Whether you like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” or not — and opinion is clearly split — just about everyone can agree Gal Gadot”s appearance as Wonder Woman is a refreshing twist on what”s largely been a boys-only superhero club. It”s also Wonder Woman”s first major appearance on the big screen, leading to her standalone film on the way in 2017.
So who is this striking and magnetic Gal Gadot? Here are five fun facts about the 30-year-old:
1. All that fighting skill isn”t just acting. Beginning at the age of 18, Gadot served two years as a combat instructor in the Israel Defense Forces. Before playing Wonder Woman, she put on 17 pounds of muscle by training in kung fu, kick boxing, sword fighting, and jiu jitsu.
2. Gadot won the 2004 Miss Israel competition.
3. She attended law school for a year before being asked to audition for the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace.” She lost out to Olga Kurylenko, whom she later beat out for Wonder Woman. However, the Bond audition led to her being cast as Gisele Yashar in four “Fast & Furious” movies, in which she did her own stunts.
4. She”s a successful model, appearing on the cover of magazines like Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Bride magazine and FHM. She”s also the face of Gucci”s Bamboo perfume brand.
5. Gadot has a 4-year-old daughter with husband, real estate developer Yaron Varsano, with whom the couple owned a luxury hotel in Tel Aviv.
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