Gal Gadot

0:00He's like, so I need to talk to you about Giselle's death. And I'm like, she's deaf? And he goes... No, no, no. Her deaf. I'm like, yeah, yeah, I heard you. She lost her hearing? And he goes... No! Die! Die! We're killing her! She's not in the film. I was like, oh, okay. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, Sad, Confused begins now.

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1:31Today's main event, as I said, it's a first-time guest and long overdue, Gal Gadot, one of the most charismatic human beings I've ever had the pleasure of talking to, meeting in the past. She, of course, came to the fore first in the Fast and the Furious movies, but then Wonder Woman just changed everything. And we talk about it all in this conversation. Her journey to becoming an actor was not in the cards early on. her early audition stories, how she almost was furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road, being cast in Fast and the Furious, being cast in BVS, her fascinating journey as Wonder Woman and how it all came to an end.

2:08Very frank conversation there. And what's to come? What's on the docket going forward? Really cool stuff with her. So happy this happened. I know you guys are going to dig this. Without any further ado, please enjoy me and Gal Gadot. Go. It's good to see you. We're doing the podcast. It's good to see you. Oh my God. I'm very excited. I'm very excited. Thank you for taking the time. Finally, though. Finally. You've been on the list. It's long due. You've been on the list for a long time. I'm sad it's not in person, but this is just laying the groundwork for the future, okay? Exactly. Exactly. How have you been?

2:41I've been really good. You? You're doing what? I'm good. Are you in New York or in LA? I'm in New York. Welcome to my New York apartment. Welcome to Midtown Manhattan. My dog is hiding in the other room. in the background and everything. I got my little ET doll over here. There you go. I love it. So I appreciate you. Congratulations on the film. You're taking the time out from one of these crazy junket days. Did you ever imagine that there would be 300 different ways of asking about your running technique? No, it's quite amazing. It always amazes me. So many. And I have the type of mom. I grew up, my mom, she would call me, I don't know how many times a day to ask the same question, also in different variations.

3:22So you've been prepping your entire life. And yet, I'm still shocked by the way people find, you know, it's amazing. But listen, granted, the movie is, I've been running the entire film. It's a thing. It's not normal. We'll get to that. We'll get to that. Before we get to that, though, because this is important. Look, I'm a fan of, there's some GIFs, there's some memes that I just am obsessed with. Let's just get this out of the way. because you know this one. You know the dancing on the set of BVS. Oh, yes. Yes. So I've never heard the context behind this. Like, is this just gall in between takes, just letting loose, basically?

4:00Yes. That's the real me.

4:05Not one of my best moves, but like me when I'm feeling happy. Because you've got the chops. You've got the dancing chops, so that's not your go-to move. that's just you that's not my go-to move no but it's a move have you ever sent a a gif or a meme of yourself to a friend or a loved one yes what can you give me an example it's the wonder woman after the first time she appears on batman superman when she takes off the that one and what's the occasion what's the what's the like different moments when people in my life had done something incredible and they made it i'm like that's you know you've done something good exactly amazing amazing all right let's read the good word of this film congratulations the film is the runner um this is like a lean mean efficient kind of like you know it's in the title go go get what you what the title promises don't you when you when you sign on to something like this like i would think there are two two ways to look at it like oh in some ways this is going to be like I don't not a lot of dialogue it's a lot of physicality I don't have to worry about a lot of dialogue on the other hand wait oh shit I'm gonna be running for 85 % of this movie did both things kind of occur to you as you took this one on it wasn't the first things I would the first thoughts that I had for me I read the script for the first time and it was a very easy read and what What drew me in was the ending, the fact that I could not tell how it's going to end and the twists and turns just blew my mind.

5:47I was like, ah, so good. And I immediately knew that that would be the type of film that I'll enjoy watching. Because usually you go, you watch a film and halfway in you already know how it's going to end, but not with this one, hopefully. I mean, the premise of this basically, like I said, the kind of title tells it all. You are literally like running for I would say 85 % of this movie. It's like, it's like, it's like speed. If you were the bus, you can't go under. it's like a go go go from the get-go i play maya who's a single mom very very dedicated single mom a-type lawyer who goes on a morning run after she drops off her son drops off her son at school and all of the sudden she gets a phone call from an unknown caller who tells her he has her son and If she wants to save her son, she needs to do something for him.

6:45Not allowed to talk to anybody, not allowed to call the police, get on a cab. She has to get from A to B by running and to do what he tells her to do. And that's like... Essentially in real time. And it's really a good way to connect the audience because you automatically put yourself in that situation. and as you said that yeah you've got a demented damien lewis on the other line if i were you i would resent him not only for the things he's saying but also he's got the easiest job in the business for this movie all he's just he's just being come on yeah menace voice that's you know yeah but he's incredible no he's great how does it sit with you i mean at this point in your career we're like this was obviously and we'll get to kind of the career arc but like this was not the plan?

