Margot Robbie almost missed out on the role of Elizabeth I in the historical drama Mary Queen of Scots because some producers viewed her as a sex symbol rather than a serious actor, according to the film's director.
Robbie, a three-time Oscar nominee, starred in The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013, playing Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort. The role featured several nude scenes, including standing in a doorway wearing only stockings and lying on a bed covered in money. Robbie performed the scenes without a stunt double.
Director's Admission
Mary Queen of Scots director Josie Rourke admitted that Robbie was "not her first choice" for the powerful role of Elizabeth I. Speaking at the Power of Film symposium, Rourke said the film crew were "unable to imagine Robbie as Elizabeth I" because "in their heads [the crew], she was probably lodged more as a sex symbol figure than she was as Elizabeth I."
Despite the crew's doubts, Rourke defended Robbie, saying: "But I made the argument for it." The Australian actor was eventually hired for the role and earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress the following year.
Robbie's Own Struggles
Robbie told Harper's Bazaar that she was looking for a different kind of role after The Wolf of Wall Street, saying: "I didn't want to pick up another script where I was the wife or the girlfriend - just a catalyst for the male story line. It was uninspiring."
Once she got the role of Elizabeth I, Robbie committed fully to the part, which included a striking and borderline grotesque look with distinctive hair and make-up choices. She said the experience was alienating, telling the magazine: "It was very alienating. And I felt very lonely. It was an interesting social experiment." She added that her co-stars were too "spooked" to talk to her between scenes, recalling: "I'd say: 'Hey, how's your weekend?' But they wouldn't even get close to me."
Defending the Nude Scenes
Despite the impact on her career, Robbie has defended the nudity in The Wolf of Wall Street, saying: "I think nudity for the sake of nudity is shameful. If they've put it in just so that a girl gets her top off, then that's disgusting. And you can always tell. But I also think it's disgusting when someone would have got naked in real life, in the film they conveniently leave their bra on or hold up the bed sheet."
She added: "The whole point of Naomi is that her body is her only form of currency in this world." Robbie later told the director that Naomi "had" to be naked during these scenes, not covered up, noting: "She's laying her cards on the table."
