There are a succession of challenges that confront any theatrical release, and Israeli actress, singer, businesswoman, and model Gal Gadot probably thought she’d encountered the entire menagerie of mood hoovers in the wake of the Covid outbreak.
Her movie, Death on the Nile, a sumptuous and seductive struggle down the middle of Egypt from the pen of Poirot and the problem-solving mind of Agatha Christie, ebbs and flows between murder, mystery, and intrigue in almost the same way as the SS Karnak acts as the vehicle for the plot, was intended for a 2020 release. Still, the limitations of the pandemic meant the schedule ran aground badly.
Ultimately though, the listing of the vessel came as much through the sexual allegations against co-star Armie Hammer in March 2021, meaning one of the most anticipated solo releases of the year was pushed back even further in the schedules.
Now, with the project setting sail again, 36-year-old Gadot is promoting a movie that takes her away from the superhero and romantic comedy persuasions for which we have come to know and love her.
Perhaps after her ill-conceived celebrity-draped rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine during the lockdown, the actress felt she needed to push a bit harder into dramatic delivery; and few would say she hasn’t succeeded with a production that combines elegant scriptwriting with slick cinematography.
And yet further criticism comes her way with the upcoming Cleopatra, with talk of Hollywood’s whitewashing of historical figures still alive and well.
It’s all a lot for an actress with a kind heart to take. After all, in interviews, Gadot is open, frank, and truthful. She takes pride in her achievements on the one hand and is meek and self-deprecating in another.
In total, she is honest and someone the industry needs to praise, not berate, for her efforts to bring a global fanbase of film appreciation back together.
STRIPLV: After a movie like Wonder Woman with all the stunts and action sequences, did you long for a drama or rom-com or something more sedate and easier on your body? Was that the thinking behind Death on the Nile? GADOT: Well, luckily, you know when you get something from the mind of Kenneth Branagh, it’s going to have all the richness and depth that some other types of movies perhaps do not have. The fact Kenneth was starring in this as well as directing it was a big thing for me as well, so yes, I guess you are right, it definitely felt like the right movie at the right time, even though getting this to a point of even talking about it has taken a very long time indeed. STRIPLV: What appealed most about this story? GADOT: Well, I love the superhero genre, the feeling of power, and the leaning on a fantasy adventure, and I will always want to satisfy that yearning in my movie career, and the riles I take on; but at the same time, I also like the fact there was no need to do extraordinary moves and fight scenes, wear superhero costumes or do a tremendous fitness routine before the filming started. I got to wear some amazing, normal clothes, well, there were outfits that you would expect in a period drama of this nature, and it felt great. I was joking with lots of the other actors and people involved in the film that I found it so much easier because the only thing that I had to do in the movie was act. (Laughs) There was no need for me to be doing any action scenes in the water or being high up in the air. Nothing like that. STRIPLV: Does that make you feel more of an actor, in a way? GADOT: I think that’s a fair question, and I know what you mean by it. In a very truthful and honest sense, you cannot fall back on or rely on special effects. It’s all you and the people around you, and in many ways, you need that reassertion of raw ability in projects every now and again to reconnect you with reality, so I was happy to do that and, I hope, happy to prove that I can still do it. STRIPLV: We have emerged out of the pandemic, having learned a number of lessons, and a lot of those you have talked about seem to revolve around the challenges you had when home-schooling. You have three daughters. How did you find it, and if you could, how would you rate yourself? GADOT: (Laughs) Regardless of how I felt that it went, it would be really so much better to ask my children. It was so difficult to be put in that position because we all help our kids with their homework. But that is so much different. When you’re asked to do so much work with your kids each day, and they are used to it no more than you are, it’s a tough thing to do. The one thing I was more concerned about was that I felt like I was being the bad guy. They are more used to me being a mom and us doing the good things together, playing and doing nice things, not so much being the one who is telling them that they have to get their work done and all that. When we first started, it was really hard making sure that the girls were ready on time. I was left there calling them with literally minutes left before the lessons began. But I remain so