7:33Like, being an actor, let alone being this action star. What do friends and family that you grew up with make of you as this kind of action star icon in film? Well, I don't know. You'll have to ask them. I'm bad with these type of questions when I have to say something for other people. I think that in a way for me, I always as a kid, I always loved to be the center of attention and blah, blah, blah. And I was a dancer and I did performing arts for so many years. I just, I wasn't aware that there's even an avenue for me to become an actor because I come from a family who's very like proper. You finish your school, you need to get a degree, get a real career, blah, blah, blah.

8:25I was on my path on becoming Maya, becoming a lawyer in political science. But I think that the universe has its ways of showing you the right direction. And I'm a big believer that if you're a positive, open-minded person who is proactive, you will always land where you need to be. Did it take you a while to kind of like say the words like I'm an actor like this is yeah. Yeah yeah I remember only after Wonder Woman was when I was would like feel like I've earned the title. I mean that's interesting because you you had a body of work you'd done a bunch of fast movies and some other films and tv by then.

9:13Only after Wonder Woman I was like okay I'm an actress now, you know? Okay, so we'll get to that. Let's backtrack. I want to backtrack a little more on this one, because again, I know you've been talking a lot about the running, but like, I mean, look, we all have different ways of working out a bit. Are you a runner in real life? Is this like one of your go-tos? Oh my God, no. If there's one thing I hate while I work out is running. That's the one you did. So like, it was shocking to me that I said yes to this role, but I'm very happy I did. it's funny because like the thing I dread most I am a runner I run a Central Park nearby where I live and like the thing I dread most is running into a human being that I know like running and this is like look you're you're a Gal Gadot you look pretty good in all contexts generally speaking I would say so well but but still like this is not what people want to see themselves as like did you have to kind of think of like how glamorous or non-glamorous you want to look like because you're you are exerting yourself throughout this movie no i was many days i was wearing no makeup at all yeah because we wanted the way that kevin filmed everything and all of our discussions uh prior uh filming the movie were that we want to keep this move because he comes from yes he did the last king of scotland but also he's done documentaries right documentaries And in a way, we felt that that would be a very, very great way to leverage his skills and film this movie like a documentary almost.

10:52So I wanted her to feel raw. And we wanted her to feel not perfect in any shape or form. So I would have, you know, no makeup or bad makeup and just, you know, do that. Because I think that's also my job as an actress. I'm not supposed to look good. I'm supposed to be truthful to the character that I play. Do you, what's on your playlist when you, if you do run or when you're working out? Like, what's the go-to? What are the artists that you're listening to? Prodigy, if I really need to, like, get in it. infected mushroom if I really yeah but if I do like it's interesting that's when I run right when I run I really need something to get me going when I do like weight work it would be a whole different like beautiful sweet pop jazzy whatever I don't need that but when I run it I need a more smack my beach up Where does Duran Duran fit in?

12:03Because it seemed like, how big a highlight of this past year was seeing Duran Duran in person? You know something? I love them so much. And Patty Jenkins is friends with them. And she invited my husband and I to join them for the concert. And it was amazing. And I grew up listening to the Duran Duran because my dad, like, wouldn't stop listening to them, to the Pesh Mod and to the Pacha Boys. So it was like, it was a full circle. I kept on FaceTiming my dad from Israel, the whole show, the whole concert. Yeah. Is it Hungry Like the Wolf, Rio? What are you singing along to? What's your go-to? Everything.

12:50They're so good. It's so amazing how many hits they have. But Rio, you know, Rio is iconic. Look, you've got a lot of young ones in the house. Do they drag you to concerts? Do you drag them to concerts? Who's tipping off who to musical taste now? It varies, it varies. We go to a lot of concerts together. I feel like now they drag us more than we drag them just because we're so tired. We're the cliche of tired parents right now. I'm in this phase. But I love going on concerts. Have they exposed you to anything that they are obsessed with that you kind of like, OK, I get it. We've been to Olivia Rodrigo.

13:36We've been to Sabrina Carpenter. We've been to all the immediate. The classics, the usuals. Yes, exactly. Exactly. So I don't feel like they found a niche, cool, new, up-and-coming artist yet. Wow. You're saying your kid's musical taste is basic. My daughter wants me to take her now to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. How amazing is that? Good taste. Phoebe Bridgers. That's what you mean. What did I say? Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who's amazing too. Fleabag. Like the writer, that's amazing. But you're talking Phoebe Bridgers, I think, right? Wait a second.

