Gal Gadot is about to play a real-life Wonder Woman in her next project and it marks a major first in the action star’s career. In addition to other projects she has in the pipeline, Gadot is set to portray the iconic actress Hedy Lamarr in a new limited series for Showtime.
According to EW, the series will focus on Lamarr’s life and career on and off the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age in the early to mid-20th century. This will be Gadot’s first time in her decade-plus onscreen career where she plays a real-life person. The still-untitled series will be written by Sarah Treem (The Affair), who will also executive produce. Additional producers on the project will be Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo), Katie Robbins (The Last Tycoon), and Jaron Varsano (My Dearest Fidel). EW notes the limited series will also “explore the rise and fall of feminism in the American landscape during Golden Age of Hollywood and World War II, aiming to find, in Lamarr’s life and legacy, clues for who we are now.”
The series will begin with Lamarr’s immigration from Europe to the United States in 1938. While Lamarr had a fledgling acting career in Europe, she shot to stardom upon arriving in her new home. She quickly became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, earning the title of “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” and working alongside other popular actors of the day like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Lana Turner. What many may not know was that Lamarr was not just a beloved actress, she was also an inventor who worked during World War II to develop a technology to help hop radio frequencies and helped the U.S. Army decode foreign messages. The patented technology would prove invaluable and go on to serve as the foundation for the creation of modern-day WiFi.
The series was announced at the 2019 Television Critics Association summer press tour. Showtime head Jana Winograde expressed excitement over the project, telling the press,
The life of Hedy Lamarr was a truly fascinating one. She stood at the forefront of many issues that challenge women and our society today. In Gal Gadot, we have found the transcendent actress to portray the deeply complex Lamarr. And with the award-winning talents of Sarah Treem and Warren Littlefield, this is going to be a special series.
Gadot will most likely begin working on the project after she completes filming on upcoming projects Death on the Nile and Red Notice.
– Source