This week’s woman to watch out for is up-and-coming movie star Gal Gadot. Gadot is most recently known for her role as a fierce female warrior named Diana who discovers that her destiny is to end World War I in the 2017 action movie
Wonder Woman
, directed by Patty Jenkins. Gadot fights off armies of men, dodges bullets and defends herself from swords while clad in the traditional Wonder Woman armor.
Before her role in this well received film (which received 92% on Rotten Tomatoes), Gadot appeared in
Fast & Furious
(2009), and then
Fast Five
(2011) and
Fast and Furious 6
(2013), where she played the love interest of Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang). Gadot also appeared in
Date Night
(2010) and
Knight and Day
(2010).
Gadot was born in Petah Tikva, Israel and raised in Rosh HaAyin, a neighboring city. Gal means “wave” in Hebrew and Gadot means “riverbanks.” Gadot was born to Michael Gadot, an engineer, and Irit Gadot, a teacher, and has a younger sister named Dana. Before her acting career began, Gadot played volleyball, basketball and tennis and claimed that she excelled in basketball due to her 5’10” frame. She then began modeling in the early 2000s and won the Miss Israel title in 2004 at the age of 18. She also competed in the Miss Universe pageant in 2004 in Ecuador. Before going to college, Gadot joined the Israeli Defense Forces where she served as a combat trainer. While working for the Defense Forces, Gadot says that she learned a lot about selflessness, discipline and respect.
Her military training appealed to the director of
Fast and Furious
, Justin Lin, who cast Gadot partly because he wanted her to use her knowledge of weapons while she played her role. Her experience as a combat trainer also came in handy when she completed her own stunts in the Fast and Furious films and in the action scenes in
Wonder Woman
. After her time in the Defense Forces, Gadot began studying law and political science at the IDC-Herzliya College, where she was discovered by casting directors, thus launching her acting career.
Gadot married Yaron Versano, an Israeli real estate developer in 2008 when she was 23. In 2012, Gadot was ranked number 5 on a list of “the 50 most talented, intelligent, funny, and gorgeous Jewish women in the world.” Her oldest daughter Alma was also born in 2012.
Gadot’s second child, Maya, was born in March 2017. Evidently, Gadot filmed
Wonder Woman
while pregnant, and also reshot action scenes whilst five months pregnant. Gadot kept her pregnancy a secret, however, in order to avoid special treatment. She claims that came to the film set with sunglasses and anti-nausea drinks, causing everyone to think that she had “gone Hollywood.” For the action scene reshoots, Gadot wore a bright green fabric over her Wonder Woman armor that could be digitally altered to cover her baby bump.
When she is not on screen, Gadot can be seen in places like the United Nations, standing up for women’s rights. In 2016, alongside Lynda Carter, another actress in
Wonder Woman
, and other well-known, powerful women, Gadot appeared at the United Nations for the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman to mark the comic book character’s recognition by the UN as its “Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.” This recognition was meant to encourage gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030. However, it was shut down after UN staff members claimed that the comic book character is not culturally inclusive and objectifies women.
Gadot’s role as
Wonder Woman
also continues to live beyond the movie screen. At home with her two daughters, Gadot is a motorcycle fanatic and can be seen riding her black 2006 Ducati Monster-SR2. Keep an eye out for Gadot as she continues to land more lead roles!
