2004–2009: Miss Israel, IDF service and early work In a 2008
Ynet interview, Gadot said she entered the
beauty pageant after her army enlistment was postponed, encouraged by her mother, and saw it as a fun opportunity before beginning her service. where an 18-year-old Gadot participated with little expectation of winning. However, the 5'10" Gadot 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. In 2005, a week after passing on the crown, Gadot, at 19, was conscripted into the
Israel Defense Forces. After excelling in a three-month boot camp, Reporting daily at 5 a.m., she led soldiers through a form of boot camp. Gadot also trained in
Krav Maga, and gained proficiency in handling weapons and preparing for combat. 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, 22-year-old Gadot appeared in
Maxims "Women of the Israel Defense Forces" photo shoot, which was later featured on the cover of the
New York Post. 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". the shoot significantly boosted Gadot's public profile; as a result, she landed an international campaign for "Prada Ellis" perfume. she began pursuing law and
international studies at IDC Herzliya (now
Reichman University). After her first year at university, a casting director from London contacted Gadot's agent after seeing her
modeling card on the agency's wall, which led to an unsuccessful audition for the role of
Camille Montes in the James Bond film
Quantum of Solace. In a 2017 interview with
W Magazine, Gadot said she initially felt "too serious and smart to be an actress" due to her studies and was "uncomfortable" speaking English. Three months after her unsuccessful audition for
Quantum of Solace, the same casting director recommended Gadot to
Universal Studios and contacted her about a role in
Fast & Furious franchise. She was asked to "urgently" send a filmed audition to Los Angeles, which was well received. As a result, the studio flew Gadot and her agent, the CEO of the Look Agency, to LA for a personal meeting with
Vin Diesel, who would decide if she got the role. Reflecting on the audition process, Gadot shared that she worked closely with Israeli coach Orit Shar, preparing thoroughly and building a backstory that impressed director
Justin Lin. After
Fast & Furious was released in 2009, Gadot reflected on her success saying, "I can't believe this happened to me..I have more luck than intelligence." The role is considered her
big break, earning rave reviews and cementing her status as a "Hollywood mainstay." That same year, she made a brief appearance in the TV series
Entourage in the episode titled "
Amongst Friends", portraying Lisa, a date of the main character,
Vincent Chase. She left due to unwanted and "inappropriate behavior." She later appeared on the American teen drama,
The Beautiful Life: TBL.
2010–2016: Breakthrough as Wonder Woman In 2010, Gadot had small roles in the action-adventure comedy
Knight and Day, playing Naomi, the date of
Tom Cruise’s character, in which she also speaks Hebrew. This was followed by the action comedy
Date Night, where she appears briefly as Natanya, the Israeli bedfellow of
Mark Wahlberg’s character, Holbrooke; In 2012, she starred the Israeli drama,
Kathmandu. Sources in the industry estimate that Gadot earned over
NIS3,000 (approximately US$800) per day of filming.''
