DC Comics has an enormous presence on television right now. With Arrow on The CW being one of the most talked about shows out there today, and The Flash, Gotham, Constantine, and iZombie all set to premiere either this fall or winter, one could argue that DC’s hold on television is growing even more. However, no matter how many TV series DC Comics produces, there’s really only one thing that superhero fans want to focus on right now: Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice, which is certainly the most anticipated (albeit bloated) film coming out in 2016. Starring as Wonder Woman in Dawn of Justice is Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who is no stranger to television herself. Gadot had roles in Bubot, Asfur, and Eretz Nehederet, three Israeli television series, before gaining notoriety in the U.S. for her role in the Fast and Furious films. While the entire world is buzzing about Gal Gadot’s appearance in the Man of Steel sequel, there is still some information that remains pretty unknown about the actress. Here are five things you (probably) didn’t know about Gal Gadot.
She was Miss Israel in 2004.
Before getting into acting, the 29-year-old Gadot was a model, a gig that she may have earned due to her history in beauty pageants. In fact, Gadot won the Miss Israel title back in 2004 and went on to represent her home country in the 2004 Miss Universe pageant. She became the leading model for Castro in 2008 and has also modeled for Captain Morgan, Vine Vera, and Jaguar.
She comes from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Gal Gadot was born in Rosh HaAyin, Israel and has divulged that her ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Europe. However, although msot people know that Gadot is Jewish, they may not know her full heritage. The actress is one-fourth Polish, one-fourth Austrian, one-fourth Czech, and one-fourth German, making her heritage quite the mash-up of different countries.
She’s athletic.
Gadot is not simply a beautiful and talented actress. She’s also incredibly athletic and plays volleyball, basketball, and tennis regularly on teams. Furthermore, Gadot also does most, if not all, of her own stunts. The big reason behind her crazy athleticism and agility? Gadot spent two years as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.
She’s proud of her role in the Fast and Furious films.
While some people may glance at the female roles in the Fast and Furious series and dismiss these women as simply being eye candy, Gadot truly believes in the strength and power of her character, Gisele Yashar. “There aren’t enough good roles for strong women,” Gadot has said. “I wish we had more female writers. Most of the female characters you see in films today are ‘the poor heartbroken girl.’ That’s why I’m so proud of the Fast movies. I feel like Giselle is an empowering woman.” By just reading that quote, you can totally understand why she wants to play Wonder Woman.
The Hebrew translation of her name is awesome.
In Hebrew, Gal Gadot’s first name means “wave,” while her last name can be translated to either “riverbank” or “shore.” Maybe it’s because I’m a huge fan of the beach or maybe it’s because I leave this Friday to head down the shore for vacation, but I find that very cool and, for some reason, very in-line with the character of Wonder Woman.
Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
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