Gal Gadot has revealed that the physically demanding production of her new psychological thriller The Runner took an unexpected turn when she broke her feet during filming.
The 41-year-old actor, who plays a London lawyer forced to race across the city to save her kidnapped son, said she eventually had to complete part of the production while using crutches.
Gadot opened up about the injury in a new interview, explaining that the film’s extensive physical demands came after months of intensive preparation to learn how to run properly for the role.
“I finished the film on crutches,” Gadot said.
“There was only so much I could do. At one point I broke my feet and that was it. And afterwards I needed to recover and all of that.”
The actor has since recovered and is now promoting The Runner ahead of its global premiere on Prime Video on September 2.
Gal Gadot Faced a Major Injury During Production
The Runner required Gadot to spend a significant portion of the film moving through London on foot as her character races against time.
The physically intensive nature of the role meant Gadot underwent extensive preparation before filming.
However, the production became even more challenging after she suffered injuries to her feet.
Gadot explained that there were limits to what she could do after the injury and that some filming had to be adjusted around her recovery.
“And of course, we picked up whatever we couldn’t finish because I had broken feet,” she said.
The actor later returned to complete material that could not be filmed while she was recovering.
The injury came after Gadot had already spent months preparing for a role centred heavily around movement and running.
Nine Months of Training for a Role Built Around Running
Gadot had previously revealed that she was not naturally a runner before accepting the role in The Runner.
The actor underwent approximately nine months of preparation and trained with an Olympic trainer to develop the necessary running technique.
Her goal was to make the movement feel natural enough that she could perform it without consciously thinking about every aspect of her technique.
For Gadot, learning to run effectively became an essential part of preparing for the role.
She has previously joked about her lack of enthusiasm for running before the film.
“I’m not Tom Cruise and running is not part of my life,” she said while discussing the demanding preparation.
Gadot explained that she had disliked running in the past and had to learn how to make the skill feel more natural.
The months of preparation eventually led to one of the most physically challenging productions of her career.
“I Feel Like We Exhausted the Idea of Running for Me”
After months of training, filming and then recovering from her injuries, Gadot admitted she was ready to move on from the intensive running required for the role.
“I need to get back at it,” she said. “I feel like we exhausted the idea of running for me after running for so many months like this.”
The comment reflects just how physically demanding the production became.
Unlike films in which running might be limited to a few action sequences, The Runner places its central character in a sustained, high-pressure race against time.
Movement is therefore closely connected to the story itself.
Gadot’s character is required to keep moving while responding to increasingly dangerous demands, making the physical performance a major element of the film.
Gal Gadot Has Fully Recovered
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Gadot has since made a full recovery.
She said she returned to normal after taking several months away from intensive running and giving herself time to recover.
By the time she was finished using crutches, Gadot was ready to leave them behind.
The actor even joked that the crutches had become “a nice accessory” — though not one she had any interest in keeping permanently.
Her recovery comes as The Runner prepares to reach audiences around the world.
What Is The Runner About?
In the psychological thriller, Gadot plays Maia Marten, a powerful and highly successful lawyer working at the top of London’s legal world.
Maia’s carefully controlled life is shattered during what begins as an ordinary morning run.
She receives a phone call informing her that her son has been kidnapped.
The instructions from the unknown caller are simple but merciless: Maia must continue moving, follow every command and tell no one.
The consequences of stopping are made terrifyingly clear.
As she races through London, Maia is forced to obey a series of increasingly sinister instructions while desperately searching for a way to bring her son home.
The central question driving the story is how far a mother will go to save her child.
A High-Stakes Psychological Thriller Set in London
According to the official synopsis, The Runner follows Maia as she navigates London’s hyper-connected streets while every decision becomes part of a dangerous game.
The film combines a race-against-time narrative with psychological suspense and the emotional stakes of a parent attempting to save her child.
The official description presents the story as a high-pressure thriller in which every second and every decision carries consequences.
At the centre of the film is Maia’s determination to bring her son home, regardless of the dangers she faces along the way.
The physical demands of the story explain why Gadot’s preparation became such an important part of the production.
Running was not simply an occasional action element. It was closely tied to the character’s journey and the film’s central premise.
Kevin Macdonald Directs The Runner
The Runner is directed by Kevin Macdonald.
Alongside Gadot, the film features a supporting cast that includes:
- Damian Lewis
- Alfred Enoch
- Rory Wilmot
- Phoenix Di Sebastiani
The film brings together a cast of British and international actors for a thriller set against the backdrop of London.
Gadot’s character remains at the centre of the story as Maia moves through an increasingly dangerous situation in an effort to save her son.
A Demanding Role for Gal Gadot
The role of Maia Marten appears to have demanded both physical and emotional preparation from Gadot.
Months of running training were followed by an unexpected injury that forced the actor to complete part of the production with the support of crutches.
The experience offers a glimpse into the challenges that can occur during physically demanding film productions.
Despite breaking her feet, Gadot and the production team eventually completed the remaining work after she had recovered sufficiently to return.
The actor has now moved beyond the injury and is focused on the release of the film.
The Runner Arrives on Prime Video
With its global debut scheduled for September 2, The Runner is set to bring Gadot back to the screen in a physically demanding and psychologically intense role.
The film follows Maia Marten through a nightmare scenario that begins with one phone call and develops into a race across London.
For Gadot, the project involved far more preparation than she initially expected.
Nine months of training helped her prepare for the role’s demanding running sequences, but an injury during production created an additional challenge.
Now fully recovered, Gadot can look back on the experience with a sense of humour — including her brief period relying on crutches as what she jokingly called a “nice accessory.”
As The Runner prepares for its global streaming release, audiences will soon see the result of a production that demanded months of training, extensive physical work and, for Gadot, a determined recovery after an unexpected on-set injury.
