According to IMDb trivia, the actress revealed that she drank three shots of tequila before filming her first intimate scene with Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a moment she later described in detail during BAFTA’s A Life in Pictures. What seemed like another memorable scene in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed drama was, for Robbie, a pivotal test at the beginning of her Hollywood journey.
Why Margot Robbie Drank Three Shots of Tequila Before Filming ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’
When “The Wolf of Wall Street” began production, Margot Robbie was still relatively unknown outside her native Australia. Landing the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio marked her first major American film, placing her in a high-profile production directed by Martin Scorsese.
Looking back on the experience, Robbie admitted she was “very, very nervous” before filming her first intimate scene with DiCaprio. To calm her nerves, she took three shots of tequila, describing them as “liquid courage.” At the time, she had no idea the picture would become one of the defining titles of the decade or that her performance would launch her into international stardom.
The actress also explained that the production offered her a bathrobe to wear during the sequence. She declined because she believed filming the scene without covering up was essential to understanding Naomi as a character. In Robbie’s view, Naomi’s physical appearance was one of the primary ways the character wielded influence, making the choice important to the story rather than simply a provocative moment.
Released in 2013, “The Wolf of Wall Street” follows the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by DiCaprio, as his financial empire expands through fraud, excess, and corruption. The film became Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing feature, earning more than $400 million worldwide and receiving five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and acting nominations for DiCaprio and Jonah Hill.
Robbie’s breakout performance as Naomi proved equally significant, opening the door to a career that would later include acclaimed movies such as “I, Tonya,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and “Barbie.”