| Gwyneth Paltrow | |
|---|---|
Gwyneth Paltrow at the 68th Venice Film Festival, September 2011 |
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| Born | Gwyneth Kate Paltrow[1] September 27, 1972 [2] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, author |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | Chris Martin (m. 2003–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Bruce Paltrow (deceased) Blythe Danner |
| Relatives | Jake Paltrow (brother) Katherine Moennig (cousin) |
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( /ˈɡwɪnɨθ ˈpæltroʊ/; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and singer.[3][4] She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Seven (1995) and Emma (1996) (in which she played the title role). Following the films Sliding Doors (1998) and A Perfect Murder (1998), Paltrow garnered worldwide recognition through her performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, for Outstanding Lead Actress and as a member of the Outstanding Cast. She also won a Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011 for her role as Holly Holliday on the Fox hit TV show Glee in the episode "The Substitute".
Paltrow has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Shallow Hal (2001), and Proof (2005), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama. In 2008, she appeared in the highest grossing movie of her career, the superhero film Iron Man (2008), and then reprised her role as Pepper Potts in its sequel, Iron Man 2 (2010). Paltrow also has been the face of Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume since 2005. In the same 2011 weekend as winning her Emmy Award she appeared in the number one film at the US box office, the ensemble plague drama Contagion. She is married to Chris Martin, the lead vocalist of Coldplay. They have two children together, Apple and Moses. She is also the face of American fashion brand Coach.[5]
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Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Blythe Danner, an actress, and Bruce Paltrow, a film and television director and producer. Her father was Jewish (of Russian Ashkenazi origin), and her mother is a Quaker of Pennsylvania Dutch and more distant white Barbadian ancestry.[6][7][8][9][10][11] Paltrow's paternal great-great-grandfather, whose surname was "Paltrowicz", was a rabbi in Nowogród, Poland.[12] Paltrow has a younger brother, Jake Paltrow, and is a half-cousin of actress Katherine Moennig, and a second cousin of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08).[13]
Paltrow was raised in Santa Monica, where she attended Crossroads School, before moving and enrolling in The Spence School, a private girls' school in New York City.[14] Later, she briefly studied art history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before dropping out to act.[15] 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.[16][17]
After spending several summers watching her mother perform at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, Paltrow made her professional stage debut there in 1990.[15] Her film debut followed next year with Shout (1991), starring John Travolta, she was cast by Steven Spielberg in his film, Hook (1991), as the young Wendy Darling.[15] Paltrow then had minor roles in Malice (1993) and Flesh and Bone (1993). She was next cast in a supporting role in Seven (1995) alongside Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, which earned her a Satellite Award nomination. In 1996, she played the title character in Emma to critical acclaim.
Paltrow appeared in several films throughout 1998, including Sliding Doors and the leading role in the film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations with Ethan Hawke, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft and Chris Cooper. Also in 1998 Paltrow 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.[18]
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."[19] 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."[20] The award-winning Shakespeare in Love[21][22] earned Paltrow the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role from the Screen Actors Guild,[23] the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress[23] and the Academy Award for Best Actress, among other honors.[22] 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.[24]
In 1999, Paltrow co-starred in The Talented Mr. Ripley alongside Jude Law, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett which earned $80 million domestically and received positive reviews.[25] 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. She was part of an ensemble cast, as Margot Tenenbaum, in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Also in 2001, she starred with Jack Black in the comedy Shallow Hal, where she had to wear a specially designed 25 pound fatsuit and heavy make-up. The film was released to mixed reviews.
Since the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, Paltrow's film success has been less noteworthy.[26] She said she was unequipped for the pressure, leading to several bad movie choices,[27] agreeing with peers who believe the win is, in some ways, a curse.[28] During this time, Paltrow rarely appeared in films, having taken a career hiatus to raise her family.[14] 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.[8] 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.[29] 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 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?"
