“I wasn’t talking to you”: Margot Robbie Got Peculiar Advice to Nail her Brooklyn Accent in Leonardo DiCaprio’s $392 Million Movie

Margot Robbie has disclosed the peculiar advice she got from her dialect coach to perfect the Brooklyn accent for her breakout role in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Playing Naomi Lapaglia in the Martin Scorsese film opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Robbie had to disguise her native Australian accent. Her coach gave her an unexpected tip that became key to nailing the role’s vocal demands.

Margot Robbie Reveals Tip For Brooklyn Accent in Wolf of Wall Street

According to Margot Robbie, her LA-based acting coach Nancy Banks told her to pretend she just had a manicure done and her nails were still wet. 

As Robbie told Absolute Radio, “Suddenly I’m doing all these hand gestures and then, that’s where the accent started.”

Mimicking the caution of freshly painted nails served as a physical trigger for Robbie to immerse herself in Naomi’s Brooklyn accent. The role marked a massive opportunity for the then-22-year-old actress.

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Despite becoming renowned for her confident screen presence, Robbie admitted she initially felt daunted playing Naomi in the $392 million hit.

“I was terrified that people would see the movie and think, ‘Ugh! She’s not good enough,'” she told Wonderland magazine. 

But her dedicated preparation clearly paid off, winning her widespread acclaim.

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Instant Fame Led to Doubts About Acting

The overnight fame from Wolf of Wall Street caused Robbie to briefly second-guess her acting career. She considered quitting, but her mother advised that it was “too late not to” proceed.

Robbie’s compelling performance launched her A-list status. And she found a touching way to give back to her mom for decades of support. After achieving Hollywood success, Robbie paid off the $490,000 mortgage on her mother Sarie Kessler’s Gold Coast, Australia home as a 60th birthday gift.

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Kessler called it the “best birthday ever,” saying she was “immensely proud” of her daughter’s generosity and achievements. Robbie told CBS News she always knew she would repay her mom’s financial assistance, keeping a written record of everything she owed.