Paltrow has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Shallow Hal (2001), and Proof (2005), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama. Since 2008 she has portrayed Pepper Potts, the love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), and Iron Man 3 (2013). Paltrow has been the face of Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume since 2005.
She is married to Chris Martin, the lead vocalist of Coldplay.[7] They have two children together, Apple and Moses. She is also the face of American fashion brand Coach,[8] owner of the lifestyle company Goop.com and author of two cookbooks: My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness, and It's All Good.[9]
Early life
Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the daughter of actress Blythe Danner and the late film producer/director Bruce Paltrow. Her father was Jewish and her mother is from a Christian background, and Paltrow was raised with "both Jewish and Christian holidays".[10][11][12] Her father's Ashkenazi family immigrated from Belarus[13] and Poland,[14] while her mother's ancestry is Pennsylvania Dutch (German) and white Barbadian (English).[15][16][17] Paltrow's paternal great-great-grandfather, whose surname was "Paltrowicz," was a rabbi in Nowogród, Poland.[18] Paltrow has a younger brother, Jake Paltrow, and is a half-cousin of actress Katherine Moennig, and a second cousin of former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08).[19]
Paltrow was raised in Santa Monica, where she attended Crossroads School, before enrolling in the Spence School, a private girls' school in New York City.[20] Later, she briefly studied anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before dropping out to act.[21] She is an "adopted daughter" of Talavera de la Reina (Spain), where at 15 she spent a year as an exchange student and learned to speak Spanish.[22][23][24]
Career
1989–1995: Early work
Her acting debut was in High (1989), a TV film her father directed, and after spending several summers watching her mother perform at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, Paltrow made her professional stage debut there in 1990.[25] Her film debut followed with Shout (1991), starring John Travolta; and she was cast by Steven Spielberg in his film Hook (1991) as the young Wendy Darling.[25] Paltrow's next roles were in Cruel Doubt (TV 1992) and Deadly Relations (TV 1993). Her first plum supporting role in a big-screen film was in the drama Flesh and Bone (1993) as the much-younger girlfriend of James Caan. In the hit thriller Seven (1995), she played Brad Pitt's high school sweetheart and wife, even though she is nine years younger than he is in real life. Her performance earned her a Satellite Award nomination. Also in 1995, she appeared in Moonlight and Valentino[26] and Jefferson in Paris.[27]
1996–2001: Breakthrough and film stardom
Paltrow at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival
Paltrow's first role as the central lead was the title role in Emma (1996), for which she received critical acclaim. She had leading roles in several films throughout 1998, including Sliding Doors and the adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations with Ethan Hawke, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft and Chris Cooper. She also appeared in two thrillers, Hush opposite Jessica Lange and A Perfect Murder inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, Dial M for Murder. Paltrow appeared opposite Michael Douglas as Emily Taylor, based on Grace Kelly's
character from the original film, though the film was met with mixed
reviews. She was also considered for the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in
the 1997 film Titanic.[28]
In 1998, Paltrow starred in Shakespeare in Love, portraying the fictional lover of William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes.
The film earned more than US$100 million in box office receipts in the
United States, and Paltrow gained critical acclaim for her portrayal. Entertainment Weekly commented, "Best of all is Gwyneth Paltrow, who, at long last, has a movie to star in that's as radiant as she is."[29] The New York Times
summed up her turn as Viola as such: "Gwyneth Paltrow, in her first
great, fully realized starring performance, makes a heroine so
breathtaking that she seems utterly plausible as the playwright's
guiding light."[30] The award-winning Shakespeare in Love[31][32] earned Paltrow the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role from the Screen Actors Guild,[33] the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress[33] and the Academy Award for Best Actress, among other honors.[32] Her Pink Ralph Lauren dress worn at the 71st Academy Awards in collecting her Oscar was extremely popular and was credited for bringing pink back into fashion.[34]
In 1999, Paltrow co-starred alongside Jude Law, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett in The Talented Mr. Ripley, which earned $80 million domestically and received positive reviews.[35] She showcased her singing ability in 2000's Duets, which was directed by her father and co-starred singer Huey Lewis. The same year, Paltrow co-starred with Ben Affleck in the romantic drama Bounce as Abby Janello. In 2001, she played Margot Tenenbaum as part of an ensemble cast in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums and starred with Jack Black in the comedy Shallow Hal, where she had to wear a specially designed 25-pound fatsuit and heavy make-up.
