Gal Gadot Says Wonder Woman Is ‘Not There To Serve Someone Else’
If Gal Gadot has proven anything, since she was cast in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s that she’s just the actress to bring Wonder Woman to life. Outspoken and unapologetic on everything from her Israeli military service to the importance of strong female heroes in cinema, Gal proves she has what it takes to face off against misogyny and injustice.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actress Gal Gadot Says Wonder Woman Plays Second Fiddle To No Man
Ms. Gadot recalls the experience of getting cast as Wonder Woman as something surreal, especially so because she was about to give up on acting altogether. She says she was living a hectic life, flying back and forth between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, taking more than her share of rejections, when she received a call from Warner Bros. for an unnamed project.
Gal says her jaw dropped when Zack Snyder, the Batman v Superman director, revealed he wanted her for Wonder Woman.
Now, ages later, the whole world is completely accepting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Even the actress herself seems to gracefully take on the Amazonian icon, but she says some things have always been very important to her in portraying the DC Comics heroine.
“For BvS it was important for me that we show how independent she is,” says Gadot. “She is not relying on a man, and she’s not there because of a love story. She’s not there to serve someone else.”
As strong as Wonder Woman is, Gal says she still has her feminine side. She adds that the superhero still feels emotions and is a very loving person. Ms. Gadot adds that Wonder Woman’s strengths lie in her ability to express her emotions and to allow herself to feel things deeply.
“I think it’s a mistake when women cover their emotions to look tough. I say let’s own who we are and use it as a strength.”
Wonder Woman Actress Gal Gadot Talks About Military Service And Her Dreams
Like all Israeli people, Gal served in the IDF, the Israeli army. The actress says two to three years of service is required of every citizen as a way of paying the state back for their freedom. She says the experience of serving taught her discipline and respect.
Once her military service was complete, Gal started to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer, but fate intervened. A casting agent happened to come across Gal’s modeling card at her agent’s office, and she was called in to audition for Quantum of Solace. She didn’t get the part, but it inspired her to begin seeing an acting coach, which in turn led to her first roles on Israeli television.
Ms. Gadot says that same James Bond casting director ended up casting her in Fast & Furious, her first American film.
From there, the Wonder Woman actress took a bigger interest in the types of roles she accepted. She says she tells every producer, director, and writer she meets that she’s looking for strong female leads. It isn’t just Hollywood’s elite that gets a taste of Gal’s up front honesty. She reveals that she came across internet bullies criticizing her for her breast size when the first images of her as Wonder Woman were released.
“In one interview I did say, ‘If you want it to really be true to the origin story, the [myth goes that] Amazons had only one breast; otherwise it would get in the way of the bow and arrow.’ So!”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will premiere on March 23 in theaters.
[Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