In 2008, she appeared in the superhero film Iron Man as Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's closest friend, budding love interest, and business partner.[30] Iron Man is Paltrow's highest-grossing film to date, earning more than $585,000,000 worldwide.[31] 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:[32]
| “ | 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.[33] The song was released to country radio in August 2010.[34] At the 83rd Academy Awards, Paltrow performed the song "Coming Home" from the film which was nominated for Best Original Song.[35] 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.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38]
Paltrow is a Save the Children artist ambassador, raising awareness about World Pneumonia Day.[39] She is on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization that works to alleviate poverty in New York City. In February 2009, Paltrow received a Grammy nomination for her reading of the classic bear books of author Bill Martin, Jr.[40]
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. 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.[41] 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."[42]
In May 2005, Paltrow became the face of Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume. She appeared in Chicago on 17 August 2007, to sign bottles of the perfume, and on 8 July 2008, she promoted Lauder's Sensuous perfume in New York with the company's three other models.[43] Estée Lauder donates a minimum of $500,000 of sales of items from the 'Pleasures Gwyneth Paltrow' collection to breast cancer research.[44] 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.[45] 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.[46] Each week, the newsletter focuses on an action: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, and See. It has been ridiculed by E-Online,[47] Vanity Fair,[48] The Independent,[49] and the UK's Daily Mirror.[50]
At the age of 24, Paltrow was engaged for six months to actor Brad Pitt, whom she dated from December 1994 to June 1997.[51] The engagement was called off, according to Paltrow, because she wasn't ready for marriage and later felt responsible for hurting Pitt since she was "such a mess" during that time in her life.[52] 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."[53]
Paltrow had an on-off three year relationship with actor Ben Affleck from 1997 to late 2000.[54] Soon after their breakup, Paltrow convinced Affleck to work in the film Bounce with her;[55] during the making of the film, which was shot in mid 1999, the couple started dating again and eventually broke up in October 2000.[54]
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.[56] On 14 May 2004, the couple had their first child, a girl named Apple Blythe Alison Martin. Paltrow explained the 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!'"[57]
Her second child, a boy named Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born on 8 April 2006, in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital.[58] Her son's first name was explained as the song, titled "Moses", that her husband wrote for her before their wedding.[58] Paltrow has stated that she cut down on work after becoming a mother.[59] She has also said that she suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her second child.[60]
In 2010, she suffered a severe tibial plateau fracture, due to a vitamin D deficiency and osteopenia.[61]
Paltrow discovered in 2011 that her father's family came from a long line of influential East European rabbis, and that inspired her to raise her daughter and son in a Jewish environment.[62]
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night Live | 1999 | Host | Hosted episodes in 1999, 2001, and 2011 |
| Spain... On The Road Again | 2008 | Herself | |
| The Marriage Ref | 2010 | Herself | |
| Glee | 2010–2011 | Holly Holliday | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2011) Pending - People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star (2012) |
| Who Do You Think You Are? | 2011 | Herself | Season 2, episode 7 "Gwyneth Paltrow" |
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [63] |
US AC [64] |
US Country [65] |
AUS [66] |
NZ [67] |
UK [68] |
||||
| "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 | |||||||||
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [70][71] [72] |
AUS [73][74] |
CAN [75][76] [77] |
IRL [78] |
UK [79][80] [81] |
|||
| "Forget You" (with Glee Cast) | 2010 | 11 | 24 | 12 | 20 | 31 | Glee: The Music, Volume 4 |
| "Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag" (with Glee Cast)[82] | — | — | — | — | — | 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. | |||||||
| Song | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (with Babyface) | 2000 | Duets |
| "Shake That Thing" | 2010 | Country Strong |
| "Coming Home" | ||
| "A Fighter" | ||
| "Travis" | ||
| "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (with Matthew Morrison) | 2011 | Matthew Morrison |
| Video | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Country Strong" | 2010 | Kristin Barlowe, Christoper Sims |
| "Me and Tennessee" (with Tim McGraw) | 2011 | Shana Feste |