Woman Crush Wednesday: Gal Gadot

Walking proof that you can never judge a book by its cover, Gal Gadot is much more than she appears at a first glance. The leggy actress and model is the epitome of a girl boss, which is why it came as no surprise that the Israeli 32-year-old was cast as the famed heroine, Wonder Woman, in the 2017 remake.

Destined for success, the brunette beauty took out Miss Israel in 2004, aged only 18. Gadot went on to study law, before being tapped for the role of Gisele in the fifth and sixth instalments of Fast and the Furious.

The actress, scholar, dog lover, mother of two and model, is, undoubtedly, a Wonder Woman, and she keeps her 4.7million Instagram followers up-to-date with daily updates of her journey.

Ahead of Wonder Woman opening in cinemas this Thursday, we thought it was only timely that Gal Gadot be this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday…

1. She’s the real Wonder Woman
We were treated to our first glimpse of Gadot’s Wonder Woman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, alongside Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams. This year, she revisits her role as the confident demigoddess, with the hotly anticipated film hitting screens this week.

The original Wonder Woman was birthed in a DC Comic in 1941, and the heroine has since been played by notable actresses including the Lynda Carter’s portrayal in the 1975 TV series, The New Original Wonder Woman.

Directed by Patty Jenkins and set during World War I, the 2017 remake follows Diana (Gadot) on her native Themyscira (aka Paradise Island) as she discovers her true destiny as Wonder Woman, as well as her association with love interest Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine).

Gadot performed all her stunts during the film, and learned a mix of swordsmanship, kung fu, kickboxing, capoeira, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in preparation for the role. 

2. She beat Fallon at his own game
Gadot appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show last week as part of her press tour for her new flick. The TV host and comedian tried to put her through her paces during his famous Box of Lies game, but it turns out Gadot couldn’t break her character. She posted that she ‘wore her golden lasso’ so that he couldn’t lie. Gadot completely took Fallon by surprise and dominated the game, like only a true Wonder Woman would.

3. She’s a cover girl
Complementary to her acting career, Gadot has been the face behind a number of global campaigns including fashion label Miss Sixty, Huawei smartphones, Jaguar cars and Gucci fragrance. The second highest earning Israeli model after Victoria’s Secret Angel Bar Refaeli, Gadot has graced the covers of a number of women’s interest and high fashion magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Bride magazine, Cleo, Fashion and Lucire.

4. She served in the military
Following her Miss Israel win in 2004, Gadot went on to serve for two years as an enlisted soldier in the Israel Defense Force. The combat trainer followed the footsteps of her parents and grandparents, who also served before her. Gadot credits her time in the military for helping her secure roles where she would be required to do her own stunts, as many directors have been interested in testing her knowledge of weapons. 

5. She fan-girls over Beyoncé as much as we do
Gadot shares our love for Beyoncé, proving she isn’t as immune to fan-girldom as we’d come to think. The actress listened to Run This World (Girls) on repeat when preparing for her audition in Batman v Superman. She explained to W magazine, “I didn’t know it [the role] was for Wonder Woman. The director, Zack Snyder, asked me to do a camera test. It was torture. Waiting is my enemy number one, and I was losing my mind. So, I decided to put on Beyoncé… Who runs the world? Girls! I just started to dance, and I let my anxiety go. Thank you, Beyoncé!” The actress says of winning her role as Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman opens in cinemas this Thursday, June 1.