In 2013, she returned to the Fast & Furious
franchise, reprising her character in Fast & Furious 6'', where she performed some of her own
stunt work in the film. In November 2013,
Variety reported that Gadot, along with other actresses, had tested for the role of Wonder Woman. In December 2013, Gadot was confirmed for the role in the untitled
Batman v Superman movie alongside
Henry Cavill and
Ben Affleck, directed by
Zack Snyder. The contract for her portrayal of Wonder Woman was managed by her then-agent, ADD agency, which represented Gadot both in Israel and internationally. She left the agency in 2019 on good terms. Reflecting on her audition for the role in a 2016
Variety interview, Gadot described the process as "super intensive, nerve-racking, a long roller coaster". While in Los Angeles,
Warner Bros. invited her to audition for a then undisclosed role with Snyder. Her agent later informed her that she would
screen-test opposite Affleck, and she ultimately secured the role, which was revealed to be in
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She also noted that acting was not a childhood dream but a field she grew curious about and eventually fell in love with. in July 2014 for
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at the
San Diego Convention Center. In July 2014, Gadot's portrayal of Wonder Woman was unveiled at
Comic-Con during the
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice panel. Some critics argued Gadot's Israeli background and slim frame made her unfit to play the part. Gadot dismissed the backlash. To prepare, she took lessons in
swordsmanship,
Kung Fu,
kickboxing,
capoeira and
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, gaining 17 pounds of muscle. She also explained that she "trained six hours a day for six months—two hours of gym work, two hours of fight choreography, and up to two hours of horseback riding. It was much more intense than the army." That same year, Gadot landed her first Israeli film role in the comedy
Kicking Out Shoshana, playing lead character Mirit Ben-Harush. Later, in 2016, she was offered the lead role in the
Hollywood remake of
Ben-Hur (2016) but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts with
Batman v Superman. Prior to her debut as Wonder Woman, Gadot revealed she had previously been offered the role of
Faora-Ul in
Man of Steel (2013)
. Gadot turned it down due to her pregnancy; this led to
Antje Traue being cast for the role instead. In 2016, Gadot officially debuted as Wonder Woman in the superhero film
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Gadot's performance as the superhero, the character's first film appearance, was singled out by
The Guardian as one of the film's best parts. Her portrayal of Wonder Woman quickly became a defining role in her career, with critics praising her for bringing strength, grace, and a refreshing depth to the character. Critics particularly noted how she brought a strong sense of empowerment and integrity to the role, setting a new standard for female superheroes in mainstream cinema. She then had a small role in
John Hillcoat's crime-thriller
Triple 9, where she starred along with
Kate Winslet and
Aaron Paul. Later that year, she co-starred in the action crime thriller film
Criminal, as the wife of
Ryan Reynolds' character, alongside
Kevin Costner,
Gary Oldman, and
Tommy Lee Jones. She described the film as the most challenging project she had done to date. Critic Alex Welch wrote on
IGN about Gadot's performance: "the script unfortunately banks mostly on her looks and deadly skills as a spy for her jokes, but Gadot manages to make it work."
2017–2020: Wonder Woman trilogy In 2017, Gadot starred in a solo film for her character,
Wonder Woman, which was paid $300,000. This figure sparked some controversy, as it was significantly lower than the salaries commanded by many male action stars in Hollywood. However, the film received a positive response from critics, with some calling it the best installment in the
DC Extended Universe. Praise was directed at
Patty Jenkins's direction, the chemistry between Gadot and
Chris Pine, the musical score, and the thrilling action sequences. Due to her former service in the IDF, the film has been banned in
Lebanon,
Kuwait, and
Jordan. She then reprised the role in the
ensemble film
Justice League, which was released in November 2017, and which was her third DC Extended Universe installment. During the film's production under director
Joss Whedon, she alleged that Whedon verbally abused her and "threatened" her career. She stated in an interview that she took the matter to the heads of Warner Bros., who "took care of it". That same year, Gadot was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Gadot then voiced the character Shank, who was modeled after her, in the
Walt Disney Animation Studios film,
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). The film's co-director,
Phil Johnston, praised Gadot's performance. In January 2020,
National Geographic announced
Impact with Gal Gadot. The six-part
documentary series, executive produced by Gadot and her husband, highlights young women overcoming poverty, violence, and discrimination to create positive change in their communities, premiered in April 2021 across National Geographic's digital and social platforms. Gadot returned as Wonder Woman in
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), for which she reportedly earned $10 million.
The Washington Post reported that the response changed from "early praise to precipitous decline". The film received praise for Gadot's performance and the visual effects; however, it garnered mixed reviews from critics, with some finding the plot overly complex and less impactful than the first film. Although a third
Wonder Woman film was
greenlit on 27 December 2020, it was ultimately
scrapped in December 2022, despite Gadot teasing
development plans through 2023.
2021–present: Streaming projects In November 2021, Gadot starred alongside
Dwayne Johnson and
Ryan Reynolds in the
Netflix action comedy film
Red Notice, written and directed by
Rawson Marshall Thurber.
