Gal Gadot to become first Israeli actor to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
The ‘Wonder Woman’ star says the award gives her ‘fuel’ to ‘continue and doing what I love doing’ as Israeli President Isaac Herzog tells her ‘You were always a star’
Gal Gdot at the 90th Annual Academy Awards in 2018. Photo by Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission. Sign up here to get Haaretz’s free Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox.
While it remains unclear whether Gal Gadot will play Wonder Woman again on the big screen, on Monday the Israeli actress received official recognition of her stellar celebrity status: securing a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gadot is among 31 people who will be honored next year with a star bearing their name on the historic California landmark, as announced by the Walk of Fame organization’s representatives. Israeli President Isaac Herzog tweeted in response: “You were always a star.”
In a video she uploaded to Instagram, Gadot said that her husband was the one who informed her of the award. “I’m so, so grateful and thankful and humbled,” she said, while expressing her gratitude to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. She said the news gives her “fuel” to continue “doing what I love doing.”
Gadot will receive the honor alongside a number of film, television, and sports stars, as well as those from the American music industry. Other 2024 recipients include: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, actors Chris Pine, Christina Ricci, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelle Yeoh, Kerry Washington and the late Chadwick Boseman, musicians Dr. Dre, Gwen Stefani and Otis Redding, as well as former tennis player Billie Jean King.
Gadot, 38, began her career as a beauty queen and model. In 2009, she played a retired Mossad agent with her Hollywood debut in the movie “Fast and Furious,” which also featured Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Since then, she has acted in many films and television shows in both Israel and Hollywood.
In Israel, she acted in the series “Asfur” and “Kathmandu,” as well as a number of other projects, and in Hollywood she performed in several Fast and Furious films.
Gadot’s titular role in “Wonder Woman” made her a Hollywood star. She first played the character in the 2016 film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” A year later, she starred in “Wonder Woman,” performing alongside Chris Pine. The film, which was directed by Patty Jenkins, was an international success.
It also showed that superhero movies with female protagonists can gross as much as any other superhero film, and that this genre of movie can be directed by women.
Gadot returned for the role in additional DC films, and she also starred in the sequel “Wonder Woman 1984,” which was released in 2020. Two years ago, she starred in “Red Notice” alongside Ryan Reynolds, which is considered the highest budget film in Netflix history.
Gadot was expected to play Wonder Woman in a third film in the series under the direction of Jenkins – but in December 2022, DC decided to cancel the movie in order to rebuild their cinematic universe.
In addition to her acting, Gadot has also worked as a producer. Among other things, she announced in 2020 that she would produce and star in a series about the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, with Gadot playing the lead role.
The first star on Hollywood Boulevard, named after director and producer Stanley Kramer, was inlaid in 1960. Today, 2,789 golden stars commemorating key figures in the American entertainment industry are already stamped on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard.
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