Gal Gadot ran like 'Phoebe from Friends' before training for new action movie

Gal Gadot has joked that she used to run like "Phoebe from Friends" before undergoing intensive training for her new action movie, The Runner.

In the British action thriller, the Wonder Woman actress plays a high-powered lawyer who is thrust into a dangerous chase across London after her son is abducted.

During an interview with The Associated Press at The Runner's Los Angeles premiere on Thursday, Gadot admitted she had to spend months training because she was not an experienced runner.

"I had to (train) because I am not a runner. I'm not Tom Cruise and running is not part of my life. I hated running before, so I had to literally learn how to run and prepped for nine months with the most amazing Olympic trainer that taught me how to love(ish) running," she said.

The Justice League star joked that before her training began, she used to look like Lisa Kudrow's character Phoebe, who runs with a heavy-footed, ungainly stance and flailing arms in a 1999 episode of Friends.

"That was like where we started. Maybe my arms were more in control, but definitely not the best form," Gadot quipped.

While running hasn't been at the forefront of her previous projects, the 41-year-old has run on screen before during her time as Wonder Woman between 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2023's The Flash. She has also appeared in several action movies including Red Notice, Heart of Stone and four Fast and Furious instalments.

The Runner, which also stars Damian Lewis and Alfred Enoch, will be released on Prime Video on 2 September.