Gal Gadot has clarified her comments claiming that the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict affected her movie Snow White’s performance at the box office.
“I was honored to join an extraordinary interview with inspiring interviewers, whose questions go straight to the heart. Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place,” Gadot, 40, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, August 17. “When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way.”
She added, “They saw me, first and foremost, as an Israeli, not as an actress. That’s the perspective I spoke from when I answered the question.”
Gadot, who hails from Israel, starred as the Evil Queen in the live-action adaptation of Snow White opposite Rachel Zegler in the titular role. The film hit theaters in March, but significantly underperformed at the box office compared to its $200 million budget.
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Gadot recently appeared on The A Talks, which aired on Israel’s Channel Keshet 12 network, and she fielded a question about why the film was considered a “major flop.”
“I was sure that this movie was going to be a huge success, and then October 7 happened,” Gadot told reporters, per The Jerusalem Post, referring to Hamas’ 2023 terrorist attack. “What’s happening in all kinds of industries, and also in Hollywood, is that there’s a lot of pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel.”
In her Sunday social media message, Gadot clarified that anti-Israel perspectives were not to blame for the movie’s lackluster box office standing.
“Of course, the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures,” Gadot wrote. “There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails. Success is never guaranteed.”
During her original interview, Gadot also noted that the entire production was a pleasurable experience.
“First of all, I have to say that I really enjoyed filming this movie,” she said at the time. “I even enjoyed working with Rachel Zegler. We laughed, we talked and it was fun.”
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Snow White had previously sparked backlash for its many deviations from the original source material, including criticism of Zegler’s Latinx heritage.
“I interpret people’s sentiments towards this film as passion,” Zegler, 24, told Vogue Mexico in a March interview, addressing the backlash. “What an honor to be a part of something that people feel so passionately about. We’re not always going to agree with everyone who surrounds us and all we can do is our best.”
