Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot (Hebrew: גַּל גָּדוֹת; born April 30, 1985) is an Israeli actress, film producer, and former model. Born in Rosh HaAyin to Jewish parents, she was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 at age 18, representing her country at Miss Universe later that year. Following her pageant success, Gadot enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces at age 20, serving two years as a combat fitness instructor training recruits in physical conditioning and self-defense techniques. Her acting breakthrough came with roles in action films, including Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious (2009) and subsequent installments, before achieving global stardom as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and the standalone Wonder Woman (2017), where her portrayal emphasized the character's strength, heritage, and combat prowess informed by her own military background. Gadot has produced projects like the Netflix spy thriller Heart of Stone (2023) and remains a vocal advocate for Israel, publicly supporting the IDF and hostages amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas since October 2023, positions that have elicited widespread acclaim domestically but also international backlash, including boycott campaigns by pro-Palestinian groups and disruptions at events like her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

Gal Gadot was born on April 30, 1985, in Petah Tikva, Israel, to Ashkenazi Jewish parents whose ancestry traces to Poland, Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic. She grew up in the suburban town of Rosh Ha'ayin, east of Tel Aviv, in a middle-class household that emphasized family closeness and cultural roots.

Her father, Michael Gadot, pursued a career in engineering, while her mother, Irit (née Weiss), worked as a physical education teacher, professions that shaped a home environment focused on discipline and physical activity. The family included a younger sister, Dana, and maintained strong ties to their Jewish heritage, with Gadot's maternal grandparents having survived the Holocaust.