Gal Gadot (Hebrew: גל גדות, pronounced [ˈɡal ɡaˈdot]; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress. She gained recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023). In 2018, Gadot was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world and ranked by Forbes as the tenth–highest-paid actress, later rising to third-highest in 2020. In 2025, she became the first Israeli actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gadot grew up in Rosh HaAyin and first gained attention locally after winning Miss Israel 2004, followed by two years of mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a combat trainer. During this time, she participated in a Maxim photo shoot that boosted her public profile, leading her to begin modeling and endorsing various brands. Shortly after, she made her television debut in the Israeli drama Bubot in 2008, followed by her film debut in a supporting role as Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious (2009), reprising it in multiple sequels (2011–2023). She also appeared on Israeli television in the second season of Asfur (2010–2012) and later in Kathmandu (2012).
Gadot first portrayed Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The success of the film led to her starring in Wonder Woman (2017), which became a major box office hit. She reprised the role again in Justice League (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), the latter of which she co-produced. Since then, she has starred in Red Notice (2021), Death on the Nile (2022), and Heart of Stone (2023), which she co-produced. In 2025 she portrayed the Evil Queen in Snow White and Gemma Donati in In the Hand of Dante.
Beyond acting, Gadot and her husband have co-founded a film production company, launched a food brand, and invested in Israeli startups. Gadot is widely celebrated in Israel as a national icon and ambassador and has been honored by various Jewish and Zionist organizations for her effect on Israel's image, including the Israeli-American Council (IAC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Jerusalem Film Festival, and Hadassah. She has also been awarded a Genesis Prize. Her support for the Israeli military and for hostages held in the Gaza Strip has drawn criticism from Palestinian nationalists, as well as from some pro-Israeli nationalists who argue she has not shown strong support.
Early life
Gadot was born on 30 April 1985 in Petah Tikva, where she initially lived at Stampfer street. She was born to Jewish parents of Ashkenazi descent; her mother's roots are Czech and Polish, while her father's are Austrian, Russian, and German. Her parents, Michael, an engineer, and Irit, a physical education teacher, Hebraized their surname from "Greenstein" to "Gadot" before her birth. In Hebrew, her first name means "wave", and her Hebrew surname 'Gadot' translates to "riverbanks". She has a younger sister, Dana.
Her father was the sixth-generation of the Land of Israel/Palestine region and is an Israeli-born citizen, and one of his ancestors was the first chemist at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, while her mother is a first-generation Israeli-born citizen and the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Her maternal grandfather, Abraham Weiss, was born as Adolf Weiss, in the village of Munkács, Czechoslovakia in 1928. At thirteen, when Nazi Germany invaded, his father (her great-grandfather) died in the army and Abraham, his mother, and his brother were sent to Auschwitz, where the latter two perished in the gas chamber. Gadot's maternal grandmother, however, managed to escape Europe before World War II. Abraham immigrated alone to Jaffa, where he built a life. He later served in the Golani Brigade; in his later years, Abraham joined Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expeditions to give first-hand testimony about his experiences in Auschwitz.
In 1993, at age eight, Gadot and her family moved to the Givat Tal neighborhood of Rosh HaAyin, where she grew up, in what she described as a "very Jewish, Israeli family environment". As a child, she struggled with a weak voice and attended speech therapy, where she learned proper breathing techniques. Encouraged by her mother to be active from a young age, Gadot took up swimming at four and later played tennis. She joined the local volleyball and basketball teams, soccer-team cheerleader, and trained in ballet, hip-hop, and jazz for twelve years; at one point, she considered a career as a choreographer.
At eleven, Gadot visited Holocaust memorial sites in Poland to learn about Auschwitz and Majdanek. Reflecting on the experience, she recalled: "I, an entitled child, felt the suffering the Muselmann experienced back then." At twelve, she was invited to enter the Girl of the Year (Hebrew: נערת השנה) competition but declined, initially dismissed modeling as a career, but later realized it is a fun job that makes great money and offers exciting experiences.
Although Gadot's native language is Hebrew, she began taking English lessons in third grade; she became fluent after starting to watch the sitcoms Seinfeld and Friends. She later attended Begin High School, where she majored in biology. After graduating, she had a few months before beginning her mandatory two-year service in the IDF. During this time, she received modeling offers but instead chose to work at Burger King, saying, "I was like, posing for money? Ugh, it's not for me." Meanwhile, her mother and a friend submitted an application on her behalf for the Miss Israel pageant. Before enlisting, she also worked as a caregiver for eight-month-old twins.
Career
2004–2009: Miss Israel, IDF service and early work
In 2004, Gadot's army enlistment was postponed six months, so her mother encouraged her to enter a beauty pageant. Gadot saw it as a fun opportunity before beginning her service. To her surprise, she won the 54th Miss Israel beauty pageant, which was held at the Haifa Congress Center. She was crowned Miss Israel and received a Citroën C3 supermini car. Following her win, Gadot represented Israel in the Miss Universe 2004 pageant in Ecuador but admitted she intentionally "rebelled" to avoid winning, arriving late to events and refusing to wear an evening gown. During an interview with Ynet, and before giving up her pageant title, Gadot highlighted the value of military service, viewing it as both a duty and a chance for personal growth. In 2005, a week after passing on the crown, Gadot was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces. After excelling in a three-month boot camp, she went on to serve as a combat trainer, teaching soldiers gymnastics and calisthenics. Reporting daily at 5 a.m., she led soldiers through a form of boot camp. She became so passionate about the techniques she learned that she eventually trained sergeants and high-ranking commanders. Gadot also trained in Krav Maga, and gained proficiency in handling weapons and preparing for combat. She completed her mandatory two-year service, of which only 20 days were in uniform. Reflecting on her military experience in a 2016 interview with Fashion, Gadot said, "It was demanding because you give up your freedom for two years, but there is something special in giving back to your community."
In 2007, while still serving, Gadot appeared in Maxim's "Women of the Israel Defense Forces" photo shoot, which was later featured on the cover of the New York Post. The shoot was part of a campaign by Israel's consulate in New York, Maxim, and the Ministry of Tourism to "promote Israel, attract young American men, and reshape its public image". The campaign faced criticism, particularly from Knesset members, over the portrayal of female soldiers in bikinis. Following the criticism, Gadot defended the images, stating that she did not consider them pornographic and dismissed the political criticism, saying she was "not involved in politics". After the photo was featured on the July 2007 cover of the New York Post, the shoot significantly boosted Gadot's public profile; as a result…