Why Gal Gadot Almost Quit Acting

Onscreen superhero Gal Gadot almost quit acting. I know, you’re probably thinking, how could she think about quitting? She’s so impressive and so successful. But that wasn’t always the case.

Until “Wonder Woman,” Gadot wasn’t a huge star, and was often passed over for roles. And getting rejection after rejection can make you rethink why you’re chasing after a dream that isn’t working out. (We’ve all been there in one way or another.)

The 32-year-old Israeli model, actress, and mother opened up about her past struggles in Glamour UK’s December issue:

Before I got “Wonder Woman,” I was thinking about never coming back to Los Angeles, [I thought I’d] stay in Israel, work as an actress here and there, go back to university and do something else. Because there had been so many ‘no’s. You go to the audition and you have a callback, then another callback and then a camera set-up, and people are telling you your life will change if you get this part. And then you don’t get it. I reached a place where I didn’t want to do that anymore. My husband has a lot of work in Tel Aviv, and we had a daughter, so taking them to LA to fish for work put a lot of pressure on me. I was like, “Why am I doing this?” Hearing no, over and over, I was thinking, “What am I good for?” And that’s when I got “Wonder Woman.”

Before pursuing acting, Gadot was in law school, but never really saw herself as a lawyer:

You convince yourself to do these things… “I’ll be a lawyer so I can make peace and people will be able to reach agreements.” Whereas, in real life, lawyers deal with conflict non-stop. Conflicts are not good for me. I’m all about harmony and Zen. So I’m happy it didn’t work out. I would be the sh*ttiest lawyer.

We get it. I mean, how often do we convince ourselves to want things we don’t actually want?

Gadot, who is outspoken about feminism and parenting, recently posted on Instagram about how she believes women and survivors, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations and scandal:

A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) on Oct 13, 2017 at 7:17am PDT

Despite her fame, however, what makes her happiest is being a mom:

Sleepless night , colic 3 months old baby and an early wake up by my 5 year old. Went to the garden to get some fresh air with my coffee to help me wake up and now watching The Cat In The Hat with my daughter. It always amazes me how the most simple things are the ones to make us the happiest . 📸 taken by my other sleepy half @jaronvarsano 😊😳😴😘👶🏼👧🏼❤🍭👻

A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) on Jun 17, 2017 at 10:08am PDT