Gal Gadot says learned to love running for role in new thriller

Israeli actress Gal Gadot said she looked like “Phoebe from [TV sitcom] Friends” when she first started running to prepare for her role in the film “The Runner,” slated for release next week.

(Phoebe Buffay, a character in the television show that ran from 1994 to 2004, had a wild, arms-and-legs-flailing running style.)

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“Running is not a part of my life. I hated running before so I had to literally learn how to run and prep for nine months,” the Hollywood star told the Associated Press at the Los Angeles Premiere of the film on Friday.

Gal Gadot says she ran like "Phoebe from 'Friends'' before training for her latest film "The Runner."#GalGadot #TheRunner pic.twitter.com/DGtyOKN8D6

Gadot said her “amazing Olympic trainer,” former British Olympic sprinter Malachi Davis, taught her how to “love-ish” running.

The action thriller will premiere on Amazon’s Prime Video platform on Sept. 2.

It stars Gadot, who portrays Maia Marten, the main protagonist, and Damian Lewis (“Homeland”), a mysterious caller who commands Marten to carry out a series of cryptic missions through London if she wants to save her abducted son.

The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald and written by Mark Gibson.

Film sets ‘besieged’ by anti-Israel activists

The production of The Runner was delayed several times due to a series of anti-Israel protests in the United Kingdom that disrupted filming.

At one point it was moved from Camden in Inner London to east London for a “secret day of filming” to evade anti-Israel protesters, the Daily Mail reported in October 2025.

Production went ahead despite reports saying that Gadot was considering nixing the filming in London.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman was cited by the Daily Mail report as saying, “Protesters have repeatedly disrupted filming at locations across London, which has led to five arrests for various offences including harassment. While we absolutely acknowledge the right to peaceful protests, we have a duty to intervene when this crosses the line into serious disruption or criminality.

“Officers have been deployed where needed to ensure the safety of all those involved in the filming and those legitimately protesting,” the spokesman added.

The report added that production of the film had been “besieged” by activists over at least 20 days this year. The anti-Israel protesters would share information via social media regarding the filming locations.

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