Top 5 Facts About Gal Gadot: The New Wonder Woman
You may have heard her name before she became Wonder Woman but this is the role that really solidified her reputation as a A-List actress in Hollywood. She's still a relatively new comer to the industry, but keep an eye out for her as she'll definitely be appearing in more big production films! Did you know that she is the first non-American actress to play Wonder Woman? That she was almost a Bond Girl but chose to study law instead? Did you know that she was pregnant while filming Wonder Woman?
#5: She was Named Miss Israel in 2004
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Long before she was beating bad guys to a pulp as Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot was just your average 18-year-old Israeli girl…if by average you mean drop dead gorgeous! The soon-to-be star was so beautiful she won the 2004 Miss Israel beauty pageant before moving on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant that same year. Oddly enough, Gadot hated competing in the latter and admits she never wanted to win. However, that didn’t stop her from pursuing a modeling career, one that has seen her pose for numerous brands throughout the years. In fact, she was featured in a 2007 Maxim photo shoot called “Women of Israel Defense Forces”…but we’ll get to that in a minute.
#4: She Is the First Non-American Actress to Play Wonder Woman
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Over the years, there have been many incarnations of the Wonder Woman character. From big screen adaptations to long running TV shows, multiple actresses have inhabited the role…and they have all had one thing in common: they’re all American. From Cathy Lee Crosby to Lynda Carter to Keri Russell, all previous Wonder Women have been from the good old U.S. of A. Until now! Gal Gadot, the most recent actress to tackle the iconic DC character, was born and raised in Israel. We don’t know about you, but something about Wonder Woman sporting a foreign accent makes the character even more fascinating.
#3: She Was Almost a Bond Girl, But Chose to Study Law Instead
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Gal Gadot has all the traits of a classic Bond girl: she’s an intriguing beauty from an exotic country that doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. Thus, it should come as no surprise that she was asked to audition for the role of Camille in 2008’s “Quantum of Solace”. However, at the time Gadot was busy studying law and international relations at IDC Herzliya College in Israel. The future star felt that it was more important to focus on her studies and politely declined the invitation. Another reason for why she turned down the role was because she had not yet fully grasped the English language.
#2: She Served in the Israeli Defense Forces
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In Israel, there is mandatory military conscription for anyone over the age of 18. As such, Gadot served two years in the Israeli Defense Forces as a combat trainer. Her primary duties were to teach gymnastics and calisthenics to her fellow soldiers. It was her time in the military that enabled her to land the breakout role of Gisele Yashar in 2009’s “Fast & Furious”. According to her, director Justin Lin admired the fact that she had spent time in the army and felt her experience would serve the character well. He must have been right, as the character of Gisele would stick around for the franchises next two films!
#1: She Was Pregnant While Filming Wonder Woman
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The physical demands of playing Wonder Woman would be tough to deal with under regular circumstances. Now imagine trying to save the world and being pregnant at the same time! Such was the case for Gal Gadot during “Wonder Woman” reshoots, as she admits she was five months pregnant with her second daughter at the time. Gadot decided to keep it a secret because she didn’t want people to treat her differently. Making it all the more impressive is the fact that the actress has always performed her own stunts, notably in the Fast and Furious franchise. If that doesn’t convince you she was the right choice for the role we don’t know what will!
