Gal Gadot Addresses Controversy Around Her Casting as Cleopatra: 'I Want to Celebrate the Legacy'

Gal Gadot isn't bowing to fan fury over her casting as Cleopatra. The Wonder Woman actress has heard complaints that the role in the upcoming biopic was "white-washed" via Gadot's casting and she pushed back against it in a recent interview.

Gadot told the BBC that she doesn't agree with the critique that an Arab or African woman should play the last queen of ancient Egypt. Gadot pointed out that Cleopatra was a Ptolemaic ruler, descended from Macedonians who ruled over the region for hundreds of years.

"First of all if you want to be true to the facts then Cleopatra was Macedonian," she said. "We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn't there, and I was very passionate about Cleopatra."

Gadot said she loves the story of the doomed queen and was going to do her life justice in the upcoming epic from director Patty Jenkins.

"I have friends from 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 said.

Gadot closed on a slightly more confrontational note, asking people who would criticize her casting to make the movie they want to see.

"You know, anybody can make this movie and anybody can go ahead and do it," she said. "I'm very passionate that I'm going to do my own too.”