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| Gal Gadot is the new Wonder Woman |
Find out everything you need to know about the new Wonder Woman actress: Gal Gadot. Last week, after months of rumors, they finally cast the role of Wonder Woman in the untitled Man of Steel sequel. This article breaks down everything you need to know about Gal Gadot.
I wrote before how challenging it is to cast an actress to play the Amazonian superhero Wonder Woman, but it looks like they got pretty close. Snyder said in a press release, “Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Gal Gadot.
Gal Gadot Fast Facts
- Born in Rosh HaAyin, Israel in 1985, the 28-year-old actress is an Israeli actress and fashion model.
- She won the Miss Israeli title in 2004 and was Miss Israel at the 2004 Miss Universe beauty pageant.
- She is the leading fashion model for the Castro clothing line.
- Played Giselle Harabo in the Fast and the Furious movies.
- Her name means “wave” and her surname means a riverbank or a shore.
- She stands 5′ 10″.
- Gadot beat out Olga Kurylenko (Oblivion) and Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) who were auditioning for the female lead.
Gal Gadot is Proud to Be Jewish and Israeli
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| Fast Five (2011) Gisele Harabo (Gal Gadot) |
At a time when Middle Eastern people are stereotyped as terrorists, Gal Gadot is proud to be Middle Eastern. “I definitely have a strong sense of my Jewish and Israeli identity.” Gadot said, “I did my two year military service, I was brought up in a very Jewish, Israeli family environment, so of course my heritage is very important to me. I want people to have a good impression of Israel. I don’t feel like I’m an ambassador for my country, but I do talk about Israel a lot – I enjoy telling people about where I come from and my religion.
“I find that people in the US, especially in Hollywood, tend to have positive opinions on Israel – both Jewish and non-Jewish people alike. But when I travel to Europe, people often don’t know as much about Israel, and sadly a lot of them have a negative impression of the country. That’s when I’ll talk and talk and tell them all about where I come from.”
Wonder Woman is passionate about her heritage too, so this fits nicely with the character.
Gal Gadot is Tall
Gal Gadot is tall for a woman. She stands 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) without heels. That means, if she wears the traditional high-heeled boots, she’ll stand about the same height as Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. Henry Cavill is 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) and Ben Affleck is 6′ 4″ (1.92 m). Um. Better get some lifts, guys.
Gal Gadot is a Former Model and Miss Israel
When Gadot turned 18 she tried out and won the Miss Israel beauty pagent.
- As an Israeli, she’s required to serve in the military for two years. The government allowed her to postpone her compulsory service till after the pageant.
- She was Miss Israel at the 2004 Miss Universe beauty pageant, but didn’t win the crown.
- She became a model thanks to her military background. “In cooperation with Maxim, to bring more tourism to Israel, [the Israeli Ministry of Tourism] was going to start this huge campaign using pictures of girls in the military in bikinis. Some of the women in the Knesset didn’t like the idea of using girls in that context. The next thing I know, I was giving out interviews on Fox 5 and was on the cover of the New York Post.”
- Just because she’s a model that doesn’t mean it conflicts with her beliefs or her empowerment. She defends her time as a model saying, “I’m a model, not a doctor. When you are a model, your job is to take pictures in a bathing suit. There’s nothing provocative about that.”
Gal Gadot Knows How to Fight
As an Israeli, she’s required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces military for two years. Israel is the only country in the world that has obligatory military service for women. She did receive military training, she served as a gymnastics trainer, and “wasn’t anywhere near the front lines,” but did receive standard military training.
- The training is segregated but is the same for men and women, and equally demanding.
- 16 weeks during which all inductees must master both police and military skills.
- The training includes police science and duties, internal security, anti-terrorism, civics, community policing and firearms training.
- Weeks and weeks are spent in training and target practice with small arms approximately 1,400 rounds.
- The trainees are required to learn to shoot several models of the Colt M16 rifle, the Israeli made 9mm Jericho 941F single-action semi-automatic pistol, the 9mm Uzi submachine gun, the FN MAG 7.62×51 (.308) caliber and IMI Negev 5.56 caliber machine guns.
- They’re also taught to use light mortars, the M16’s M203 grenade launcher, Federal’s shoulder-mounted tear gas launcher, the nightstick and the clear polycarbonate shield.
- On the Fast and Furious movies, Gal Gadot did her own stunts. She said, “I think the main reason was that Justin Lin really liked that I was in the military, and he wanted to use my knowledge of weapons. Wonder Woman is a woman of action and she’ll be more than capable of handling the role.
Although, Wonder Woman doesn’t traditionally shoot guns. Keep it in the holster, Gadot.
Gal Gadot is Smart
Besides being beautiful, she’s also smart. Gadot helps run a successful five-star hotel called “The Varsano” in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv with her husband Yaron Versano. “After I shot Fast Four, my husband Yaron and I started travelling back and forth from Israel and the US, which was hard.” Gadot said, “We found ourselves staying in hotels all the time. We wanted to feel at home, which is when we discovered these apartments within a hotel in Los Angeles. It became the inspiration for Yaron’s hotel, The Varsano. I think that Yaron and I make a really good team. I understand his career and he understands mine. We help each other progress in all areas of life. We’re both very career driven.” She says she even changes the bed sheets.
Gal Gadfot is the Queen of Social Media
- Most-Followed Israeli on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GalGadot with 1,769,012 likes.
- She has 200,000 followers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GalGadot. She tweeted her first announcement that she got the role.
Gal Gadot Was Almost a Bond Girl
Her first Hollywood audition was for a Bond girl in Quantum of Solace.
Gal Gadot is a Dramatic Actress
To American audiences, she’s only had a couple of roles: She’s played in three of the Fast and the Furious movies and a minor role in Knight and Day and Date Night. But she’s done numerous roles on acclaimed Israeli television shows including the lead role as Miriam “Merry” Elkayam in the Israeli drama Bubot (“Dolls”).
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| Gal Gadot at premiere of Fast and Furious 6,
Source: Contactmusic |
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| Gal Gadot in bikini at Miss Universe 2007,
Source: Miss Universe |
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| Source: Contactmusic |
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| Source: Maxim |
What do you think of Gal Gadot’s casting? Is there anything you learned that surprised you? What do you know about Gal Gadot?
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