Inspired by an Italian viral video, actress Gal Gadot organized a group of celebrities to each sing a line of John Lennon’s Imagine, posting the star-studded result to Instagram on Wednesday. Gadot mentioned a recent video of a man in Italy playing the hope-filled 1971 Lennon single, apparently while quarantined in his home due to coronavirus precautions.
“He was playing ‘Imagine,’ and there was something so powerful and pure about this video,” Gadot said before singing the first line of the song.
The video then cuts to more than 20 different celebrities, each singing a different line of the song. Lynda Carter, who played Gadot’s movie character of Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV version, takes a line, as does Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Silverman, Zoe Kravitz, Pedro Pascal, Leslie Odom Jr., Amy Adams, Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Norah Jones and others.
The video had more than 2.3 million views in just six hours. “I did not expect to cry buckets of tears,” wrote one Instagram user. “Any small act of kindness and goodness helps. Thank you.”
But on Twitter, the reaction was mixed. “Thanks for the song, wealthy celebrities who will receive care before us little people,” wrote one Twitter user.
Some others weren’t so negative. “I’m seeing a lot of people saying snarky things about the Gal Gadot video,” wrote one Twitter user. “Maybe now is the time for you to log off. People need positivity.”
I’m seeing a lot of people saying snarky things about the Gal Gadot video. Maybe now is the time for you to log off. People need positivity.
— Sean Kent (@seankent) March 19, 2020
Gadot stars in Wonder Woman 1984, which has a release date of June 5, but could end up being delayed due to the outbreak. Numerous other movies have seen their release dates changed due to the outbreak.