As far as star-making performances go, few in recent memory have been more memorable than Margot Robbie instantly marking herself out as a force to be reckoned with in The Wolf of Wall Street as Naomi Lapaglia.
Martin Scorsese’s jet-black crime caper was a massive hit when it was released a decade ago, notching over $400million at the global box office and securing five Academy Award nominations, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’. Beyond that, it served as the springboard towards Robbie’s current status as one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Ten years removed from a breakout turn in what was only her fourth-ever feature, Robbie has two Oscar nominations of her own under her belt and is coming off the back of the cultural sensation Barbie. Not only that, but Variety anointed her as the highest-paid female actor in Hollywood, while her filmography has brought in a combined total of almost $4.8 billion in ticket sales.
It would be an understatement to call it a rapid rise, but despite how memorable her performance as the beleaguered wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort proved to be, she was almost entirely shut out of the awards season conversation. Despite that, several of her scenes stand out as among the film’s finest, regardless of the paper cuts, bumps, and bruises she had to suffer along the way.
However, it wasn’t one of the more headline-grabbing moments that Robbie called her favourite on-screen contribution, but her final scene. When quizzed by GQ on her number one memory performance-wise, she was quick to name her last: “You’ll know it when you see it, I won’t say any more! We rewrote the whole scene literally the night before we shot it, it’s absolutely insane,” she said. “I’ve no idea how it turned out, but to me it felt like the best acting I’ve ever done.”
The scene in question is undeniably powerful and finds Robbie’s Naomi drawing a line under her fracturing marriage to DiCaprio’s Belfort. After sleeping together for what turns out to be the final time, she informs her husband that in light of the authorities closing in on his illicit activities, she’s going to file for divorce and claim custody of their children.
Flying into a fit of rage following a heated argument, he begins tearing apart furniture before shockingly punching his wife in the stomach. Attempting to flee, Naomi desperately tries to reason with him before safely removing their daughter from his attempted getaway vehicle, which he promptly crashes before even getting out of the driveway.
Robbie may have become an instant sex symbol in the wake of her more provocative contributions to The Wolf of Wall Street, but it was her favourite – and final – scene that showcased her talents as a powerhouse dramatic talent.
