Warner Bros.
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Gadot is not your typical Hollywood actress. The Israeli-born former combat trainer was a reluctant pageant queen and relatively unknown actress before landing a part in the multimillion-dollar superhero franchise that will also include her own leading role in "Wonder Woman," due out in 2017.
After winning the title of Miss Israel, Gadot had second thoughts about pageant competitions.
"When I went to Miss Universe, I rebelled. I was afraid I might get picked again. [Laughs.] I showed up late. I came without gowns. They tell you to come to breakfast in a gown. I was like, 'No way am I having breakfast in a gown!' Who needs to wear an evening gown at 10:30 am?" she told the magazine.
But becoming Miss Israel opened Gadot to plenty of modeling opportunities and eventually led to acting. From early on, Gadot wanted to play fierce female roles.
"Whenever I met with producers, writers, or directors, I said I wanted to portray a strong, independent woman," she said. "Cut to Wonder Woman."
Once she nabbed the coveted part in "Batman v Superman," she wanted to make sure that she was an independent character in the script.
"She [Wonder Woman] is not relying on a man, and she's not there because of a love story. She's not there to serve someone else," the actress clarified of what to expect from the movie, out March 25.
Not that we would've expected Wonder Woman to be fragile, but it's good to know Gadot plans to keep the character every bit the Amazonian warrior she is and ought to be on the screen. Though she also says that doesn't mean the character will be emotionless.
"She has so many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence. She's loving," Gadot said. "And it's all her heart-that's her strength. I think women are amazing for being able to show what they feel. I admire women who do. I think it's a mistake when women cover their emotions to look tough. I say let's own who we are and use it as a strength."