14:12Who am I talking about, Katie? Phoebe Bridgers. Yeah, we got it. We did it. We've been dunking all day. I thought about Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Now I'm realizing that it's... I didn't know the woman that made Fleabag. Now I know. I'll know. I won't be surprised when I get to the concert. And I was telling my daughter. It's like a spoken word performance. I went to her show in London five years ago. and she's like, she was a thing five years ago. Nevermind. Anyway, good to know. We got this. This is like classic me. It's all good. It's all good. More Happy Say Confused coming up.

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16:56Okay. So let's come back around. We talked about early on. Yes. Acting was not the plan. When did, what was like the first big audition? Was it, the lore is Quantum of Solace was a big one. Was that the first big one? Yeah. That was the first ever audition I did for anything. That's a big one to start with. Yes. Okay. I didn't even want to go. You didn't want to go? Yeah. No, because I wasn't an actress. I was like, I was, I had to go to study in college and you know, it conflicted with my schedule in college and I was not planning on going and I was pushed to go and I was like okay I'll go out of respect to the casting director and I think that what helped me so I told I was telling you about the universe as a way of showing you when you're positive and and proactive and all of that.

17:51I think because I was a nice person, I was nice with the casting designer, casting designer, casting director. Yeah. She liked me and then she wanted to, you know, make it happen for me. Cause I walked in and I had this like lip gloss and she was like, oh my God, my lips are so chapped. Can I use some? I was like, here, keep it. because I was like, I'm not going to share figures with Cupid. It was a very good one. And then we were kind of like super warm and friendly with each other. And she really, really, really helped me with the script. She said, I'm here for three hours. Go outside, learn the lines, and I'll help you.

18:40And that's what we did. And she spent a long time in the room with me trying to help me get the best audition I can. That says a lot. And obviously I didn't get the part, which also how rude of me to even think I would ever be able to get the part, that being my first audition. But she was the one to cast me for Fast and Furious. That was the first film I've ever done. So that one leads to Fast. And is that, that's Justin Lin, I think, directed the first one you were in, correct? Right. Do you remember, I mean, those fast movies are insane. Like, even for people that have been making movies for 30 years, those are unusual sets, the way they're made.

19:18It's like the human superhero. Exactly. Do you remember the first couple days on set? Like, the vibe, were you overwhelmed, in over your head, excited? What were you feeling? I was all of the above. I was excited and terrified at the same time. I was overwhelmed by the like, you know, the trailer and crafty. And I was like, you know, why did I? I knew nothing about this world. And all of a sudden I'm here and I'm in L.A. and I'm filming this movie. And it was amazing. But it was also I got very lucky because everyone were so warm and sweet. And there was this sense of, you know, family. Yeah. When I was there.

20:11So it was really, it was a good, it was a good, you know, landing. Yeah. Into this world. How did they deliver the news to you eventually that Giselle was going to seemingly, I'll say now, die? Oh, my God. So I was in Israel and I get a phone call from Justin Lean. and the line is like a little bit like breaking off on and off and Justin is like listen we need to talk there's something I need to share with you is now a good timing and I'm like yeah yeah what's going on and he's like so I need to talk to you about Giselle's death and I'm like she's deaf

20:59no no no her deaf. I'm like, yeah, yeah, I heard you. She lost her hearing. No, die, die. We're killing her. She's not in the film. I was like, oh, okay. Yeah, that was the call. That's crazy. Now, that's amazing. When that death scene happened, was there, we never saw the body right at the time. And clearly now we know she made it. Was there talk at the time? like, we'll see down the line? Or did you at the time think she was gone for good? I was thinking she was gone for good. But then was the one to always tell me, did you see a body? Was there a funeral? Did you see a body? Yeah. So do we know how she made it out alive?

21:54No, we don't. But we don't. How can we know? No, the cameo I've done for the last film is like just, we don't share any information. Right. So you don't know yet. Maybe I know, but I can't say anything. Do you know? Do you? I don't know what I know. I know in life that I don't know anything anymore. Also, when you're dealing with Vin and the scripts change, do we actually think, in your heart of hearts, do you think you're going to do another Fast movie? Vin seems to think hopefully they're going to do another one at the end of the year. What are you feeling, thinking at this point? Would love to.

22:35I think that this became such a cultural event. Like wherever I travel in the world, people talk to me about Fast and Furious. It's amazing how loved this franchise is. And for me, it's like a full circle. It's where I started, it's where it ends. I would love to. Maybe she'll come back deaf this time. Not dead, just deaf. Maybe. I'm always fascinated by the what-ifs. And there's one movie that I've talked to with a lot of actors. Every seemingly, every great actor auditioned for this movie. And you seemingly came very close to being Furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road. I've talked to great actors like Fassbender and Jeremy Renner.

