Gal Gadot has come under fire from most comic-book fans for being cast as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. SuperHeroHype Forums member ‘omermer’ translated an interview with Gal Gadot from Israel in which she talks about learning she was cast as Wonder Woman, the reactions, her preparation and what we can expect from the character.
When she got the official notice she got Wonder Woman she was in the clouds. Literarily. She was on her way to a job in New York waiting for the answer.
Gal: “I never had to wait so long for a reply. It was a month and a half of torture. It was a crazy roller-coaster. I couldn’t talk about it to anyone. On the day they promised a reply I was flying to NY for another gig. When the plane landed I saw I had a lot of missed calls. I called my agent still sitting in the plane with the belt on. She told me ‘ Congratulations! You got the part.’ During the flight I set next to a really nice man. A scientist from The Weizmann Institute of Science. He talked the entire flight about quantum physics. Now, imagine me, sitting on the plane, looking for a little piece of privacy, burring my head between my legs and starting to scream ‘Oh my god!’ again and again, because I just can’t believe it. Then I hang up the phone and he looks at me like ‘what just happened?’ and asks if everything is alright. I tell him ‘ I can’t really say anything but you will probably read about it tomorrow in the paper.’”
Preparations for the role took many months during which she worked with a personal trainer that taught her everything a super heroin needs to know in order to take down villains.
Gal: “It was very intensive. When I was young I was a real tomboy so I really enjoyed the experience. I see Alma wanting to dress like a princess and put on lipstick and it surprises me. I asked my mom if I was like that too but she said all I wanted back then was to play ball, sweat, and scrape my knees.
Interviewer: “When your casting was announced a lot of comic book nerds said that your body didn’t match Wonder Woman’s.”
Gal: “Don’t be shy. They said that I was too skinny and my boobs were too small.”
She laughs.
Interviewer: “Were you offended?”
Gal: “I’m really lucky nothing in my life was instantaneous. When I was younger I would take criticism really hard. But now it mostly amused me. The true amazons had one boob so it won’t bother them in their archery. So it’s not going to be like real amazons. We always try to make everyone happy but we can’t.
Interviewer: “But isn’t it embarrassing that your breast size became a topic of international discussion?”
Gal: “No. After they asked me here, In Israel, if I have eating disorders and why am I so skinny, they said my head was too big and my body was like a broomstick I can take anything. It’s just empty talk. I understand that part of what I’m doing means being exposed. And part of being exposed is being under fire (criticism).”
Interviewer: “Between all this you have a career to run. You are on the fast track to be a comic and action start. How important is it for you not to be taken as just an action star?”
Gal: “I will never take for granted the job I have right now. (she actually said ‘I will never spit into the well from which I drink from’. It’s a phrase in Hebrew that means she won’t make fun or look poorly on what she is doing right now. I forgot the equivalent in English ). Playing Wonder Women is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I can’t describe to you how much I wanted to play this character without even knowing I wanted to play her. I met a lot of people from the industry in LA for meetings. They always asked me ‘what’s your dream role?’, and I never could define it. I always answered that I wanted to play a women that is strong and will be a source for women empowerment. I don’t want to play a damsel in distress that needs to be saved. I don’t like it when women in the movies are shown as the victims. I always thought that if I could send out a massage I want to show the strong side of a woman and how she can handle tough situations.”
Interviewer: “Someone heard your prayers.”
Gal: “Yes, I get to play the strongest most empowering woman ever – Wonder Woman. I’m so grateful and I thank god every day. I want to devour it and enjoy every bite. “
Interviewer: “By the way, what are Wonder Woman’s powers?”
Gal: “She has unbelievable endurance. She is exceptionally strong. She can jump really high and practically fly. She know tons of martial arts styles. She is a strong and serious Woman.”
Gadot will make her debut as Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, hitting theaters on March 25, 2016. She will then star in a solo Wonder Woman movie on June 23, 2017, before joining the Justice League on November 10, 2017. Justice League: Part Two is also scheduled for June 14, 2019.
This interview and the one before it were translated from Hebrew. Special thanks to Superherohype member Omermer for the translation. You can read the whole interview here and here.
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