When Margot Robbie stepped into the role of Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street, she was still a relatively new face in Hollywood. But one of the film’s most talked-about moments would quickly become a defining part of her breakout performance.

Years later, Robbie revealed that the decision behind the controversial scene was far more deliberate than audiences might have assumed.

Rather than simply following what was written in the script, Robbie explained that she wanted the moment to make sense for Naomi as a character. She believed Naomi understood the influence she had over Jordan Belfort and that the scene helped communicate her confidence, ambition and willingness to take control of a situation.

What makes the story even more surprising is that Robbie later revealed the choice to appear fully nude in the scene was actually hers. During a 2024 appearance on the Talking Pictures podcast, she explained that director Martin Scorsese had initially offered another option, but she felt the more revealing version was more faithful to Naomi

That decision was not an easy one.

In earlier interviews, Robbie admitted that the idea of filming nude scenes was intimidating, particularly because she knew the footage would remain online indefinitely. She also worried about how her family would react to seeing her in such a different role.

Yet Robbie ultimately trusted Scorsese and the filmmaking process. She said she was comfortable with the decision because she believed the director would treat the material as part of the story rather than using nudity simply for shock value.

Looking back, the scene became one of the moments that helped establish Robbie as a fearless young actress capable of taking on challenging roles.

What audiences saw on screen may have lasted only a few minutes, but behind the scenes, it represented a much bigger career decision for Robbie — one that helped introduce Hollywood to an actress who would go on to become one of the industry’s biggest stars.

More than a decade later, her explanation offers a very different perspective on one of The Wolf of Wall Street’s most memorable scenes: it wasn’t simply about being provocative. For Robbie, it was about understanding the character and making a choice she believed served the story.