Margot Robbie has revealed that she almost quit acting after struggling with the pressures of fame following her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street.
The actress, now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, was shot to international prominence after starring in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill.
However, despite the career-defining moment, Robbie admitted that the sudden attention left her questioning whether she wanted to continue acting.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a past interview, Robbie described the early days of her fame as “pretty awful.”
She recalled confiding in her mother about wanting to walk away from Hollywood, only to receive a blunt but eye-opening response.
She said, “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.”
Although Robbie had been acting since her days on Neighbours, it was The Wolf of Wall Street that propelled her into the spotlight.
The film, based on the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, saw Robbie take on the role of Naomi Lapaglia, Belfort’s wife, in a high-energy portrayal that quickly made her a household name.
Adjusting to life in the public eye wasn’t easy. Robbie opened up about the dangers of paparazzi culture, expressing frustration over the risks that come with media scrutiny.
She went on, “I know how to go through airports, and now I know who’s trying to fuck me over in what ways.”
“If my mom 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 continued, “We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led – not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story, which we thought would’ve been really cool. But I guess they don’t want to do it.”
Despite her early struggles with fame, Robbie has since built an impressive career.
She has starred in critically acclaimed films like I, Tonya and the record-breaking Barbie which was released in 2023 and made quite a splash at the box office.
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