Margot Robbie’s big Hollywood break came with a slap—literally!
While auditioning for The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot faced a scene where her character was supposed to kiss Leonardo DiCaprio. But instead of leaning in for the scripted kiss, she surprised everyone by delivering a sharp slap across Leo’s face.
Margot recently spilled the tea on the Talking Pictures podcast, laughing as she looked back on that moment. “It wasn’t in the script at all,” she said. The scene involved some improv, and at one point, DiCaprio returned to the script, ending with the line, ‘Come over here and kiss me.’
In that split second, Margot had an internal debate: “I could kiss Leonardo DiCaprio right now. That would be so cool! Imagine the story I could tell my friends!” But instead of going with the obvious, she went bold. “I just whacked him in the face!” she said, giggling at the memory.
The room went completely silent. Margot admitted she panicked, thinking, “Oh no, I just hit Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m definitely getting arrested. I’m never going to work again!”
But then, both DiCaprio and the legendary director Martin Scorsese burst out laughing. “That was great!” they told her, loving the unexpected twist she brought to the scene.
Her bold choice paid off big time. Not only did Margot land the role of Naomi, DiCaprio’s fiery on-screen wife, but her performance helped launch her career. The Wolf of Wall Street hit theaters in 2013, earning five Oscar nominations and turning Margot into one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.
And in case you’re wondering—no, she didn’t get arrested for that slap. Instead, Margot Robbie became one of the most celebrated actors in the industry, proving that sometimes, taking a risk can lead to life-changing rewards.
