by Gal Gadot has become globally renowned for her breakout role as Wonder Woman, as well as her appearances in other blockbuster films like the Fast & Furious franchise. While her acting talents and on-screen charisma have captivated audiences worldwide, fewer people may be aware of Gadot’s equally impressive linguistic abilities.
The Israel-born actress is fluent in at least four languages – Hebrew, English, French and Spanish. She has also picked up various other languages to differing degrees over the years. Her multilingual flair allows her to connect with fans and colleagues across the world, and also comes in handy when portraying characters of diverse backgrounds.
Hebrew – Native Tongue
As an native Israeli, Hebrew is understandably Gadot’s mother tongue. In various interviews over the years, she has emphasized the importance of maintaining her Hebrew identity and how speaking the language keeps her closely bound to her homeland.
Despite achieving fame in Hollywood, Hebrew remains her preferred language of communication in her personal life. She and husband Yaron Versano raise their children to be fluent in the language as well. In a 2017 interview, Gadot mentioned how she sings Hebrew lullabies to her daughter each night.
Her attachment to her mother tongue extends to her professional life too. When filming for Wonder Woman, she would call her family back home in Israel to practice Hebrew so as not to lose touch with the language. During press tours too, she insists on doing at least a few interviews in Hebrew to stay connected with fans back home.
English – Breaking into Hollywood
Like most non-native speakers venturing into Hollywood, mastering English was critical for Gadot to land plum roles. Though she found the language challenging initially, her perseverance paid off over time.
She moved to the USA as a teenager and finished high school there. The immersion in an English-speaking environment helped her gain strong proficiency. Though Hebrew continued to be her preference for self-expression, English became her professional language of choice.
Her time in the Israeli army also helped hone her English skills further. As a combat trainer, she had to teach in English to help trainees of various backgrounds understand. This further enriched her vocabulary and command over the language.
Eventually, her mastery over English paved her way into the Fast & Furious franchise. And of course, it was the key that unlocked the coveted role of the Amazonian demigoddess Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as well.
Today, be it while essaying roles, delivering witty talk show interviews or giving inspiring UN speeches, Gadot transitions effortlessly between her native Hebrew tongue and her adopted professional language English.
French – The Language of Love
Gadot has frequently mentioned her fondness for France and the finer things the country offers – right from fashion and perfumes to films and culture. So it is hardly surprising that she set her sights on mastering the language of love.
As a young model traveling the world for shoots, she fell in love with Paris. On work trips to the city, she would insist crew members only speak to her in French. Within a short time, she had picked up enough to become conversationally fluent.
Her role in the Fast & Furious franchise also required her to film several scenes in France. Shooting in real French locations further enhanced her grasp over the language. In later interviews, she spoke excitedly about strolling the streets of France chatting happily to locals in their native tongue.
Gadot has also posted several social media videos where she fluidly switches between English and French. Though she admits she does not get enough practice to maintain complete fluency, her foundation in the language remains strong.
Spanish – The Multilingual Superhero
What does an immortal Amazonian warrior need to save the world from destruction? Besides superhuman abilities and weapons training, a good grip over languages surely helps!
n Wonder Woman 1984, Gadot as Diana Prince finds herself moving across multiple locations in the USA and abroad over several decades. Be it chatting with colleagues in Washington D.C. or whispering sweet nothings with her partner in South America, Gadot pulls off several scenes with convincing Spanish.
In real life too, Gadot seems to have a real knack for Spanish. Though not fluent, she has picked up decent working proficiency in the language. She has mentioned enjoying Spanish music and being able to understand films without subtitles.
As the DCEU expands Wonder Woman’s universe with more multicultural backstories, Gadot is likely to showcase her Spanish skills even more. And her determination to do justice to the character will certainly see her fluency scale even greater heights.
Beyond Fluency
While Gadot’s Hebrew, English, French and Spanish abilities are well-known, her linguistic talents extend even further. Over the course of her acting and modeling career, she has picked up several other languages to varying degrees.
In 2017, a video surfaced showing Gadot greeting a crew member in Mandarin while filming Justice League in China. Though no expert, she managed to surprise everyone by memorizing a few phrases despite her busy schedule.
During her modeling days, she spent several months living with her grandmother in rural Netherlands. Though Dutch did not come easy, she grasped enough to get by day-to-day. Years later, she still manages to understand Dutch, even throwing in a few basic sentences.
Given her Amazonian character’s ancient Greek origins, Gadot also made it a point to master pronouncing Wonder Woman’s catchphrase “Diana Prince” with authentic Greek flair. It is small touches like this that showcase her dedication to getting into the skin of every role.
Her Accent Abilities
Beyond merely speaking multiple languages, Gadot also possesses enviable accent skills. She is able to tweak her speech patterns convincingly based on the character she portrays.
Despite Hebrew being her native language, she speaks flawless unaccented English in real life and on-screen. She has also mimicked an impeccable upper-class London accent for her British characters.
Not one to shy away from challenges, she even took dialect training to portray a Soviet defector in the limited series “In Treatment”. Though the show required only a few Russian lines, she insisted on perfecting the accent – just another testament to her thoroughness.
Connecting with Fans Globally
More than just an acting skill, Gadot leverages her multilingual brilliance to forge genuine connections with fans across the world. She goes out of her way to reach out to non-English speaking admirers in their native language.
Be it Hebrew or Spanish interviews for regional channels, greeting Asian fans in Mandarin at premieres or surprising crowds with an impromptu German speech, her linguistic flair never fails to delight fans. She knows the effort is well worth it to spread positivity and bridge cultural barriers.
As her star power continues rising globally, she also remains committed to highlighting social issues that often get lost in translation. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in 2021, she addressed delegates in English, Hebrew and Arabic on the importance of gender equality.
Summing Up Her Linguistic Superpowers
In many ways, Gadot strikes the perfect balance of brains and brawn much like her iconic superhero character Wonder Woman. Her physicality, acting talent and natural charm pull audiences in. But looking closer, one realizes her intellectual abilities match her physical gifts.
Her fearless pursuit of diverse languages reveals a sharp mind constantly seeking new stimulation. Beyond a superficial grasp of tongues, she delves deeper to understand cultural nuances. She also utilizes her skills to empower communities, again staying true to Wonder Woman’s mission.
As her stupendous success proves, having both beauty and brains in equal measure makes her a force to reckon with. So while she has already conquered the box office and won millions of hearts, Gadot’s brightest years still likely lie ahead.
And as the DC universe expands with more multicultural diversity, so too will the polyglot superhero have more opportunities to showcase her linguistic superpowers. Just like Wonder Woman continues evolving in comics through the decades, Gadot too promises to keep developing her abilities as a multilinguistic global icon.
