This took a lot longer than I planned. It's 4AM here so if there are probably some mistakes but I can't bring myself to care
There are no spoilers in this interview but it's really long.
Super Mama
The legend of Gadot
Gal Gadot arrived at the moment she has been waiting for, Wonder Woman, the first Hollywood movie she stars as the lead, is out in theaters and stirs up a lot of interest. I felt like a scared little girl staring at Mount Everest without a clue of what to do, she referred to the days before. Itai Segal met her in L.A., with all the craziness, entourage and merchandise, and heard from her where she is going to live, whats it like to raise a new baby during all of this, and what prevents her from getting light headed when her image is on billboards all across the globe.
Its way too early in the morning, outside the WB studios in Los Angeles, but as appropriate for a town built on pretense, everyone around is smiling, joyous and invigorated like the opening number in La La Land. Any second now, if I dont keep to myself, someone next to me might break into a song and step dance. Im trying to figure out if the botox caused everyones smiles to stick but why be petty. If you cant beat them, there is a well-known LA saying that I just made up, just try to fake it like them.
A restless producer directs the line of journalists to a coffee station A misleading name for a buffet of high calories, rich food that will ruin any diet: sweets, salty, trans-fat. A journalist with a full stomach, as every publicist know, is much friendlier. Today is the first press conference for Wonder Woman. 76 years after her creation in comic books, the iconic super hero is finally making it to the big screen as the lead character.
It is hard to miss the excitement around. In this summer, this is, probably, Warner Brothers and DC comics most important movie. Over 150 million dollars were invested in this movie and some of Hollywoods most familiar names were recruited. Zack Snyder who directed BVS produced, Patty Jenkins whose movie Monster got Charlize Theron her Oscar, directed; and along stars like Chris Pine, Robin Write and Danny Huston, there is someone who all eyes are looking at and her name is Gal Gadot. Last time we met, two years ago, the huge entourage hasnt started to follow her around yet. After our last interview she said thank you and I told her that the net one will be done in LA. She immediately said done. Well, it turns out that Gadot is not only a super hero but also a woman of her word.
Im standing outside the studio, under a Wonder Woman umbrella, nibbling on a Wonder Woman shaped muffin, licking a Wonder Womans sword shaped lollipop and wait, with dozens of other journalists from all over the world, to meet Gadot. Someone has to find out how Hollywoods most famous woman of the moment feels when an image of her, the size of a department store, is plastered over Times Square. The answer arrives sooner than expected. One of the publicist lets us know that Gal conduct her interviews standing up. Her back, apparently, couldnt take the load and makes even the simple act of sitting down painful. For the past week she has been conducting all of her important interviews standing up. If I had time, she will tell me later when were alone, I would have seen a chiropractor by now, but you see where I am.
Her publicist leads me to Gadot through a huge site built especially to promote this movie. A merchandise monster with millions of pictures Im not exaggerating of Gadot. I cant grasp the size of the madness but I think that for the first time I can understand how people lose it in Hollywood. If the last two years werent enough, this last week definitely give Gadot a reason to be on cloud nine: after two years of teasing, the movie was finally shown to critics and fans, and though the embargo hasnt lifted yet, viewers were allowed to give their opinion on Wonder Woman performance. A movie with humor and a big heart, wrote a critic for Indiewire and an editor for the collider website reported that Happy to report 'Wonder Woman' is a blast and Gal Gadot is fantastic. Her chemistry with Chris Pine is magnetic. Courtney Howard, another critic, added: exciting, powerful, bold, epic, simply wonderful and - best of all - absolutely empowering.
Im sitting in front of the station where Gadot greets the audience and does the interviews, and stare at her for a long while. Her body language seems relaxed, it doesnt give a concrete answer to the question does she understand whats happening around her. Does she relies the extent of craziness that surrounds her? Last time I interviewed her, Gadot just got the role and was about to start shooting Batman V Superman. I asked her if she understood how big her achievement was and she shook her head. I dont think that you can understand it in the moment. I live my life on delay. Interview me in a year and Ill tell you then if I can grasp it or not. So I came.
Im still processing this experience, she laughs. Im beginning to understand. Its funny because ever since I was cast for the role of Wonder Woman I had almost three years to let it sink in. Because it was such a closed project, secretive, that we moved from one movie to another BVS, Wonder Woman, Justice League, I feel that only now I have time to really process this situation. I suppose that in two years Ill be able to process what Ive been through. We only now get to share this movie with the world. We worked on it until now. So far it was just the promo. We cooked this thing, worked on it, polished it all for this moment.
IS (Itai Segal): When was the last time you pinched yourself and said this isnt really happening?
GG: Every day, every morning. During the last few days, with all the reviews coming out this last week, I pinch myself a lot. I still dont have blue marks on my arms but it happens to me a lot that I catch myself and say: wow, this is real. Its a weird sensation. I dont really think you can digest it. I told Yaron, my husband, on one hand I feel like Im in the moment, that Im completely present, I understand whats going on and get really excited when people talk about the movie, but on the other hand Im numb. Like, wait, is this really happening?
