Internationally recognized actress, producer, and activist Gal Gadot is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Unlike many Jewish Hollywood actors, who remain silent or demonstrate only timid support for Israel and the Jewish people, she has always stood firmly and proudly for her Jewish identity.
On October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and killed, raped, and kidnapped people, Gal wrote in her Instagram: “I stand with Israel. You should too. The world cannot sit on the fence in the face of such horrific acts of terror!”
Gal Gadot, the most internationally recognized Israeli actress, was honored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) with the International Leadership Award in recognition of her efforts to combat antisemitism. In March 2025, during the annual conference "Never is NowAt a ceremony held by the ADL in New York, she received the honor in front of a crowd of 4,000 people. "I am Israeli. And I am Jewish," Gadot said. "I'll say it again: my name is Gal, and I am Jewish. Isn't it amazing that today, just saying that—just expressing such a simple fact about who I am—sounds like a controversial statement? But, unfortunately, that's the reality we live in."
Having been a frequent target of anti-Semitism, to the point of having to carry a bodyguard, the Israeli actress who played Wonder Woman became a symbol of strength and beauty – on and off screen – as well as a great defender of her people, the Jewish People.
Growing up in Israel
Gal Gadot was born on April 30, 1985, in Rosh Ha'Ayin, Israel, about 20 km east of Tel Aviv. In her own words: "I am the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel and rebuilt his life from scratch here after his entire family was exterminated in Auschwitz. And on the other side of the family, I am an eighth-generation Israeli. I am a native Israeli."
She grew up in a family she describes as "very normal." Her father was an engineer and her mother was a teacher.
Since she was little, Gal has always been quite athletic: she played several sports and took dance lessons. One of her first professional ambitions was to be a choreographer. Although she always enjoyed performing, she never dreamed of becoming an actress.
After graduating high school in 2004, at age 18, Gal Gadot still had some free time before enlisting in the Army. Her mother suggested she enter the Miss Israel pageant. Gal thought it would be a fun experience and, to her surprise, won the competition – taking home the crown and a Citroën C3. The victory marked the beginning of her modeling career. As Miss Israel, she represented the country in the Miss Universe 2004 pageant. In interviews, Gal says she didn't want to win Miss Universe and, therefore, sabotaged her own participation: arriving late to rehearsals and not wearing the right dresses for events.
She then joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to complete two years of mandatory military service for women. In the Army, she became a combat instructor. The actress says this experience taught her valuable lessons that have contributed to her professional trajectory. She emphasizes the importance of discipline, hard work, and teamwork. According to Gal, there she learned that "it's not about you; you're not the priority" and that "there is a greater purpose." She draws a parallel with her film career: "When you shoot a movie, the ultimate goal is to make a great movie."
Career
After leaving the IDF, Gal began studying law and international relations at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, a private university in Israel. During college, she was invited by a casting director to audition for the role of "bond girl” – main female character in the James Bond films – in Quantum of Solace (2008). After her first audition, Gal was invited several times and, although she was not chosen, the experience sparked her interest in acting – something that seemed much more interesting to her than law school.
Gal then started taking acting classes and, a few months later, was cast in the Israeli series Bubot (Dolls), a drama about the world of modeling. In 2009, she won the role of Gisele in the franchise Fast and furious and returned to play the character in the sequels: Fast and Furious 5: Operation Rio (2011) Fast and furious 6 (2013) and Fast and furious 7 (2015)
During this period, Gal made small appearances in Hollywood films. She also returned to Israel to act in series. Asfur (bird (pássaro)) to Kathmandu, . In an interview with The New York Times, she said: “I got to a point, just before Wonder Woman, where I had several 'almosts' – great auditions, excellent camera tests – but always ended up in second place – to the point where I was almost giving up and going back to law school.”
But her husband, Yaron Varsano, encouraged her to move forward. In 2016, Gal played Wonder Woman for the first time in Batman vs Superman: The Origin of Justice. She truly achieved stardom with the release of Wonder Woman, in 2017. It was the first superhero film in twelve years to feature a female protagonist. Gal shone on screen, and the film was a huge success, grossing over US$820 million worldwide.
