Gal Gadot has been a hot topic ever since the "Wonder Woman" movie came out. Here are some facts you may not know about the 32-year-old actress.
'Wonder Woman' star Gal Gadot - 5 things to know
Gal Gadot's name means "wave" and "riverbanks" in Hebrew, respectively.
When she was 18-years-old, Gadot was crowned Miss Israel. She competed in Miss Universe in 2004.
Gadot had two years of service as a combat instructor in the Israel Defense Forces.
To train for her "Wonder Woman" role, she underwent Kung Fu, kickboxing, Kung Fu, swordsmanship, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and capoeira training.
Gadot first appeared as Wonder Woman “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” in 2016. Many critics agreed that she was the best part of the film.
Other beauty queens turned actresses
Gal Gadot was not the first beauty queen to successfully cross over from pageants to the big and small screens.
Here are some women who triumphantly made their career transitions from Beauty Queens to television and movie personalities.
Diane Sawyer - Sawyer took home the first prize in America’s Junior Miss competition 1963. She represented Kentucky.
Aishwarya Rai - Rai was primarily a lead actress in Bollywood before she made her way to Hollywood. She was in movies like “Bride & Prejudice” and “Pink Panther 2.”
Priyanka Chopra - Also from India like Rai, Chopra had a prosperous stint in Bollywood before she was a recording artist.
She got the lead in the ABC drama “Quantico” in 2015. She was also in the cast of "Baywatch" with The Rock and Zac Efron.
Halle Berry - Berry made it as the first runner-up in the 1986 Miss USA pageant. She represented the state of Ohio. Berry competed at Miss World and got 8th place. Her movie debut was in 1991’s “Jungle Fever.” Other notable films include “Monster’s Ball” and a recurring role as Storm in the “X-Men” franchise.
Vanessa Williams - Williams was crowned Miss America in 1984, as Miss New York. She was the first black woman to win the title. She renounced from her title after Penthouse magazine intended to release nude photos of her. Unaffected by the controversy, she was able to work her way into becoming a recording artist in the late 80s to early 90s before engaging in acting.
She was in the cast of "Eraser" with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1996 and films like "Shaft," “Soul Food,” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
Did we miss any of your favorite beauty queens turned actresses?
