Gal Gadot's grandfather was the inspiration for Wonder Woman's message

Gal Gadot's grandfather played a huge part in the development of her Wonder Woman character after urging the actress to lead a compassionate life.

The Israeli star talked about her grandad's message when she first met director Patty Jenkins to discuss the character, and both ladies were committed to making sure Wonder Woman came with a powerful message.

"When Patty and I first met, we were having dinner in this restaurant and we started talking about our families and about life," Gal tells WENN. "I told her about my grandfather, who was a Holocaust survivor, and he had taught me that no matter how dark it gets in life, you need to find your inner light and be compassionate.

"I think that compassion is a big thing and it was very important for both of us that this movie has a message - that it's not necessarily this superhero movie where the bad guys are being killed by the good guys at the end.

"We wanted to have a profound message that everyone can relate to and everyone can take this message home and actually practice it, maybe."

Jenkins admits she knew she had found the perfect actress to play her superheroine after that dinner meeting, and the two women set about trying to create a truly great role model for young girls - and guys.

"Hugely, one of the things that we both connected on is the magic of Wonder Woman, she was everything," the filmmaker explains. "She was incredibly strong but also stands for the opposite of violence, which is love, truth, compassion."

Wonder Woman hits cinemas in June (17).