VOGUE HONG KONG – Gaining fame in 2017 with “Wonder Woman”, Gal Gadot has since become synonymous with action movies, controlling all kinds of invincible female characters in front of the screen. In her next starring and co-producer action film, Heartbreaker, Gal Gadot once again showcases the potential of women on screen as CIA agent Rachel Stone.
“I’m a fan of The Odds and James Bond movies!” Gal Gadot shared. “As a woman, I’ve never had the opportunity to be in this type of movie. I’ve been thinking, why can’t I be in Femininity in these films?” And so Rachel Stone was born, as powerful and alert as she is authentic and compassionate, like Gal Gadot herself. She traveled all the way from Israel to Hollywood, amazed the world with “Wonder Woman”, but never stopped because of it. Today, she’s an accomplished actress, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mother of three—Gal Gadot’s amazing life as a protagonist is just beginning.“VOGUE” HK: Looking back on your acting career, you have played many strong girls, including Wonder Woman, Heidi Rama, and the Queen of Egypt who will soon appear on the big screen. How important are these roles to you? What do you hope the audience will gain after watching it?
Gal Gadot: Good question! It’s interesting to say that it must be luck that I have been able to play extremely powerful and ruthless characters many times. As a fan of action movies, I have always wanted to participate in movies like “Heart Attack”. I am a fan of the “Mission Service” and “007” series, but I have never been able to act in them. After all, there are not many female roles in such films, so opportunities are naturally rare. I often wonder, is there room in the industry for action movies with female protagonists? It wasn’t until “Wonder Woman” was released that it received rave reviews that I regained my confidence. This movie is an example — who said men don’t like to watch actresses play the role? They are not welcome at all! As long as the plot is exciting and the action is excellent, they can’t wait for it. After “Wonder Woman” was painted, my husband and production company partner Yarron and I met with David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media. The three of us had a good chat, and at the end of the meeting, David asked me what kind of movie I wanted to make , I answered that I wanted to make an action movie with a female focus, be exciting, all-encompassing, and have everything you need. The two of us shook hands in the end, and “Heart Attack” was born accordingly. I am really grateful to have such good partners as David, Skydance and Netflix. The whole process is wonderful.“VOGUE” HK: You are very familiar with action scenes. You played Rachel Stone in “Heartbreaker”, no doubt with fast and accurate shots, and escaped from death many times. How were these thrilling scenes filmed? Which part was your favourite?
Gal Gadot: I learned to dance since I was a child, and found that fighting scenes and dancing are actually the same, they are a series of choreography, very fun! You dance your body while your mind keeps turning, which makes me deeply intoxicated. It takes a lot of professionals to shoot martial arts scenes, and the shots are spectacular and stylish. I was able to rely on a great team of stand-ins, assisted by a second set of directors and stunt coordinators. These stuntwomen have accompanied me all over the world and nothing would be possible without them! As long as the team allows, I will try my best to complete the action myself. To perform the movements well, it is not enough to rely solely on the choreography of the movements. The motivation behind it must be clearly understood, so it is very important to take part in the battle in person, which helps to grasp all aspects thoroughly. I enjoy shooting action scenes and I am lucky to have a professional team around me. People are the most important thing. People have always been the most important thing in doing things, and they are applicable to all industries.“VOGUE” HK: You have three daughters now, has your outlook on life changed because of this? What did you learn from your daughter?
Gal Gadot: I became a mother 11 years ago, and if I say the biggest thing I have learned, is to learn not to think about everything but myself. I’m not the most important person in the world, the kids are. This mindset is actually beneficial, allowing you to see things in a new light. You love people like never before, they become my everything and I would do anything for them. They also taught me a lot. For example, they taught me to keep going forward, even if I was exhausted and stayed up all night, I still had to grit my teeth and finish the morning shoot. They made me realize that I can do more than I thought possible. I still remember a time when I was studying law, but I wanted to continue acting, and my husband Jaron fully supported me to pursue my dream. As long as you do what you think, you are setting an example for your children. After all, the best education is not by words, but by example. And what I really wanted to do at the time was act. The more you can control yourself, the more you can become a role model for your children.“VOGUE” HK: Among your characters, Diana in “Wonder Woman” is compassionate and courageous, Sarah Black in “Red Notice” is trick-or-treating, and the bad queen in “Snow White” is vicious. These characters are very different from each other. Did you deliberately enter the play in a different way? Which character is the most fun?
Gal Gadot: I don’t have a particular preference, but it’s a lot of fun playing the bad queen. Things are naturally much more interesting because they come from a fairy tale. She’s the first Disney villain, and the movie is a musical, and I was able to exaggerate it and make the character more dramatic and interesting, which is amazing. I even changed my voice to do something different. It was a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see the finished product and hear how the audience feels about the ending.VOGUE HK: You will play the Queen of Egypt in an upcoming historical biopic. Is there anything you can share about the character and the film?
Gal Gadot: Israel borders Egypt, so I have heard many stories about the Egyptian queen since I was a child, and it is not an exaggeration to say that she is a household name. You know, if Wonder Woman is a fictional strong woman, then the Queen of Egypt is a living example. Her life was exactly the story I wanted to tell, and I started reading different books about the Queen of Egypt, and I couldn’t help saying to myself, “This is wonderful!” The Queen of Egypt in the movie is often a woman who has an affair with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony A charming woman, but in fact, she has many facets, this woman is too avant-garde! Even with modern eyes, ancient and modern Egypt is still advanced. I can’t reveal too much right now, other than to say that I am very eager to tell her story, and applaud her for bringing this character and legacy to life. The screenplay is brilliant, and I can’t wait to share it with the world, disproving the myth that “Egyptian queens are just flirtatious women.”“VOGUE” HK: Who is your Wonder Woman? Who is the person you most admire?
Gal Gadot: My mom, I know it sounds bureaucratic, but she’s really strong as a mother and taught us to be grateful. As long as you are grateful, you will become very happy, because you know how to be content. She taught us to be grateful for everything and to be bold. She planted the seeds of self-confidence and self-reliance in my sister and me. She is a true Wonder Woman and a good person.