Gal Gadot was awarded the #SEEHER award at the 2018 Critics Choice Award. It’s an award to honor women who bring “accuracy and integrity, challenging female stereotypes both on screen and within the entertainment industry.” Her take on Wonder Woman earned Gadot great praise throughout the year and the introduction by director Patty Jenkins places that in context:
“She didn’t do it for the glory. She didn’t do it for the fame. She’s not here for the money. She did it for us. She knew the great importance of this character and what she could mean to the world if well done”
Gadot also helps to cement this when she takes the stage, using the platform to talk a bit about her desires as an actress and why Wonder Woman was perfect for what she wanted:
“Throughout my career, I was always asked to describe my dream role,” began Gadot. “It was clear to me that I wanted to play a strong and independent woman — a real one…
“[Wonder Woman] is full of heart, strength, compassion, and forgiveness. She sees wrong that must be made right. She takes action when everyone around her is idle. She commands the attention of the world, and in doing so, she sets a positive example for humanity … She gets confused, insecure, and she’s not perfect — and that’s what makes her real.”
She then switches gears for a bit to move away from Wonder Woman and talk about Hollywood as a whole, showing her solidarity with the ongoing #MeToo movement. Gadot highlights the number of women directors and actresses that have been placed at the forefront of projects over the years and how things have changed since she began acting. And before finishing up, she dedicates the award to who have taken a stand:
“Although this is progress, there is still a long way to go. We’ve been witnessing a movement in our industry and society and I want to share this award with all the women and men who stand for what’s right…
“We will continue to band together to make strides uniting for equality.”
The speech was certainly a highlight of the night, but as Vanity Fair points out, it wasn’t the only moment that mentioned #MeToo and “Time’s Up.” Olivia Munn made mention of the ongoing movement and sexual harassment scandal throughout Hollywood many times as host for the night, teaming with Niecy Nash for a bit that made fun of Mark Wahlberg’s salary for All The Money In The World, the men in attendance that aren’t terrible yet, and those at the Golden Globes that kept quiet about the current events.
(Via Vanity Fair)