thankful to their school and the teachers and people who were able to make it happen. With Zoom access, the learning materials, and all of that stuff I didn’t know too much about, they were so great. STRIPLV: What would you rather be teaching them? GADOT: I would just stick to the motherly things such as loving them as much as I can and unconditionally, teaching them that no matter what happens, everything in life is relative and that they need to always put things in perspective. The thing about life is that there is always something going on; there are always negative people, there is always a situation in life that, if you let it, can cause you to lose focus from the things that you need to concentrate on. I will try to help them with staying grounded. STRIPLV: You’ve been Miss Israel, you’ve been in the Israeli army, you’ve gone to have a very successful movie career. Where do you get your drive and ambition from? GADOT: My father and mother encouraged me and my sister to be very independent and strong-minded. They wanted us to be very self-confident and believe that we could accomplish anything in life if we were serious and determined and worked hard. I also did a lot of sports, like volleyball and dodgeball, and basketball, and learning to be very competitive. It kind of gives you an extra edge where you push yourself harder. All of that helped me when I started living in Los Angeles, and you have to be very tough-minded if you want to succeed, especially when a lot of people want to put you in only certain kinds of roles. I had to work very hard to prove myself and avoid playing sexy roles or parts where you’re just the “girlfriend” supporting the man. STRIPLV: What’s interesting about your career is that right when things were beginning to take off for you; you decided to start a family? GADOT: It was the right time for me. I’m so happy to be a mother and being able to experience this beautiful, joyful feeling I have being with her. I’m glad that I had my first daughter in my twenties because I think it’s much easier to raise a child before your career takes off. Many women today believe that they should wait until they’ve already established themselves in their careers before having children. But I thought it was better for me to have a child sooner rather than later because when you’re in your thirties, that’s probably the time when you’re working harder than ever in your job, and that’s an even busier time. STRIPLV: You’ve mentioned your mother as being a kind of “wonder woman” in her own way? GADOT: My mother has been a major influence in my life and that of my sister. Both my father and mother raised us to be very capable and independent women with a strong sense of ourselves and a positive outlook on life. That kind of spirit is very important. I grew up believing in myself and thinking that I would be able to accomplish the goals I set out for myself. My mother was the one who taught me to have big dreams and go out into the world with a sense of adventure. STRIPLV: You’ve had to defend calls of whitewashing from those who feel that the role of Cleopatra should have been played by an Egyptian actress. GADOT: While I understand what people were saying about the concerns that I am not an Egyptian actress, that much is obviously true. But if those who are wanting the true history to be portrayed as accurately as possible know the history, they will recognize that Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek. Going back to the casting for the movie, we, as a group working on the film were wanting to be true and honest to her history and native home. So, we were looking for a Macedonian actress to play the role. Unfortunately, that was not something we could find, and I am such a passionate advocate of Cleopatra, and I know so much about her life and how she ruled Ancient Egypt for 21 years before she died in August 30 BC. The thing about people is that we are all humans across the world, and no matter what our heritage is, we can understand history and learn so much about it. With my understanding of Cleopatra, it’s my belief that she is such an icon of history, and I admire her so much. STRIPLV: You’ve also written this film, so when you say you have a great understanding of Cleopatra, you have your chance to demonstrate that. GADOT: I hope it will prove that in taking on such a huge task writing a movie about a real-life figure from a long time ago in the world’s history, I have been very serious about it, I have treated the memory and historical truth of Cleopatra with respect and done her justice. It’s a celebration of what an unbelievable person she was. I went with the things I knew about her, the things that have been spoken about her reign and the fact that she was a very clever ruler, a very brave ruler, and the fact that a woman could rule a power like Ancient Egypt is amazing. This is my celebration and admiration of that. STRIPLV: Tell us about when you auditioned for the part of the Bond girl in Quantum of Solace, hadn’t you (the role that was played