Since taking on the role of Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, within the DCEU, Gal Gadot has quickly become one of the most in demand, highly sought after, and beloved A-list actresses in Hollywood right now. Her filmography is packed to the brim with exciting new projects in the next few years to come, including more projects that find her donning Wonder Woman's signature armor and shield yet again.
But long before Gadot had taken up the shield and lasso of truth, she was a steadily working actress, within both mainstream Hollywood and Israeli film circles. She has worked consistently in the realm of action films, but she's also dabbled into some different kinds of drama and romantic comedies. She's also done her fair share of guest appearances in television series, too.
While none of her previous roles can really hold a candle to her tenure as Diana of Themyscira, there are still some hidden gems in her filmography worth checking out that you may not have known about.
Jill Pope (Criminal)
The 2016 film Criminal is hardly a high-quality one. A relatively generic action film, Criminal nevertheless boasts a fairly impressive cast of talent, including Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Alice Eve, and, of course, Gal Gadot. Gadot doesn't get a whole lot to do in this movie, as she plays a deceased character's widow. But in her portrayal of Jill Pope, Gadot makes the most of the little material she does have.
Shown alternately in flashbacks to the deceased character's life, and in the present timeline when she finds herself presented with her harsh new reality, Gadot shines. The few glimpses of their past life together allow her to show her happy, tender, loving side, albeit fleetingly. But it's the meat of the present storyline - when she is heartbreakingly vulnerable at every turn - that allows Gadot to show just what she is capable of.
Mirit Ben Hatush (Kicking Out Shoshana)
The Israeli sports comedy film Kicking Out Shoshana just may have one of the most startlingly not politically correct plots of a film in recent years. After the film's lead character, a famous soccer player, flirts with the girlfriend of a mob boss, the mob boss threatens him and makes him assume the public persona of a homosexual man, knowing the scrutiny he will face in Jerusalem. Of course, hijinks ensue, and all does not go according to plan.
It's hard to believe this sort of film was made as recently as 2014, but indeed it was. Serving as Gal Gadot's first foray into Israeli film, Kicking Out Shoshana finds Gadot assuming the role of the mob boss's desirable girlfriend, Mirit Ben Hatush. Mirit is unhappy in her relationship, and feels trapped, due to her boyfriend's status. But that doesn't stop her from aspiring for more - and desiring more, including the lead character. It's not the most riveting film, or storyline for Gadot's character, but her commitment to the romantic comedy is winning.
Elena Vlaslov (Triple 9)
Yet another 2016 action film that doesn't give Gadot much to do is the Casey Affleck and Chiwetel Ejiofor-fronted Triple 9. Gadot's role in the film is so small, it's truly possible to categorize it as blink and you miss it. But her undeniable allure and screen presence allow her to make the most of the barely two or three minutes of screentime that she has, even when up against Hollywood icons like Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Gadot's character, Elena, is the pampered sister of Winslet's character, the powerful wife of a mob boss. Elena doesn't have very much to do, besides tend to her sister, meet up with her ex and father of her young son, and, well, appear as overall eye candy for scenes that call for them. But Gadot manages to elevate a thankless role into a scene-stealing one.
Herself (The Simpsons)
One of the most impressive distinctions a celebrity can receive in the world of television is to be immortalized as themselves - or another character - with an appearance in the long-running beloved animated comedy The Simpsons. In its over 30 year run, countless celebrities have been given the privilege, and every time another celebrity appears in cartoon form, it's just as impressive as the last time.
Gal Gadot joined the legion of actors, actresses, singers, athletes, and more who have been immortalized in The Simpsons' signature yellow hued form in the season 30 premiere "Bart's Not Dead," which aired in September 2018. In the episode, Bart's lies about a religious near-death experience lead to Christian filmmakers wanting to tell his story, and Gadot appears as herself during auditions for the film.
Shank (Ralph Breaks The Internet)
It's another truly unique sign of success when an actor is chosen to give voice - and likeness - to a Disney character. Gal Gadot finally received that distinction when she was cast as the character of Shank in Ralph Breaks the Internet, the long-awaited 2018 sequel to 2012's Wreck-It Ralph. Ralph Breaks the Internet continued the lively adventures of Ralph and Vanellope, now traveling not only through the world of arcade gaming, but through online gaming, too.
Over the course of their adventures, Ralph and Vanellope encounter Gadot's Shank, the lead character of an MMORPG car racing game called Slaughter Race. Casting Gadot for the high stakes driving character role clearly plays upon her history as part of the Fast and Furious franchise, which makes her performance all the more enjoyable as Shank embodies the roles of both badass and kindhearted mentor to the young Vanellope.
Host (Saturday Night Live)
Hosting Saturday Night Live isn't something that everyone can do. Improvisational comedy, scripted comedy, and live comedy are all very different things, and Saturday Night Live requires its performers to be game for all three things - even when their background isn't in anything remotely akin to comedy. But when she hosted an episode of SNL in October 2017, Gadot proved herself to be quite the gifted comedienne, even with material that could have been much stronger.
Gadot's episode found her taking on the roles of a clueless woman on a first date with OJ Simpson; a talk show host with a peculiar method of helping her guests; Kendall Jenner in a commercial for E!; a dream woman in a mirage; a new take on Cinderella; and, of course, Wonder Woman himself when a lesbian couple found themselves unexpectedly stranded on Themyscira. All throughout the episode, Gadot was game to take on whatever material was handed to her, and showed that she has some real comedic chops, too.
Natalie Jones (Keeping Up With The Joneses)
A film that combines two of Gal Gadot's biggest wheelhouses - both comedy and action - is the 2016 film Keeping Up with the Joneses. Although it received poor reviews and didn't perform very well at the box office, Keeping Up with the Joneses is a relatively enjoyable comedy featuring an incredibly talented main cast, consisting of Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, and Zach Galifianakis.
In the film, Gadot stars as Natalie Jones, one half of the absurdly perfect couple of the Joneses, along with Jon Hamm, who turn out to be secret agents, much to their neighbors' surprise. As Natalie, Gadot gets to show her considerable badass action girl talents, while also playing the perfect homemaker, a supportive friend, and an occasionally tempestuous minx. It's one of the most versatile roles she's gotten to play in her career, even if the project itself isn't exactly the best.
Gisele Yashar (Fast and Furious Franchise)
Arguably the role that put Gal Gadot on the map in Hollywood was her tenure as Gisele Yashar in three of the incredibly popular Fast and Furious films. First introduced in 2009's Fast & Furious, Gisele would go on to be a major player in the franchise, and a total badass to boot. With a history in the world of secret agents, Gisele made for a considerable asset to the Fast team, whenever it came to navigating treacherous deals.
She also developed a romantic relationship with one of the series' most beloved players, Han Lue, that would sadly end in heartbreak when Gisele sacrifices her own life to save him during a heated confrontation with the enemy in 2013's Fast & Furious 6. While Gisele wasn't part of the franchise for very long, her role as a key figure in the franchise cannot be disputed - nor can the effect that her time in the world of Fast had on the overall trajectory of Gadot's career.