2002–2007: Career slowdown
Since the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, Paltrow's film success has been less noteworthy.[36] She said she was unequipped for the pressure, leading to several bad movie choices,[37] agreeing with peers who believe the win is, in some ways, a curse.[38] During this time, Paltrow rarely appeared in films, having taken a career hiatus to raise her family.[20] In The Guardian, she said she divided her career into movies for love and films for money: The Royal Tenenbaums, Proof, and Sylvia fell into the former category, while she did View from the Top and Shallow Hal for the latter.[24] In 2004, she appeared in the science-fiction film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow opposite Jude Law. The same year, she was recognized as an outstanding woman in entertainment by Women in Film Los Angeles with the Crystal Award.[39] In 2005, she appeared in the film Proof as the depressed daughter of a brilliant, eccentric mathematician. The movie is based on the play of the same name, in which Paltrow also played the same character at London's Donmar Warehouse in 2002. For her performance Paltrow earned her second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama. In 2006, she had small roles in Running With Scissors and Infamous, in which she sang Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?".
2008–present: Career comeback
Paltrow at a ceremony for receiving her Hollywood Walk of Fame star, December 2010
Paltrow in Paris at the French premiere of Iron Man 3, April 2013.
In 2008, she appeared in the superhero film Iron Man as Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's personal assistant, closest friend, and budding love interest.[40] Iron Man was Paltrow's highest-grossing film to date, earning more than $585,000,000 worldwide,[41] until she reprised her role as Potts in Joss Whedon's 2012 epic, The Avengers, which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.[42] Paltrow said she was hesitant to appear in a big-budget project but she was won over by Robert Downey, Jr., the film's lead, and director Jon Favreau. She recalled a conversation with Downey, saying:[43]
"Robert called me and he said, 'This is gonna be fun, and this is gonna be good.' And then he said to me, 'Don't you want to be in a movie that people see?' And I was like, 'Whoa! What would that feel like?' And he's right. Moviemaking is not supposed to be a masturbatory exercise; it's supposed to be shared by other people."
In 2010, Paltrow reprised her role in the sequel to Iron Man, Iron Man 2. Later in 2010, she appeared in the musical Country Strong and recorded the song Country Strong for the film's soundtrack.[44] The song was released to country radio in August 2010.[45] At the 83rd Academy Awards, Paltrow performed another song from the movie, "Coming Home," which was nominated for Best Original Song.[46] She also appeared in Fox's Glee, as substitute teacher Holly Holliday, who fills in for Matthew Morrison's character when he falls ill. In her first episode, "The Substitute," she sang "Nowadays" from the musical Chicago with Lea Michele, Cee Lo Green's "Forget You", and a mash-up of "Singin' In the Rain" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" with Morrison and the rest of the cast.[47] She later performed "Forget You" with Cee Lo Green himself and several puppet characters provided by The Jim Henson Company at the 2011 Grammy Awards.[48] She reprised her role twice more that season, performing "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" by Gary Glitter, an acoustic version of "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, "Kiss" by Prince, and Adele's "Turning Tables". In 2011, Paltrow appeared in the Steven Soderbergh thriller Contagion, in which she was part of an ensemble cast, including Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard and her The Talented Mr. Ripley co-stars Matt Damon and Jude Law.[49]
The movie opened at number 1 at the US Box Office Weekend and received
positive reviews. In 2012 she starred in the independent romantic comedy
Thanks for Sharing with Mark Ruffalo and reprised her role as Pepper Potts in the film The Avengers, which broke records as the highest grossing U.S. opening weekend film of all time. It was confirmed that Paltrow will star as Dora Maar in Carlos Saura's Spanish film 33 días alongside Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso. The film began shooting in late 2012, for a 2013 release.[50][51]
In April 2013, Paltrow was named People magazine's annual "Most Beautiful Woman".[52]
Other projects
Paltrow at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012
Paltrow is a Save the Children artist ambassador, raising awareness about World Pneumonia Day.[53] She is on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization that works to alleviate poverty in New York City.[54] In February 2009, Paltrow received a Grammy nomination for her reading of the classic bear books of author Bill Martin, Jr.[55]
Paltrow had her singing debut in the 2000 film Duets, in which she performed a cover version of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'". The song was released as a single. The song went to number one in Australia, while Paltrow's rendition of the Kim Carnes classic "Bette Davis Eyes" reached number three.[56] In the 2006 film Infamous, she sang "What Is This Thing Called Love". On September 27, 2006, Paltrow sang with rapper Jay-Z during his concert at Royal Albert Hall. She sang the chorus for "Song Cry", from the rapper's album Blueprint.[57]
In an interview, she said she would be at the concert but not that she
would perform. She was quoted as saying "I'm a Jay-Z fan. He's my best
friend."[58]
In May 2005, Paltrow became the face of Estée Lauder's
Pleasures perfume. She appeared in Chicago on August 17, 2007, to sign
bottles of the perfume, and on July 8, 2008, she promoted Lauder's
Sensuous perfume in New York with the company's three other models.[59]
Estée Lauder donates a minimum of $500,000 of sales of items from the
'Pleasures Gwyneth Paltrow' collection to breast cancer research.[60] In 2006, she became the face for Bean Pole International, a Korean fashion brand.