IS: Yes. Its happening.
GG: On a personal note, at the end of the day, I come home, with my aching back, to my two daughters and my husband. And if Im lucky, at the end of the day I have time for a chiropractor. Do you understand the beauty? Its these contrasts in life that give you balance.
IS: Not to put pressue on your back, but the fact that a movie is coming out and a lot of it rests on your shoulders isnt nerve racking?
GG: Im not even thinking about it.
IS: So Im the first person to ask that?
GG: Yes! Totally! (She laughs). Thank you for coming all of the way from Israel to tell me that. You could have brought humus with you but instead you decided to go with an anxiety attack?! Seriously, youre not making me nervous. I really dont think about it. Movies are something that comes and goes. Now we are surrounded by it so of course it feels big and powerful, I just hope people go see the movie and love it.
IS: And yet, you are the face of this movie. All eyes are on you.
GG: Tell me, are you intently trying to give me an anxiety attack?
IS: So what, did I see too much Entourage? This pressure before the movie premiere doesnt really exist?
GG: I didnt see all of Entourage. Look, I had movies come out before, though they werent on this scale, like Wonder Woman, but they were big and I was a part of them. Every time, before one of my movies came out, people would tell me: youll see. Now everything will change. They always say it and its always the same in the end.
No Small Talk
Gadots rise to top story is never tiring to tell: the good girl from Rosh HaAyin, that planned on being a lawyer, became Miss Israel, found herself in a main role among the testosterone heavy gang of the Fast and the Furious franchise, searched for her place in Hollywood, and then, a moment before she gave up, she was cast as Wonder Woman in DC Comics ambitious project. First alongside Batman and Superman, now in a summer blockbuster that has her in every frame, and in a few months in another movie in the series with Ben Affleck and Henry Cavil as Justice League.
Instead of getting Gadot as a bond girl got her in this. As far as this weekend goes, Gadot is not only the worlds most coveted it-girl, she is an inspiration for any Israeli who wants to try his luck in this harsh business: dont listen to anyones advice, listen to yourself.
GG: Even when I was just starting out, when everyone told me that to get a head I needed to meet people, go to events I did things my way, which is to learn the text, do the best audition I can, and thats it. No parties, no mingling and no begging. I dont have time for this, and I dont like making small talk. Its exhausting. In the last two years I was only busy with work.
IS: And yet, what kind of new challenges did this year bring?
GG: In the time that passed between Batman V Superman and shooting Wonder Woman, I felt like a scared little girl looking up at Everest who doesnt have any idea what to do. Like I was telling myself, any second now they will relies the mistake they made. How could give me this part and place it all on my shoulders?!
IS: And how do you soothe these voices?
GG: I just gave it my all. Brought everything I could to the plate.
And it shows. Patty Jenkins, the movies director, compliments her acting skills in the same way she praises her personal skills. Gal is the perfect Wonder Woman on so many levels. I believe that the spirit of the actor you choose for the movie is the most important thing overall. If the actor doesnt understand the spirit of the project it wont work. We needed someone who could play Wonder Woman on the big screen, but we got someone who embodies her on the screen and outside of it. We got someone whose instincts are the same as the character she plays. She really is kind and warm but she isnt a sucker. She isnt fragile and delicate. She understands perfectly well whats happening around her and she is also funny and pleasant. She calmed me down so many times and knew how to deal with me when I came to set angry.
Well, Wonder Woman staring Gal Gadot has earned all of the superlatives it gets. It is entertaining, exhilarating, funny, and Gadot does her job well, when she is plucked from relative obscurity into Hollywoods premier league. Without the torments plaguing super heroes we have recently grown accustomed for, but with a lot of great action scenes, Gadot brings to life a strong character full of charisma and grace. The guys at DC comics have a lot of reasons to smile. After a slew of horrible reviews for Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad it appears as if Gadot not only nailed the historic part but will also brake the curse. Now, the movie creators hope that the audience will think so as well and will make Wonder Woman not only the first female super hero in this age but also a blockbuster success.
If so, this is the perfect time to talk a little bit about feminism: Is the male audience, which grew up on Superman and other man in tights, ready for a female super hero? Will it accept a woman saving it? Will Wonder Woman be able to accomplish what Hillary Clinton couldnt to the feminist glass ceiling while brandishing a shining lasso and minimal clothing?
Gadot is excited about getting the opportunity to define a clear statement regarding strong femininity, but even she gets a little bit flustered when one of the foreign journalists asks her about being a role model to so many young men and women.