When Gal received her star on Hall of Fame, in Hollywood, the director of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins, spoke about Gal's work in the film: "She was often outdoors, braving the wind and storms of an English winter... or wearing platform heels and running through knee-deep mud, or on the sand of a scorching beach, underwater, or even suspended in midair—sideways or sometimes even upside down," Jenkins said. "When people think of actors, they only imagine glamorous. But Gal had the least glamorous job I can imagine – and yet she never failed to deliver powerful performances, always being the happiest, kindest, most loving, and heroic person in the room. set ”, completed the director.
When talking about interpreting the Wonder Woman, Gal highlights the importance of the superheroine as a role model. "Never, not even in my wildest dreams, did I imagine that one day I would play a character who would influence so many women," said the Israeli actress.
She reprised the role a few months later in the film Justice League (2017), and again in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). More recently, Gal Gadot starred in Red Notice (2021) death on the nile (2022) Agent Stone (2023) and Snow White (2025), among others.
In 2018, she was elected by the magazine Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Family
A Wonder Woman The Israeli met her husband, Yaron Varsano, in 2006 at a party she describes as a kind of yoga retreat, held in the Israeli desert. Varsano was a successful real estate entrepreneur and owner of the Varsano Hotel in Tel Aviv. He is ten years older than Gal.
The two fell in love at first sight. “On our second date, he told me his intentions were serious and that he wouldn't wait more than two years to propose. And that's exactly what happened: two years later, he proposed. We got married in 2008," Gal recalls.
In 2017, Varsano made a career change. He sold his entire real estate portfolio, including the hotel, and moved with his family to Los Angeles. In 2019, he founded the production company Pilot Wave with Gal. The company produces several films starring Gal herself, including Agent Stone e Cleopatra.
The couple has four daughters – Alma (2011), Maya (2017), Daniella (2021) and Ori (2024).
Still in 2017, Gal attracted public attention when filming Justice League and the re-recordings of Wonder Woman while pregnant with her second daughter, Maya – even wearing a green background around her belly to disguise the pregnancy.
In 2024, with the birth of her fourth daughter, Ori, Gal wrote in Instagram, next to a beautiful photo taken at the hospital: “My sweet girl, welcome. The pregnancy was not easy, but we made it.”
A month later, she revealed that, eight months into her pregnancy, she suffered severe headaches, which doctors initially attributed to hormones or migraines. Only after an MRI did doctors detect three large clots in her brain. Gal required an emergency C-section and a thrombectomy—surgery to remove clots from the brain. Had she given birth naturally, she would not have survived. "Suddenly, I understood what it's like to be afraid of dying," she revealed in an interview with talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
In November 2024, Alma, the actress's eldest daughter, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. Gal shared a photo on her account on Instagram. Many of her 108 million followers congratulated Alma and her family. Sacha Baron Cohen – the actor who played Borat – joked in the comments: “Wait a minute, you’re Jewish? So, Mazal Tov".
Supporting your people
Before October 7th—considered the most tragic day in Jewish history since the Holocaust—the Israeli actress rarely engaged in political issues or current affairs, because, as she herself quipped, "Who cares what a celebrity has to say about politics?" One exception occurred in 2014, during one of the many clashes between Israel and Hamas, when she posted a photo of herself lighting Shabbat candles with her daughter, Alma. In the caption, she wrote a message of support for the IDF:
“I send my love and prayers to my fellow Israelis – especially to all the boys and girls who risk their lives to protect my country from the horrific acts committed by Hamas, which cowardly hides behind women and children... We will win!!! Shabbat Shalom!” #weareright #freethehamas #stopterrorism #coexistence #lovetheidfd.”
Your post went viral, receiving 200 likes and 15 comments—some supportive, others harshly critical of her stance. But the tsunami of hate on October 7, 2023, coupled with the ensuing global backlash, forced her to break her silence.
That day, some three thousand heavily armed Hamas terrorists breached the fence separating the Gaza Strip and invaded southern Israel. A few kilometers away, they reached the Supernova Music Festival, attended by thousands of young people, and massacred 364 people. They also attacked 22 kibbutzim and small towns, where they burned down houses, destroyed property, committed rapes and murdered entire families without distinction of age or gender.
It was the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the Jewish state. The attackers killed more than 1.200 people, injured thousands, and kidnapped 251 hostages, including a nine-month-old baby, children between three and 12 years old, as well as elderly people over 80 and Holocaust survivors. As of the publication of the magazine, after a few scattered releases and numerous deaths, 50 hostages remain prisoners of Hamas. Since then, Gal has declared the need to speak out on issues such as the global silence regarding the sexual violence suffered by women that day, the barbarity of Hamas, and the kidnapping of people. She has consistently called for the release of the hostages.
