Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Snow White (2025)!
Despite her solid acting track record, Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen in the 2025 Snow White was never going to live up to my favorite live-action version of the character. When news announced that the Mouse was planning to make a new Snow White movie, nobody should’ve been surprised. Disney live-action movies have become commonplace as the company has shifted most of its focus to these remakes, much to the chagrin of fans like me who hope for new stories.
The creative team behind the live-action Snow White had an impossible job when it came to casting. The original movie is so treasured that fans would argue about the actors no matter who they cast. I felt excited when they cast Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot as the lead characters in Snow White, as they both have incredible acting chops. However, Gal Gadot was at a disadvantage when it came to winning me over with her performance, because I already saw the perfect live-action Evil Queen fourteen years ago.
Lana Parrilla’s Live-Action Evil Queen In Once Upon A Time Remains My Favorite Version Of The Character
The Evil Queen In Once Upon A Time Lives Up To Her Moniker
When it came to Gal Gadot’s performance as the Evil Queen in Snow White (2025), she faced a losing battle. Even if she performed well, she wouldn’t have lived up to my expectations because Lana Parrilla already gave the perfect performance as a live-action Evil Queen, the major villain in ABC’s Once Upon A Time. Though I haven’t seen them all, I’m well-versed in adaptations of the Snow White Grimm fairytale, providing many options from which to choose.
Besides the animated and live-action Disney version, I’ve watched Snow White (1916), Schneewittchen (1961), Charming (2018), Mirror Mirror (2012), Snow White & The Huntsman (2012), Sydney White (2007), and numerous TV shows. Lana Parrilla offers the most terrifying and compelling version of the character, and her version of the Evil Queen provides high stakes for the heroes. Crossing Parilla’s Evil Queen could easily lead to a mᴀssacre. After watching Disney’s live-action Snow White, Parilla’s performance is still my favorite version. Unfortunately, Gal Gadot falls toward the bottom of my list when it comes to versions of the Evil Queen.
What Went Wrong With Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen In Snow White
The Issues With The Evil Queen In Snow White Relate To Acting Choices, Vocals, And Poor Writing
Gal Gadot’s version of the Evil Queen is one of the biggest reasons the live-action Snow White has a low Rotten Tomatoes critic score. Throughout the entire film, Gadot waffled back and forth between trying to be campy and scary, but she never properly executed either of these characterizations. Her line delivery felt like overacting half the time, not coming across as convincing. She also doesn’t have the vocal abilities of her co-stars, so “All Is Fair” is pretty unenjoyable, despite my love for a good villain song.
On top of this, the Evil Queen’s fate in Disney’s live-action Snow White had no impact on me because, despite telling us she’s a horrible leader, she’s barely ever shown interacting with the villagers. Cognitively, I knew she was terrible; evil’s in her name. However, I never fully invested in her downfall. This can be chalked up to the common writing issue of telling instead of showing. Ultimately, both Gadot’s acting and the writing of the Evil Queen in the live-action Snow White failed.
