From Beauty Queen to Superhero: Gal Gadot on Her Miss Universe Days and Choosing a Different Path

Did you know that before she became an actress, Gal Gadot was a beauty queen? However, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair in November, the 35-year-old star of Wonder Woman revealed that she didn’t enjoy the experience. In 2004, she was crowned Miss Israel but didn’t want to win the Miss Universe title that same year. When Paula Abdul, one of the judges, asked her a question, she pretended not to speak English, saying, “Me no speak English, so sorry.” She did everything in her power to avoid winning the crown.

Gal Gadot, who is famously known for her role as Wonder Woman, revealed in a recent interview with Vanity Fair that she had previously participated in beauty pageants but did not enjoy the experience. The 35-year-old actress shared her thoughts on the topic in the magazine’s November issue and even appeared in a video accompanying the article.

Back in 2004, she earned the title of Miss Israel but refused to win the Miss Universe crown that same year. She was spotted at the Miss Universe pageant in 2004. She revealed in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone that she didn’t even imagine winning the Miss Israel pageant, saying, “I told myself, ‘I am just going to do this. They will fly us to Europe, and I will get to tell my grandchildren that Grandmom did the Miss Israel thing.’ Little did I know that I would win.”
In her recent interview with VF, she shared details about her upcoming movie, Wonder Woman 1984, which is set to release on December 25, 2020. “I think the first film introduced a hero, and this time we wanted to explore the character more profoundly. The storyline is centered around the danger of greed, and it’s very relevant to the contemporary era,” said the actress. She received $300K for her role in the first Wonder Woman movie, whereas for the sequel, she was paid $10M.

Lack of enthusiasm: The 5ft10in celebrity expressed, “Oh my goodness,” when Paula Abdul, one of the judges, asked them a question. In response, they used a thick accent and stated, “Me no speak English, so sorry.” They put in substantial efforts to prevent such an occurrence.

In the photo, the actress can be spotted on the far right, standing beside Miss Canada while doing a dance. She expressed her thoughts on how society seems to constantly push for more and more, leading people to lose themselves in the never-ending rat race. Gal also shared that she gets emotional when watching the opening scene of the 1984 movie, where 12-year-old actress Lilly Aspell plays the young version of Wonder Woman in a physical competition. According to her, visual representation plays a significant role in inspiring people to dream and become what they want to be. Gal mentioned that throughout the history of movies, boys have always been portrayed as strong protagonists who save the day.

Gal, a strong role model, revealed that she feels emotional when watching the opening scene of 1984 where Lilly Aspell plays the child version of Wonder Woman in a physical contest. According to Gal, being able to see something visually is important to dream about becoming someone or something. In addition, the actress spoke about the impact of playing Wonder Woman on her own daughter, Alma, who was excited to watch the film but couldn’t bear to see her mother battling the bad guys. Gal skipped the scary parts for her daughter, but Alma still loved the rest of the movie and felt proud of her mother. While self-isolating, Gadot’s rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine received criticism from the internet community, who branded them ‘out of touch’ for singing about ‘no possessions’ from their mansions.

Gal Gadot shared the impact of her role as Wonder Woman on her own daughter during a recent interview. As a mother to Alma and Maya, she showed the film to her eldest daughter who was excited but couldn’t detach from seeing her “Ima” battling the bad guys. While Gadot intended to do something good and pure, she admitted that it didn’t transcend as critics called out the “cringe-worthy” video featuring her and other celebrities at the start of COVID-19 lockdown. Despite this, Gadot spoke about the positive impact playing Wonder Woman has had on both her and her daughter.

Gal Gadot, alongside her mentor and director of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins, shared a philosophical message with her fans on day six of her self-quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The star acknowledged that the virus has impacted everyone around the world, regardless of their origin or status. She then expressed her inspiration from a viral video of an Italian man playing trumpet for his quarantined neighborhood. Gal found the video to be powerful and pure, leading her to initiate a group sing-along of the classic John Lennon song “Imagine.” The video features a lineup of celebrities including Kristen Wiig, Jamie Dornan, Labrinth, James Marsden, and Sarah Silverman, delivering their lines one by one.

The video that caused controversy featured Gal Gadot and her famous acquaintances attempting to sing John Lennon’s Imagine while in quarantine. However, instead of being well-received, they faced backlash from the online community for being “out of touch” with reality and singing about “no possessions” while living in luxurious mansions.

Gal shared during her feature in the November 2020 issue of Vanity Fair that her intention with the video was to spread positivity and kindness, but unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. She admitted that despite having pure and good intentions, her attempt at doing a good deed fell short. The actress narrated that she initially started the video with some friends, and Kristen Wiig, who she referred to as the “mayor of Hollywood,” joined in and brought more people on board. Gal emphasized that while she understands the backlash she received for the video, she only intended to send light and love to the world.

According to Vanity Fair’s Nancy Jo Sales, Gal was contacted for comment on Monday after receiving backlash for her role as Cleopatra in an upcoming film directed by the same person who directed Wonder Woman. Some people criticized the decision due to misconceptions about Cleopatra’s heritage, with many assuming she was African and black when she was actually of Greek or Persian ethnicity. Gal, a mother of two, is known for being straightforward and sometimes blunt, which she admits can get her in trouble. However, she has learned to express her opinion by saying “I don’t disagree with you, but,” allowing her to disagree without being confrontational. Ultimately, Gal believes in being true to herself and speaking her mind, even if others may not like it at the moment.

Could we be in for another success with the casting of Armie Hammer as Simon Doyle and Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgeway in the upcoming film Death On The Nile by 20th Century Studios? The movie is set to premiere on December 18.