by Olga Kurylenko)? GADOT: Yes. At first, I didn’t want to go to the audition. It was being held in London, and I told my agent that my English wasn’t that good, I wasn’t an actress, and there was no way I would get the job. Also, I had just started studying law in Israel, and I saw my life in a different way then, but finally, my agent kept calling me and persuading me, and I decided to go after all. Even though I didn’t get the part, the entire experience and process of auditioning and working on my acting made me realize that acting was my next big goal in my life. Acting was something I knew instinctively that I could be good at, and all my friends told me that I should give it a shot. Then three months later, I won the part in Fast and Furious 4, and doing those films gave me the chance to show what I could do. I’m sure the work I did in those movies helped me get the role of Wonder Woman because Zack (Snyder) knew that I could play a tough and physically aggressive woman. There are lots of fight scenes, and I had to learn to do swordplay as well as martial arts kind of stuff. One thing I want to get better at, though, is the lasso. That’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be! (Laughs) The army never trained me for that! STRIPLV: Was it hard for you to endure some of the initial criticism of your being chosen to play Wonder Woman? GADOT: That was a long time ago, but yes, people were complaining that my boobs weren’t big enough and that I was too skinny. It’s the same old story my entire life. But people forget that the real Amazons had only one breast so that it would make archery easier! I don’t think that there should be one ideal female form. Women are very diverse and wonderful beings, and it is more important to have a strong sense of self and purpose to be able to go out in life and make the most of it. STRIPLV: You’re married, you have three children, and a fantastic career. Do you feel that as a woman, you have it all now? GADOT: It’s always difficult for women to meet the expectations we have of ourselves now. We’re always trying to please everyone as well as our own ambitions, and we can never manage it. We place probably too much pressure on ourselves because we want to be the best wife, the best mother, and be very successful in our careers. We want to spend as much time as we can with our child, but of course, we also want to be able to work and have very full lives. Women have a lot more freedom now, but because our roles are changing in society and that means we have to adapt our thinking to what it means to be a successful and happy working mother. STRIPLV: What do you think has been the most crucial factor in your success? GADOT: I think believing in myself has been the key. Also, having a lot of ambition and a very positive attitude in life. If you believe in yourself and have the kind of drive to excel at whatever you set out to do, that’s going to play a big part in helping you realize your dreams.
RED NOTICE NETFLIX PREMIERE STRIPLV: How good does it feel to be out here live with all of these fans? GADOT: Oh my god, it feels so good! I missed seeing the fans and being so close to them; it’s amazing. STRIPLV: How much preparation went into the action scenes for this movie? GADOT: A lot, a lot, but I feel like we got so lucky because the three of us have the background of an action movie. And we’ve all worked on them before, so it was pretty smooth. We had to put in the time, but it was pretty smooth and fun. STRIPLV: Do you like playing a villain? GADOT: Yes! (smiling broadly) STRIPLV: Are you getting used to playing a villain? GADOT: Yes, I could; why not? STRIPLV: What is your favorite part about playing the bad girl? GADOT: Basically, I love to play women that are not expected. That are cheeky. That they have this femme fataleish vibe to them. STRIPLV: Do your kids know that you are the Gal Gadot? GADOT: They know that I am an actress and famous and that. For them, they just know I’m mom. Mima. STRIPLV: How does the action in this movie differ from the action you did in Wonder Woman? GADOT: You know it changes every time. When you work with a different director. And a different second unit director who is the stunt choreographer. And this time around, I basically. I feel like Rawson Thurber is a wonderful director. He shot a movie during the pandemic. We were one of the first to go back. He was amazing. The style and the elegancy of the moves were so important to him. And our second unit director did an amazing job. STRIPLV: Is it more fun to play the hero or the villain? GADOT: Both are fun it has to do with all of the contexts. With the script. I got really lucky because, with Wonder Woman, I feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world that I can get inside her boots and play this super badass iconic character. And with this one, I feel like Rawson Thurber, who also wrote the script, gave us so much real estate to play with that we could make the characters interesting, multilayered, and delightful. And it was a lot of fun.