Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

IN THE MOVIE, BATMAN SAYS TOWONDER WOMAN, SHE NEEDS TO BE OUT TO BE AN INSPIRATION FOR PEOPLE. DOYOUFEELRIGHTNOWBEINGSUCHABIG STAR, YOUHAVE THERESPONSIBILITY TOBEAROLE MODEL FOR YOUNGGIRLS? GAL GAdOT: It’s funny because I never thought about it when I just got the part, but I do feel the importance of the way that I carry myself and the message that I have to the outside world now. And especially and maybe because I’m a mother of two girls, you know, we live in such an era where social media is so strong and there are so many people that have so many followers and they take photos of them with their bikini and nice pictures of food or whatever. I think it’s a waste of power because I think that if you have so many people that look up to you, each and every one of us, like I’m not special as people might think, I’m just an actress who had the luck to portray this character. But I think that each and every one of us has a message, has an agenda, it doesn’t necessarily have to be big. And I think that if people would have… I’m not saying that no-one is doing it, so many people they do use their social media in such amazing way but some aren’t and I think that if they would have, then it would create such a great environment for children, at the end of the day. So yeah, when I have encounters with fans and especially when they’re young, when they’re on the younger side, it’s important for me to show them something that is good and yep, I think about it. IS THAT PRESSURE THOUGH? TO BE SEEN AS BEING PERFECT LIKEWONDERWOMAN? DO YOU EVER DO STUFF THAT WONDER WOMAN WOULDNEVERDO, AGUILTY PLEASURE PERHAPS? GALGAdOT: I’m not perfect [laughs]. Everyone that knows me will tell you that I’m not perfect. But I’m not trying to be perfect and this is something that even to myself, because we to ourselves we always try to be perfect. We always try to be the perfect mothers, the perfect daughters and sons and workers and the perfect make sure the house is tidy da da da. Like, we can’t do everything. So even to myself I’m like, ‘It’s OK that it’s not perfect.’ So I’m just focusing on present and being present wherever I am and giving my 100 per cent wherever I am and just try to enjoy the journey. Because we can’t live up to these crazy expectations. THE WONDER WOMAN FILM IS A COMING OF AGE STORY BUT IN THIS FILM, WONDERWOMAN IS MORE A MOTHER FIGURE OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, ESPECIALLY FLASH. BEING A MOTHER YOURSELF, DID YOU DRAW ON THAT TO PORTRAY HER DIFFERENTLY HERE THAN IN THEWONDERWOMAN MOVIE? GAL GAdOT: I think that diana in her core is the same character. She’s full of love and she’s full of compassion and she cares about people. This story in Justice League is not about her, it’s a much bigger story. We’re introducing so many beautiful characters. And I think that diana feels some kind of responsibility for both Flash and Cyborg because they bring them to the team and they have no experience. They never wanted to be in this world, they never fought before and they are humans, they could get killed and she cares for them. So I think that the character is the same, obviously she’s more experienced now she has more understanding about the world but at core she’s just who she was in Wonder Woman as well. YOU’VE HAD SUCH AN AMAZING YEAR GAL, WHAT IS THEMOST INCREDIBLETHINGTHATHASHAPPENED IN2017? OTHERTHANTHE SUCCESS OF THE FILM. GAL GAdOT: I had a baby. I had a baby six weeks before we started to go to the press for Wonder Woman. during the press tour I had a back injury and then when the movie was out I had to take care of it and it was so crazy because on the one hand the most amazing things had just happened—I’d brought new life to the world, I have another new daughter and the movie. It was like two deliveries really! [laughs] And then broke my back. [laughs] And then because everything was happening all at once, it’s like you can’t even get a hold of it, it’s so overwhelming that I know myself by now, I understand what is happening with me only retrospectively. So I know that in a year or two from now, I’ll be like, ‘Wow…’ I don’t know what to say because I don’t know how I’ll feel. It’s like I’m so overwhelming and it’s so great and I’m so grateful and thankful and lucky for all that happened this year. I feel bad for 2018 because how can you top that! [laughs] But it’s been amazing. HOWWAS ITHOSTING SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE? GAL GAdOT: Crazy. So I said ‘yes’ before I even knew what I was actually getting myself into. I love the show, they came with the offer and I was like, ‘Yes, great, let’s do it!’ And then it’s like, listen, I admire these people and this machine, it’s such an amazing oiled machine, they work like no-one else. Fast and non- stop and so good. And I enjoyed it. It was very stressful, English is my second language and they change everything by the minute but it was a wonderful experience, super intensive, with great people. It was an experience. YOU WERE PREGNANT WHEN YOU WERE FILMING ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ – HOWWAS THAT? GAL GAdOT: We’d been working for like three months or so before I got pregnant and then I got pregnant and we shot most of it on stage with bright lights and green screen and I started to get migraine and feeling sick. So I started to come to set with like big shades and Ezra [Miller] is like, ‘Woah, woah—look who’s becoming Hollywood right now. What’s up babe? Are you giving the distance now?’ [laughs] And I was just trying really hard not to vomit. And it’s been intensive, I made it work. I made sure most of the heavy-lifting stuff was shot before so when I got pregnant it was easier. But it was challenging but it worked eventually. WHOKNEWTHE FIRST? GAL GAdOT: Jason [Momoa] was the first one to come to me... HOW DID YOU DO ALL THE STUNTS AND THE FIGHT SCENES? GAL GAdOT: The heavy-lifting stunts were done before I got pregnant. So I knew that the other stuff would be CGI so it was safe. WONDER WOMAN WAS TO BE MADE AN HONORARY AMBASSADOR FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OFWOMEN ANDGIRLS BY THEUN... GAL GAdOT: Was. ANDTHENRETRACTEDQUICKLY. GAL GAdOT: I know. WHATARE YOURTHOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? GAL GAdOT: You know I think they had different characters like, I don’t want to just say, but I heard that Peppa Pig or I don’t know, they had like different characters. WERE YOUBEATENBY PEPPAPIG? GAL GAdOT: [laughs] No, but it’s their decision, I found it really strange but it is what it is. I thought it could have been a really good… SHE’S STUNNING, SHE’S KICK-ASS? GAL GAdOT: It’s all about women empowerment and fairness and equality and good values—love and acceptance. So I didn’t understand. WHEN YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER THAT WOMEN HAVING THESE IMPOSSIBLE STANDARDS TO LIVE UP TO—ARE YOU SAYING THAT ALL WOMEN ARE WONDERWOMEN INAWAY? GAL GAdOT: Right. I always say that. Yeah [laughs] WONDER WOMAN HAS BECOME SUCH AN ICON, ESPECIALLY FOR A NEW GENERATION. WAS IT ODD TO YOU, HER ATTIRE ANDWAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOUTRIEDTOCHANGE? GAL GAdOT: No, definitely no, I love the costume and talking about everything that is going on in Hollywood right now, but I read a quote that Cate Blanchett said, she said, ‘Every woman wants to look sexy but it doesn’t mean that they want to have sex with you.’ And I think that it has to do with the costume because we want our superheroes to look strong and attractive. Superman and Batman, they’re all very built and they look amazing. And Wonder Woman, like I love the fact that we show her legs, I love the fact that we show my shoulder and I’mnot wearing anything to cover myself. I think that the fact that she’s not covered doesn’t make her any lesser. So I really liked the costume. 8 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I