GAl GADOT talks about her experience working in Wonder Woman and the challenges faced while portraying an iconic character. Excerpts
Did the scenes from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice impact your work in Wonder WomanIJ
I felt lucky and was grateful and happy that the audience enjoyed my role in that movie. But going onto the next movie — to Wonder Woman—I was very focused on making the character the best she could be. When you try to please the audience, you leave your own truth. You can never please everyone. It’s better to stick to my truth and work toward what I think is best for the character.
What was the most challenging part in this filmIJ
The most difficult aspect of the physical training was the accumulated volume of all of it. Each day, I was training in the gym for two hours, then I’d do horseback riding for a few hours, and then return to the gym for another two hours of martial arts training. I would do this six days a week. It was exhausting! But after two-and-a-half months, I started to enjoy it. Kick-starting that level of training was tough.
How did big actions help shape the characterIJ
We always wanted to find the right emotional tone for each action scene. Director, Patty Jenkins, and I enjoyed doing that, because every action comes from within, and every action actually has emotion, whether it’s excitement, stress or nervousness. It was very important to fine-tune the underlying emotional tone of each action scene.
What was it like working with Patty (Wonder Woman) and Zack (Batman v Superman)IJ
They’re both incredibly talented and great storytellers. Of course, each has a different filmmaking style. I worked with Patty on a stand-alone Wonder Woman movie, it was a lengthier collaboration. With Zack, Wonder Woman was one of several principal characters in BvS and Justice league. Zack has a beautiful cinematic style, unlike any I’d experienced. With Patty, it’s all about the heart of story or character, and how to make the emotional space as specific as possible.
What does Chris Pine, who portrays Steve Trevor, bring to the dynamic between you character, Diana, and Steve.
Chris brings the best thing: Humor. We had great chemistry and made each other laugh the entire production. He is just a fun person to work with and to be around. His sense of humor is a big part of Diana and Steve’s relationship.
What was it like to wear the early-20th century costumesIJ
I loved wearing those costumes. I enjoy watching period movies and the different sets and costumes. I enjoyed the fact that Wonder Woman is a period film; I just love everything about its design.