work, I knew I had to do that scene, I was shaking, scared, all the time I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. When I got there, when it was my turn to do it, I took three shots of tequila and then I took off my clothes and did it. It was really good. It really helped me stop my hands from shaking and gave me a little boost of confidence.”
In another stage of her life, already immersed in her auspicious present, Margot Robbie enjoys what she has to do. She remembers what she saw as an episode that she was able to get through thanks to talking about it with the right people. And today it is history. For now, she is preparing to put herself in the shoes of Barbie, a film based on the famous doll. And she is already clear that she will never accept certain situations again.
