‘Wonder’ world
Actress Gal Gadot on her star turn
CULVER CItY, Calif. — It’s been a long time coming, but Wonder Woman has a stand-alone movie all her own. For Israeli beauty queen turned actor Gal Gadot, playing Amazonian Princess Diana is a ticket to global stardom.
Gadot, 32, first played “Diana Prince” opposite Ben Affleck’s Batman in last year’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” her success in a supporting role convinced Warner Bros. to finally mount “Wonder Woman,” 76 years after she was introduced in All Star Comics.
“Like a dream coming true. I just feel like, thank you, super excited and really very happy,” Gadot said at a press conference as she stood (“because I threw my back out”) next to her (seated) director Patty Jenkins.
“one of the things we both believe in,” Jenkins said, “is the magic of Wonder Woman: She is incredibly strong but she also stands for something that’s the opposite of being violent, which is love, truth, compassion. that’s why she’s magical. that’s why all of us have been so drawn to her for so long.”
Added Gadot (pronounced gah-Dote), “I remember when you and I first started to talk about our families and about life, I told you about my grandfather, a holocaust survivor who taught me that no matter how dark it gets in life, you need to find your inner light. that compassion is a big thing.
“For both of us, it was very important that this movie has a profound message that everyone can relate to and everyone can take home and actually practice it, maybe.”
While “Wonder Woman” has a message, it doesn’t skimp in its World War I setting with carnage, destruction, intense combat and fights.
Married with two young daughters, Gadot said her daily workouts included “a lot of boxing, just because I enjoy it and it helped me build my body. Also it was very explosive, and explosive movement was something that was really important for my character.
“We did a lot of different types of martial arts and I did a lot of swords. I was bruised all the time. Nothing major,” she said. her worst injury? “In Italy, shooting this fight sequence, I just stepped on a sea urchin. that was painful.
“other than that, honestly it was a bit challenging but yeah, worth it.” (“Wonder Woman” opens Friday.)