23:18And they've all had very unique experiences auditioning. They all had the experience on Fury Road or on different ones? No, auditioning specifically for Fury Road. It was crazy. This is what I hear. I did my match with Tom Hiddleston. What? And we were in London with Oliver. What's the name of the director? No. Oh, and George Miller. George Miller. Sorry. Yep. And we came to London. I came to London. And I remember walking into this beautiful home in London, into this office, and we stayed there for four hours. And I came with all layers. It was like a winter, cold day in London. And I came out in like a tank top.

24:11It was so intensive, the work that we've done and how much we filmed. They were really like, it was amazing. did you feel i didn't know i'm gonna see hiddleston next week i'm gonna ask him about this do you like did you feel in that moment was there a moment where you thought you might have gotten that role i yeah because i felt good about the work that we did yeah and hiddleston is such an incredible um actor by the way i've never seen him since but he would and i didn't know him back then Like he was like a big theater actor in England. But he was so amazing and it felt really good. But George really knew, you know, he had a vision for what he wanted.

24:58And it's amazing. I didn't know Jeremy Runner was going through the whole process as well. Oh, he was too. Fassbender had a very amusing audition story. Everybody went through it. That's fascinating. So one thing that did lead to obviously the, you know, the role that changed everything was meeting zack snyder which i think was at first for man of steel right that was a role that you talked you talked about one of the roles in that one and then he brings you back and correct me if i'm wrong when he brought you back for bvs is it true you didn't know you literally didn't know it was for wonder woman at the time no so i did an audition in right around Fury Road.

25:38I got the no and I think that FAST just came out and I was deaf. And then I reached a point in my career that I had so many almost, but then I wasn't a big enough of a name or it didn't work out or they went a different direction. I was already a mother and my husband had all of his business in Israel. And I told him, I'm not sure if I want to continue chasing this. This was never my dream to be an actress. And it's too hard. It's like, I can deal with challenges, but this is not up to me. And maybe listening to the universe. All this work and I can't get anywhere. So it's I want to maybe I'll go back to Israel.

26:30I'll finish my degree, whatever. And then my last audition before coming, going back to Israel was for Warner Brothers for a secret audition with Zack Snyder. Right. And again, I think because I was very, you know, warm and myself and like asking questions and, you know, interested in people. Zach and I really connected on the audition. And now I know that I did a scene of Uma Thurman from Pulp Fiction. Oh, okay. Back then, I didn't even realize that. And then I did the audition. It went great, but I went back home. I didn't hear anything from them. And when they called to ask me to come and do the match with Ben for a callback, Zach called me and he was like, I don't know if you have this character in Israel, but did you ever hear about Wonder Woman?

27:33And I was like, dead alive. Yeah, yeah, I did. Yes. Okay, great. So Wonder Woman. All right. And then, you know, I flew to L.A. to do the audition. And good enough. That's the history. Do you remember the moment you, I mean, that's, you know, it's rare to know when you're having a moment in time that this is a moment that is changing your life. But I assume when you get that phone call or email or whatever, that's a moment you'll always remember when you got the role. Yes. I remember everything and I have the worst memory. But it's funny. I remember a lot from all the auditioning process and doing the, and they kept us.

28:20I think there was three of us, three women. They kept us completely, you know, separated from each other. And there were three trailers and we each went out to do the edition and, you know, on our turns and were not allowed to leave the trailer. It was like cuckoo. But it was back in the days where, like, you have to sign all of this confidentiality and everything is secretive and the studio keeps everything tight and you're not allowed to say i don't think we were even allowed to say that ben was batman i i don't remember anymore but anyway um yes the the the moment when when i was told i got the part i flew to new york and i just landed and i opened my phone and i saw like million phone calls from my team by the way it's been like six weeks since I auditioned for the part so I was like fuck them they probably not even you know I already like put it at the back of that compartment and then they told me and then they told me and I was like shocked I was still buckled and we were just we just landed and i opened the phone and then back in the days where you don't have wi-fi while traveling um and then they told me and i went like down on my to my you know with my head to my knees and i started like like that yeah and next to me was sitting a professor for physics a physics professor that the entire flight was teaching me about black holes and all of those things.

30:13And he was like, I shared so much with you. Tell me what happened. And I'm like, I can't. I can't. You'll read about it soon. I wish I could. You read Deadline Hollywood. You check Variety. Just keep reading. Yeah, you'll see. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Instead of all of your science, whatever. Exactly. But yeah, it was amazing. And then I remembered how weird it was because I landed in New York, got to the hotel and I had to fall asleep because I was shooting something the next day early morning. And I was just in bed and I could not fall asleep. And I could not believe I'm supposed to carry this news with me without being able to share it with, you know, anybody but my husband and parents.

30:56Yeah, it was amazing. More Happy Say Confused coming up.

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