Margot Robbie shot to fame in The Wolf of Wall Street. It was the "lowest moment" of her life.

Growing up on the sunny Gold Coast, Margot Robbie was always keen on acting. 

At the age of 17, she found her way into the entertainment industry through Neighbours, starring as Donna Freedman. She had cold-called the production company behind the hit Aussie show, and it was that tenacity that landed her in Hollywood.

"I thought, 'I'm going to use this time on Neighbours to save my money, have my ducks lined up.' So I found a better agent in Melbourne, and said, 'This is what I want to do – I want to go to America. How should we execute this plan?'" she reflected to Sydney Morning Herald in 2014.

And soon after going to America, she landed a role in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, and starring big names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey.

She was to play Leonardo DiCaprio's character's love interest – Jordan Belfort's mistress-turned-wife Naomi Lapaglia. 

It was a role that would thrust Robbie into the spotlight and to an A-list level of fame. But she has recently said that the period when the film aired was the lowest moment of her life.

Watch Margot Robbie on The Project with her family. Post continues below.

When filming The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie was only 22. 

There was nudity involved for the part, which initially Robbie was hesitant about. She also wasn't sure about the character – specifically not wanting to be typecast into always playing "a gold digger with not much substance". But then she realised the power that Naomi wielded – literally bringing Leonardo DiCaprio's character to his knees and crawling towards her with romantic desperation. 

The filming schedule itself was arduous.

"Eighteen-hour days for six months," Robbie said. "Mostly it was up on your feet, screaming, running around, massive heels, uncomfortable costumes or crying."

Reflecting on the attention she received after the film was released, Robbie said to Vanity Fair that it took a toll – describing it as one of her "lowest moments".

"Something was happening in those early stages and it was all pretty awful. I remember saying to my mum, 'I don't think I want to do this'. And she just looked at me, completely straight-faced, and was like, 'Darling, I think it's too late not to'. That's when I realised the only way was forward."

Margot in The Wolf of Wall Street. Image: Paramount Pictures.

The attention Robbie received wasn't just positive – it was laced with negativity as well. Mostly surrounding the focus on her looks and body.

In one interview, she spoke about her interactions with "haters" online via social media, who had written mean things about how she looked in a photograph of her in a bikini.

"Mum and I are staying together in the hotels – we are sharing a bed. And I stupidly looked at this article... I didn't realise people could write comments below articles. I was flabbergasted that people were so awful. I was practically in tears. Shell-shocked."

Robbie explained that it was her friends, family and husband that helped her find balance while working in the spotlight.

Robbie and her husband, British movie director/producer Tom Ackerley, first started dating in 2014 soon after The Wolf of Wall Street. In 2016, the pair married in a secret location around the Byron Bay, Gold Coast stretch of coastline.

Before Robbie deleted her Instagram for good – later citing mental health reasons – the actor dropped in to show off her fabulous wedding ring. 

"Jumping off social media for the time being – check out @luckychapentertainment if you're interested in what we're up to, otherwise ciao for now!" she said. 

Robbie and Ackerley went on to co-found LuckyChap Entertainment together, which has produced films such as Barbie, Promising Young Woman and I, Tonya. 

Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley in 2022, and when they married in 2016. Image: Getty/Instagram.

When she was asked to name a role model during a 2014 interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Robbie praised Cate Blanchett for having a successful career while keeping her personal life away from the spotlight.

"I like the choices Cate Blanchett has made. She's not someone who's always in the tabloids. Her personal life remains personal and that's something I want to strive towards."

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Robbie said that she's learned along the way how best to deal with paparazzi. 

"I know how to go through airports, and now I know who's trying to f**k me over in what ways. If my mum dies in a car accident because you wanted a photo of me going in the grocery shop, or you knock my nephew off a bike – for what? For a photo? It's dangerous but still weirdly nothing feels like it changes," she explained.

"You want to correct it, but you just can't."

But despite it all, Robbie said she loves acting, producing and doing what she does. It's just about finding the right balance.

"The way I try to explain this job – and this world – to people is that the highs are really high, and the lows are really, really low. And I guess if you're lucky, it all balances out in the middle."

Feature Image: Paramount Pictures.

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