About a month after the largest terrorist attack on Israel, Gal Gadot, her husband Yaron Varsano, and Oscar-winning Israeli director Guy Nattiv organized a 47-minute screening of powerful footage gathered by the Israel Defense Forces, depicting some of the atrocities committed by Hamas that day. The screening was aimed at influential Hollywood figures. Once again, Gal was harshly criticized for her initiative.
When the 100th day of the hostages' captivity in Gaza marked, Gal posted a video with a message to the families of the hostages. "One hundred days without them—it's impossible to imagine... The issue of the hostages is present in every home, including mine," Gal said, her hand over her heart. "We must continue to act, and we will not stop until everyone is home." In her speech at this year's ADL, she stated: "This is a time when many of us in the Jewish community have had to find our voice and face the hatred against us, even when it creates tremendous discomfort. This has been the reality for everyone—in every profession, including mine."
But on October 7th, when people were taken from their homes, from their beds—men, women, children, the elderly, Holocaust survivors—and endured the horrors of that day, I couldn't remain silent. I was shocked by so much hatred, by how much so many people think they know when in fact they don't, and also by the fact that the media is often unfair. That's why I had to speak out.
In that same speech, she also condemned anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment, which have become increasingly common in the United States and around the world.
"I never imagined that, on the streets of the United States and in cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and applauding the massacre of Jews," he said. "...Today, none of us can ignore the explosion of hatred against Jews around the world."
The actress continued: “My name is Gal, I'm Jewish, and we've had more than enough Jew-hatred. On October 7th, Jewish women were sexually terrorized, raped, murdered, and kidnapped by Hamas. We've all been waiting to hear words of support from our sisters around the world, and too often, what we've heard is silence. We can't wait any longer; we can't hold our breath and just hope or beg for support from people, groups, or communities who don't want to stand by us. We have to fend for ourselves.” She also made an emphatic plea for the return of the hostages still held in Gaza, stating, “We need to bring them home.”
The ADL said it awarded Gal the prize for using her visibility to amplify the voices of October 7 survivors, advocate for the release of hostages, and demand that global institutions respond to violence against Israeli women.
Snow White
Gal Gadot plays the Evil Queen in Disney's new version of Snow White (2025). The film has been marked by several controversies. When the trailer was released earlier this year, fans on social media commented that Gal's beauty overshadowed that of Rachel Zegler, who plays the protagonist. However, the disagreements between the two actresses go far beyond that.
Zegler reportedly avoided posting photos with Gal on his social media because she is Israeli. In August 2024, he posted a pro-Palestine message alongside the film's promotion, writing: "...and never forget: Free Palestine." The post, which received 8,8 million views, generated death threats against Gal, prompting Disney to beef up her security.
The mega-production, which cost US$270 million, plus another US$100 million in marketing, flopped at the box office.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
On March 18, 2025, Gal Gadot became the first Israeli actress to receive a star at the Hall of Fame, in Hollywood. However, he wasn't the first Israeli to receive a star—that title belongs to producer Haim Saban, one of Hollywood's most successful names, honored in 2017.
The ceremony was attended by coworkers, friends, and her husband and four daughters. During the event, Gal professed her love and gratitude to her family, mentioned her Israeli roots several times, and even spoke a few words in Hebrew. Near the ceremony site, pro-Palestinian protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and were confronted by a pro-Israel group. Police had to intervene after a pro-Palestinian protester snatched an Israeli flag from supporters' hands. Weeks later, her star on the Hall of Fame was vandalized with slogans like "baby killer" and her father's Jewish surname, "Greenstein." In response, Israeli-born Los Angeles resident Yaniv Cohen personally cleaned the star.
Gal's star is the 2.804th to be dedicated in the Hall of Fame, which is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
On several occasions, Israeli Wonder Woman has faced attacks and even death threats for speaking out in favor of her people and her country. She lost a million followers simply for showing support for Eden Golan – Israel's representative at Eurovision 2024 – before the Festival. And her films have been banned in Lebanon, Tunisia, Qatar, and Kuwait simply because she is Israeli. Recently in London, while filming her new film, The Runner, five pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested as they attempted to storm the set and stop production.
Still, Gal Gadot's love for her people is greater than the hatred shown toward her. She stands with us in the fight against anti-Semitism, urging everyone to unite, not remain silent, and always support one another.
