Gal Gadot is a well-established Israeli actress who has been in the industry for several years. Her claim to fame came with her starring role in the 2017 blockbuster film, “Wonder Woman.” In 2004, Gadot won the Miss Israel pageant and went on to compete in the Miss Universe competition that same year. She also served as a combat trainer in the Israel Defense Force for two years, which helped her land some of her acting gigs. Additionally, Gadot is not only an accomplished actress but also a skilled martial artist and model. Despite her celebrity status, she prefers to keep a low profile. Nonetheless, there are some intriguing tidbits about her that may surprise people, such as how she began modeling reluctantly as a pageant participant.
Gal Gadot was only 18 years old when she earned the prestigious title of Miss Israel in 2004. Even though the achievement was significant, deciding to enter the competition was not an easy choice for the actress. During a recent interview with W magazine in 2017, she revealed that it was her mother who convinced her to compete since she still had time before her mandatory service in the military after finishing high school. Despite not having any intentions of winning, Gadot felt overwhelmed when she was crowned Miss Israel. The victory came with added pressure, and she became even more anxious when competing in the Miss Universe pageant later that same year.
In a recent interview with Glamour, Gal Gadot revealed that during her time competing in the Miss Universe pageant as Miss Israel, she purposely acted out and did not have any desire to win. She shared that she was frequently tardy and refused to comply with the requirement of wearing gowns during breakfast, which she found to be quite ridiculous. She couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to wear evening gowns at 10:30 am. Before transitioning into acting, Gadot was actually studying law.
When Gadot chatted with Glamour in March 2016, she admitted that becoming a lawyer was actually her initial career goal, not acting. She never even considered acting as a profession, but decided to audition for a role in the film “Quantum of Solace,” which unfortunately didn’t work out. However, she persevered and eventually secured a role in “The Fast and the Furious.”
In a lighthearted and informal chat with Glamour magazine, Gal Gadot shared that her passion for acting was sparked when she auditioned for the character of Camille in the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace”. Although she didn’t get the part, it was this experience that ignited her desire to pursue acting as a career. Luckily, the director of the same film later offered her the role of Gisele Yashar, which became the turning point of her career. Before achieving success in Hollywood, Gadot served as a combat trainer in the Israeli Defense Force for a period of two years.
The famous actress had a unique experience serving in the Israeli military during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. She worked as a combat trainer and taught gymnastics and calisthenics to soldiers. This experience was beneficial to her acting career, leading to her role in “The Fast and the Furious.” During an interview with Maxim magazine, Gadot shared how these experiences impacted her life.
Back in 2011, an interview with Forward revealed that the actress had attributed her role as Gisele to her time in the Israeli military. Apparently, director Justin Lin was mighty impressed with her expertise in handling weapons and wanted to make use of it in the movie. Before her breakthrough role, she had appeared on a relatively obscure Israeli program called “Bubot.”
Dar-Set Productions developed a television program centered on the modeling industry, which also had elements of conspiracy and romance. However, it was short-lived and only ran for a year. The show featured Gal Gadot as the lead character, Miriam “Merry” Elkayam, as listed on IMDb. Unfortunately, the series was unable to extend beyond one season. Prior to achieving fame as Diana Prince, Gadot made an appearance in a 2009 episode of “Entourage” as Lisa.
Her involvement in HBO was not significant, but she played Mark Wahlberg’s partner in the film “Date Night” back in 2010. She also acted alongside Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in “Knight Day.” Prior to landing her role in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” she had nearly abandoned her acting career.
In an interview with Today back in 2017, Gal Gadot, the talented actress who portrayed Diana Price or Wonder Woman in Warner Bros., revealed that she almost gave up her acting career and planned to pursue law school again. The reason behind her decision was due to several rejections that made her question her chosen profession. However, everything changed when she was given the opportunity to audition for “Batman v. Superman” which led to her breakthrough role as Wonder Woman. She then worked hard to prepare for the part, which included extensive training that resulted in her gaining approximately 17 pounds of muscle.
During her interview with Glamour magazine in 2016, the actress who played Wonder Woman disclosed that she gained around 17 pounds of muscle for her role in the film. She shared that her laborious training routine not only made her feel more empowered but also enhanced her physical posture. Furthermore, in an appearance on “Live With Ryan and Kelly,” she admitted that her past army training was insufficient to prepare her for the intensive workouts necessary for the movie. For six months straight, the actress committed six hours daily to her preparation, including two hours of gym work, two hours of fight choreography, and one and a half to two hours of horseback riding. Despite being a motorcycle enthusiast, the actress had to give them up after becoming a mother.
In 2015, during an interview with Elle, she revealed her enthusiasm for performing stunts and participating in physical activities. She mentioned that her background in dancing had helped her prepare for such activities. Moreover, her love for motorcycles was evident as well. However, after becoming a mother to her two daughters, Maya and Alma, she decided to let go of her passion for motorcycles because of safety concerns.