In October 2007, she signed for a PBS television series Spain... on the Road Again with Mario Batali that showcases the food and culture of Spain.[61]
In September 2008, she launched a weekly lifestyle newsletter, Goop,
encouraging readers to 'nourish the inner aspect'. The website's title
is derived from the initials of her first and last names.[62] Each week, the newsletter focuses on an action: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, and See. It has been ridiculed by E-Online,[63] Vanity Fair,[64] The Independent,[65] and the UK's Daily Mirror.[66]
In 2008, she co-wrote a book with Mario Batali, "Spain...A Culinary Road Trip."[67] In 2011, she wrote a book titled, "My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness".[68] That same year, she penned the book, "Notes From the Kitchen Table."[69]
Two years later, she published a book titled, "It's All Good: Delicious
Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great." That year,
she wrote a foreword of a book by Ross Matthews titled, "Man Up! Tales
of My Delusional Self-Confidence."
Personal life
At the age of 24, Paltrow was engaged to actor Brad Pitt, whom she dated from 1994 to 1997.[70]
The engagement was called off, according to Paltrow, because she was
not ready for marriage, and she later felt responsible for hurting Pitt
since she was "such a mess" during that time in her life.[71]
Paltrow has since said that, as this was her first high-profile
relationship with another celebrity, it taught her the need for public
discretion about her romantic life; she told Biography magazine, "I said things about being in a relationship [with Brad Pitt] that felt wrong to me even as I was saying them."[72]
Paltrow had an on-off three-year relationship with actor Ben Affleck from 1997 to late 2000.[73] Soon after their breakup, Paltrow managed to persuade Affleck to work in the film Bounce with her;[74]
during the making of the film, which was shot in mid-1999, the couple
started dating again and eventually broke up in October 2000.[73]
In October 2002, Paltrow met Chris Martin of the British rock group Coldplay backstage three weeks after the death of her father, Bruce Paltrow. They married on December 5, 2003, in a ceremony at a hotel in Southern California.[75] The couple have two children together: Apple Blythe Alison Martin (b. 2004) and Moses Bruce Anthony Martin (b. 2006).[76] Paltrow explained Apple's very unusual first name on Oprah,
saying: "It sounded so sweet and it conjured such a lovely picture for
me – you know, apples are so sweet and they're wholesome and it's
biblical – and I just thought it sounded so lovely and … clean! And I
just thought, 'Perfect!'."[77] She explained her son's first name came from the song, titled "Moses", that her husband wrote for her before their wedding.[76]
Paltrow cut down on work after becoming a mother.[78] She also suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her son, Moses.[79]
Paltrow's father came from a long line of influential East European
rabbis, and that inspired Paltrow to raise her daughter and son in a
Jewish environment.[80][81] Paltrow has stated, "if you could see how much food I make – I am the original Jewish mother".[82]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | High | ||
| 1991 | Shout | Rebecca | |
| 1991 | Hook | Young Wendy Darling | |
| 1992 | Cruel Doubt | Angela Pritchard | |
| 1993 | Deadly Relations | Carol Ann Fagot Applegarth Holland | |
| 1993 | Malice | Paula Bell | |
| 1993 | Flesh and Bone | Ginny | Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1994 | Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle | Paula Hunt | |
| 1995 | Higher Learning | Student | Uncredited |
| 1995 | Jefferson in Paris | Patsy Jefferson | |
| 1995 | Seven | Tracy Mills | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1995 | Moonlight and Valentino | Lucy Trager | |
| 1996 | Hard Eight | Clementine | |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Julie DeMarco | |
| 1996 | Emma | Emma Woodhouse | Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | Jefferson's granddaughter (voice) | TV mini-series |
| 1998 | Sliding Doors | Helen Quilley | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (also for Shakespeare in Love) Russian Film of Guild Critics Award for Best Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (also for Shakespeare in Love) |
| 1998 | Great Expectations | Estella | |
| 1998 | Hush | Helen Baring | |
| 1998 | A Perfect Murder | Emily Bradford Taylor | Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Suspense |
| 1998 | Shakespeare in Love | Viola De Lesseps | Academy Award for Best Actress Empire Award for Best Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (also for Sliding Doors) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Joseph Fiennes) San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (also for Sliding Doors) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Comedy/Romance Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Film – Choice Actress Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Sexiest Love Scene |