GG: Its not that I want to be a role model (she stutters embarrassedly), but if I get the chance to do it I am grateful for this important opportunity. I think its crazy that this character exists for 75 years and we have never seen her origin story on the big screen. When boys grow up they have Batman, Superman and Spiderman, and so many others, to look up to. But so far we didnt have a strong female role model to look up to. It is important to finally have a character like this. Not just for girls, for boys too. Everybody talks about having more women in politics, but you cant promote women without inspiring them. When we approached the script we thought, well, everyone is afraid of the word feminism. Its a phrase that ignites a lot of emotions and antagonizes people. I see my friends say: Im a chauvinist. What do you mean youre a chauvinist, idiot?! We are here because the feminists before us fought for us, so we could work, and vote, and take birth control pills. I think there is a basic misunderstanding when it comes to what it means to be a feminist. Feminism is the freedom to be whoever you want to be, for everyone. This is what Wonder Woman represents in this movie. We didnt want her to be emasculating men or be very cold because she is so strong. Its the exact opposite. She is strong because she is so warm. Her protest is not that of a woman who goes in screaming I am a woman. I have a right to vote. She simply walks in to a diplomats meeting and asks, innocently but with great wisdom, Excuse me, I dont understand, why cant I be here? We wanted to show just how much she doesnt understand what the problem is.
IS: So men depend on women to save them?
GG: You need to ask men that.
Gadot needed a lot of preparation for this role. According to her, she read two boxes full of Wonder Woman comic books. Shooting the movie took 6 months and beforehand she had to prepare for 5 months with an intensive workout regime around the clock gym, martial arts and horseback riding, but Gadot is not the complaining type.
Anyway, Gadot refuses to make a big deal about the criticism she got when she just got the role. GG: Even when it was hard we did it. Its not like I went to work in a coal mine. I went to do something that excited me. This has been a great adventure and I had all the support I needed from the people who are important to me my husband, my family and the people I worked with.
In the past two years she was on route between Israel and LA. She is married to Yaron Versano, a business man, and they have two daughters Alma and Maya. In fact, Wonder Womans premiere in the theaters is really close to the birth of her youngest daughter, two months ago.
GG: Its like two births! Totally! Thats why my back is in pain. You know what its like to give birth to Wonder Woman (she laughs). Its definitely doubly exciting. Im in the height of the excitement of my little one and of the movie. These days Im really overly simulated with excitement.
In the new universe Gadot is a part of there is no room for spontaneity. She was 5 months when filming the reshoots.
GG: It was planned I wanted to get pregnant for a long while, but I couldnt because of all the projects I was working on. I knew that when this movie comes out I will have to promote it so it would be impossible to be pregnant during this time. We spaced it right, we didnt have much choice, but we had a lot of luck.
IS: In our last interview we talked about the guilt you felt about how much you get to see Alma, Is it something that calms down when regarding your second daughter?
GG: The guilt always exists, but on the other hand Alma grew up and everything is fine. In some ways it gets easier with second child. You relies what is important and what isnt. It is mostly fun. Anyways, in the second child you are a lot cooler. I was never hysteric, but even when compared to me, Im a lot calmer than in the first round. Not panicking at every squeak. On the second baby its not the same as on the first one, when everything revolves around it. On the second child you have to take care of the eldest because she is the one that suffers the biggest change. The baby still doesnt know where she came from or where she is going. You have to give your eldest a lot of love and support but its worth it.
IS: Alma understands whats going on around her?
GG: Around her?
IS: That her mom is Wonder Woman?
GG: She is kind of ambivalent towards it, and we try to keep it this way. I dont think its important or matters to her at all if the movie comes out now, or all the craziness surrounding me. So yes, she knows the movie is coming out, and she understands that I am really excited about it, and because of it she knows I am working now and spending less time at home. But she is only five, so she doesnt understand the meaning behind it and I want to keep it that way. Its healthier. Her routine is important to me.
IS: So one day she will find out her mother hid from her that she is Wonder Woman?
GG: She knows I am Wonder Woman. Im not hiding it. She was with on set on BVS, Wonder Woman, and on Justice League. She doesnt care. As far as she is concerned this is her moms job.
IS: Her moms job takes her around the world. Not always easy for a little girl.
GG: She loves it. This is the life she was born into. Its all she knows. This isnt new to her. Yaron and I always say we are like a traveling circus. But we travel together. Family is where we are and we make sure to work together. Yaron and I are working together now, developing new things and its an exciting challenge. I feel that what we are doing is really unique and the only constant is us. The sets, houses language can change be we are there together. I really feel this success is his as well. When they lifted the embargo and started to release reviews I was with Yaron at home, drinking wine and he was a partner to all the excitement. It was a joined victory. This project took out a lot from all of us on a family, intimate and individual levels. We all did it together.
IS: Youre going to stay in LA now?
GG: Right now we are here. Home is here and in Israel.
IS: You dont want to commit to the move?
GG: Israel will always be my home, but I also have a family life and right now we have more to do here. I miss my family and friends a lot. This distance is hard for me, but when it gets so busy, and everything is happening so fast, I dont have time to dwell on it and it doesnt bother me, but of course I miss everyone.
t:
