Gal Gadot.Photo: Gregg DeGuire/Getty
Gal Gadotis speaking out about being cast asCleopatrain an upcoming biopic about the historic queen of Egypt after facing a backlash.
In an interview withBBC Arabic, interviewer Sam Asi asked theWonder Woman 1984star, “Some Egyptians say that this is whitewashing. How do you respond to that?”
Gadot replied, “First of all if you want to be true to the facts then Cleopatra was Macedonian,” adding, “We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn’t there, and I was very passionate about Cleopatra.”
“To me, as a people lover, and I have friends across the globe, whether they’re Muslims or Christian or Catholic or atheist or Buddhist, or Jewish of course, people are people, and with me, I want to celebrate the legacy of Cleopatra and honor this amazing historic icon that I admire so much.”
She added, “But you know, anybody can make this movie, and anybody can go ahead and do it. I’m very passionate that I’m going to do my own too.”
Gadot revealed in October that she would play Cleopatra and co-produce the film.Wonder Womanfilmmaker Patty Jenkins is directing the biopic.
“I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life,” Gadottweetedat the time. “Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can’t be more grateful about this A team!! @PattyJenks @ParamountPics#AtlasEntertainment #LaetaKalogridis.”
The casting choice received criticism withThe Guardian’s Hanna Flint calling it “a backwards step for Hollywood representation.”
Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, a descendant of Ptolemy, a Macedonian general who served under Alexander the Great.
According toEntertainment Weekly, another Cleopatra film, withAngelina Jolieas the titular character, was announced in 2011 and in development at Sony Pictures but never materialized.
source: people.com
