The Heart of Stone star has since become a DCEU legend
Gal Gadot became one of the world's biggest stars in 2017 when she made her debut as the legendary DC superhero, Wonder Woman, in Patty Jenkins' film of the same name.
Her performance received rave reviews and the cinematic outing's box office success made her a household name and one of the biggest success stories to come out of the oft-maligned DCEU.
However, in a new interview with S Moda magazine, the actress, 38, got real about the pressures of sudden fame getting to her in the midst of a difficult personal period.
"I remember it as if I had watched it from a moving train," she told the outlet, reliving the year in which she had also welcomed her second child with husband Jaron Varsano.
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"I had just had my second daughter [Maya], she was about eight weeks old when the movie was released and that same month I had to undergo a back operation due to an injury I suffered during filming.
"If you think about it, it's even funny because people would think that in those days I was uncorking a bottle of champagne and feeling the most from the top of Mount Olympus, but I was dealing with many fronts and personal matters," she continued.
"And, in addition, all that sudden exposure and fame… it was very overwhelming."
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She did explain, though, that what helped her deal with it was the feeling that this "social phenomenon" was mostly for her character aka Diana Prince, rather than for her.
"I loved it, but I never felt that everything that happened was about me," Gal said. "I always thought that I was just a recipient for this character. It wasn't me, it was Diana. So that made it much more bearable."
Not only did Gal reprise her role as the Amazonian warrior princess in 2020's sequel , but also through cameos and supporting appearances in several other DC cinematic outings, most recently in 2023's .
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A third film in the franchise was all set, with Gal and Patty slated to return, but was canceled by the newly appointed DC execs James Gunn and Peter Safran last year.
While at Netflix's Tudum fan festival last week, though, she did tease that her journey as Diana Prince may not be over just yet, telling : "Things are being worked behind the scenes and once the right moment arrives, you'll know about it."
Just before news of the third film's fate was revealed, the Israeli model and actress took to Instagram with a heartfelt tribute to the character that made her one of the world's highest paid actresses.
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She wrote alongside a still from the original film: "On this day, a few years ago, was the first announcement that I was going to play Wonder Woman.
"I've been so grateful for the opportunity to play such an incredible, iconic character and more than anything I'm grateful for YOU. The fans. The most amazing, warm, loving fans in the world. I'm still pinching myself to see if I will wake up. Can't wait to share her next chapter with you."
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