The Guardian, in its review, opined that Gadot was "sleepwalking through the motions" and was "adept only when fighting". The film became Netflix’s most-watched title ever at the time, according to
Bloomberg. The film has over 328 million hours streamed in its first three weeks. This equates to 164 million accounts watching it in full, making it the most-watched new movie of 2021. The following year, she co-starred with
Kenneth Branagh,
Tom Bateman, and
Annette Bening in the 2022 mystery film
Death on the Nile, which was also directed by Branagh. ''
Los Angeles Times' chief film critic Justin Chang deemed her "underwhelming" in the film, while The Week''s Jesse Hassenger defended Gadot's performance addressing the widespread criticism she received for her portrayal of Linnet Doyle, particularly for a meme-worthy line delivery. The film was banned in Tunisia following protests over Gadot's Israeli military service and her support for
Israel's 2014 Gaza offensive. This decision, followed by bans in Kuwait and Lebanon, reflects longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. In 2023, Gadot made uncredited cameo appearances, her two final outings, as Wonder Woman in
Shazam! Fury of the Gods and
The Flash. She also returned to the
Fast & Furious franchise with a cameo appearance in
Fast X. Later that year, she was offered the role of Barbie in
Barbie, but she was unavailable. Later that year, she played the lead role of a
double agent in Netflix's action film
Heart of Stone. This film is Gadot and her husband's first project developed and produced through their company, Pilot Wave, which they began developing in 2018. She called it an "extremely empowering and educational experience". The film however, received mostly negative reviews, with
Owen Gleiberman stating: "Gadot is game, but there's a slightly downbeat earnestness about her that doesn't mesh with the reflexive quippiness of the dialogue." Despite negative reception, the film emerged as Netflix's second-most-watched film in late 2023, with nearly 110 million views.. Gadot next starred as the
Evil Queen in a
live-action adaptation of Disney's 1937 animated film
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In an interview with
GQ, she said Disney needed to confirm she could sing, so she spent a month preparing before auditioning and landing the role. She also had her own personal
dialect coach for the role. In August 2024, calls from
pro-Palestinian activists to boycott Disney's
Snow White remake emerged due to Gadot's support for Israel. In March 2025, it was reported that Disney assigned bodyguards to Gadot after she received death threats linked to co-star
Rachel Zegler's "Free Palestine" post during
Snow Whites promotional campaign. Gadot's performance in the film was polarizing; some felt it showcased her potential as a villain, while others argued she lacked the charisma and menace needed for the role. Her rendition of the song "All Is Fair" drew particular criticism for its awkward delivery and lack of vocal strength, which undercut the intended impact of the character. In response to the criticism she received for the film, Gadot stated in an interview that audiences primarily saw her as an Israeli rather than as an actress. She further added that the film’s lack of success was due to the "pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel." Also in 2025, Gadot appeared in
Julian Schnabel’s film
In the Hand of Dante as
Gemma Donati, alongside
Oscar Isaac as
Nick Tosches /
Dante Alighieri and other lead actors. Based on Tosches’ novel, the film moves between 14th- and 21st-century Italy and follows the discovery of a handwritten manuscript of
Dante’s
The Divine Comedy that travels from the Vatican to the New York underworld. The film first premiered on 3 September 2025, at the
Venice Film Festival. Gadot’s appearance in the film sparked calls for a boycott, in response, Schnabel stated at that he chose the actors for their merits and that they did "an extraordinary job," adding that he sees no reason to boycott artists for their pro-Israel stances. When asked about casting Gadot, the director stated that he spoke to her on the phone and conducted screen tests, after which he believed she could perform the role. He also commented that in the film, Gadot’s character reminded him of
Ingrid Bergman and described her interactions with co-star Isaac as "warm and embracing". She will then star as the lead alongside
Damian Lewis in the thriller in
The Runner, directed by
Kevin Macdonald. Production on the film was disrupted when pro-Palestine protesters stormed the London set. Gadot and the production company brought a case against them based on a little-used trade union law. Gadot is set to star alongside
Matthias Schoenaerts in
Ruin, a post-WWII revenge thriller. The story follows a recently released
concentration camp prisoner (Gadot) who forms an unlikely alliance with a former
German soldier (Schoenaerts) as they seek vengeance on a Nazi SS squad. The film is directed by
Niki Caro. == Other endeavors ==