| 1999 | The Talented Mr. Ripley | Marge Sherwood | Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Suspense |
| 2000 | The Intern | Herself | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Duets | Liv | |
| 2000 | Bounce | Abby Janello | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Drama/Romance Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Ben Affleck) |
| 2001 | The Anniversary Party | Skye Davidson | |
| 2001 | The Royal Tenenbaums | Margot Tenenbaum | Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2001 | Shallow Hal | Rosemary Shanahan | Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Film – Choice Comedy Actress |
| 2002 | Searching for Debra Winger | Herself | Documentary |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Dixie Normous in 'Austinpussy' | Cameo |
| 2002 | Possession | Maud Bailey | |
| 2003 | View from the Top | Donna Jensen | |
| 2003 | Sylvia | Sylvia Plath | |
| 2004 | Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow | Polly Perkins | Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Jude Law) |
| 2005 | Proof | Catherine | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
| 2006 | Infamous | Kitty Dean | |
| 2006 | Love and Other Disasters | Hollywood Jacks | Cameo |
| 2006 | Running with Scissors | Hope Finch | |
| 2007 | The Good Night | Dora | |
| 2008 | Iron Man | Pepper Potts | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Action Adventure |
| 2008 | Two Lovers | Michelle | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 | Pepper Potts | Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi |
| 2010 | Country Strong | Kelly Canter | Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Song Nominated—World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film |
| 2011 | Glee: The 3D Concert Movie | Holly Holliday | Uncredited |
| 2011 | Contagion | Beth Emhoff | Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast |
| 2012 | Thanks for Sharing | Phoebe | |
| 2012 | The Avengers | Pepper Potts | |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | Pepper Potts | Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Action Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Sci/Fi-Fantasy |
| 2014 | 33 días | Dora Maar | Filming |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | Jefferson's granddaughter (voice) | TV mini-series |
| 1999–2001, 2011 | Saturday Night Live | Host/Various | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | Spain... On The Road Again | Herself | TV series documentary; 13 episodes |
| 2010 | The Marriage Ref | Herself – Panelist | Episode: "Gwyneth Paltrow/Jerry Seinfeld/Greg Giraldo" |
| 2010–2011 | Glee | Holly Holliday | Episodes: "The Substitute", "Sexy", "A Night of Neglect" Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
| 2011 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Herself | Episode: "Gwyneth Paltrow" |
| 2012 | The New Normal | Abby | Episode: "Pilot" (cameo/uncredited) |
Discography
Singles
| Singles | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [83] |
US AC [84] |
US Country [85] |
AUS [86] |
NZ [87] |
UK [88] |
||||
| "Cruisin'" (with Huey Lewis) | 2000 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
|
Duets |
| "Bette Davis Eyes" | — | — | — | 3 | — | — |
|
||
| "Country Strong" | 2010 | 81 | — | 30 | — | — | — | Country Strong | |
| "Me and Tennessee" (with Tim McGraw) | 2011 | — | — | 34 | — | — | 63 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Featured singles
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [90][91] [92] |
AUS [93][94] |
CAN [95][96] [97] |
IRL [98] |
UK [99][100] [101] |
|||
| "Forget You" (with Glee Cast) | 2010 | 11 | 24 | 12 | 20 | 31 | Glee: The Music, Volume 4 |
| "Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag" (with Glee Cast)[102] | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Singing in the Rain / Umbrella" (with Glee Cast) | 18 | 23 | 20 | 10 | 22 | ||
| "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" (with Glee Cast) | 2011 | 57 | — | 63 | — | 95 | Glee: The Music, Volume 5 |
| "Kiss" (with Glee Cast) | 83 | 98 | 80 | — | — | ||
| "Landslide" (with Glee Cast) | 23 | 38 | 35 | 36 | 52 | ||
| "Turning Tables" (with Glee Cast) | 66 | — | 66 | — | 75 | Glee: The Music, Volume 6 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
Album appearances
| Song | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Silent Worship" (with Ewan McGregor) | 1996 | Emma |
| "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (with Babyface) | 2000 | Duets |
| "It's Only Love" (with Sheryl Crow) | 2002 | C'mon, C'mon |
| "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (with Mark Rubin Band) | 2006 | Infamous |
| "Shake That Thing" | 2010 | Country Strong |
| "Coming Home" | ||
| "A Fighter" | ||
| "Travis" | ||
| "Over the Rainbow" (with Matthew Morrison) | 2011 | Matthew Morrison |
| "This Woman's Work" | Every Mother Counts | |
| "Waiting on June" (with Holly Williams) | 2013 | The Highway |
Music videos
| Video | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Country Strong" | 2010 | Kristin Barlowe, Christoper Sims |
| "Me and Tennessee" (with Tim McGraw) | 2011 | Shana Feste |
