Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow, (pronounced /ˈɡwɪnɨθ ˈpæltroʊ/; born September 27, 1972)is an American actress.

Paltrow made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. She gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en (1995), Emma (1996), in which she played the title role, and Sliding Doors (1998). She garnered worldwide recognition through her performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which she won the 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. Since then, Paltrow has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Shallow Hal (2001), Proof (2005), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama, and Iron Man (2008) followed by its sequel Iron Man 2 (2010). Paltrow has been the face of Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume since 2005.

Early life

Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Blythe Danner, an actress, and Bruce Paltrow, a film and television director, writer, and producer. Paltrow's father was of Ashkenazi Russian Jewish descent and her mother is a Quaker of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. Paltrow's paternal great-grandfather, whose surname was "Paltrowicz", was a rabbi in Krakow, Poland. 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. Later she briefly studied art history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before dropping out to act. Paltrow has a younger brother, Jake Paltrow, and is cousin of actress Katherine Moennig and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08). She is an "adopted daughter" of Talavera de la Reina (Spain), where at 15 she spent a year as an exchange student and learned Spanish. Paltrow was a childhood friend of Saturday Night Live's Maya Rudolph.

Career

Early work, 1990–1996

Paltrow made her professional stage debut in 1990. Her debut film was Shout (1991) with John Travolta; later that year, she appeared in Hook (1991), as Young Wendy. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards. Paltrow then had a minor role in Malice (1993) and a supporting role in Flesh and Bone (1993).

Paltrow starred in Se7en (1995) alongside Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, which earned her a Satellite Award nomination. The film was successful commercially and critically. Then, in 1996, she played the title character in Emma to critical acclaim, particularly in the UK, where her English accent was appreciated.

Worldwide recognition, 1998–2003

In 1998, Paltrow starred in Shakespeare in Love, portraying the fictional love of William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes. It earned more than US$100 million in box office receipts in the USA and Paltrow gained critical acclaim for her work in the film. 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." 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." For her performance in the award-winning Shakespeare in Love, Paltrow won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role from the Screen Actors Guild and the Academy Award for Best Actress, among other honors.

Paltrow at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival

In 1999, Paltrow co-starred in The Talented Mr. Ripley, which earned $80 million domestically and received positive reviews. She showcased her singing ability in 2000's Duets, in which she co-starred with singer Huey Lewis and was directed by her father. The same year, Paltrow starred with Ben Affleck in the romantic drama Bounce as Abby Janello. She was then 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 played both roles, slim and fat Rosemary, and had to wear a specially designed 25 pound fatsuit and heavy make-up.

2004–present

Since the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, Paltrow's film success has been less noteworthy. She said she was unequipped for the pressure, leading to several bad movie choices, agreeing with peers who believe the win is, in some ways, a curse. 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 the latter.

She appeared in the 2005 film Proof, based on the play of the same name, as a young protagonist, mathematician and daughter Catherine. She had earlier also appeared on stage in an adaptation of Proof at London's Donmar Warehouse. In 2006, she had a cameo in the Brittany Murphy film Love and Other Disasters and 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 Iron Man as Pepper Potts, Stark's closest friend, budding love interest, and business partner after Pepper replaced Obadiah Stane as CEO of Stark Industries.The film is her first blockbuster in several years, and her largest grossing movie ever, earning more than $ 318 million at the box office in the U.S. and Canada. Paltrow said she was hesitant to appear in a big film but she was won over by Robert Downey Jr., the star, and director Jon Favreau. Paltrow recalled a conversation with Downey, saying:

“ 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. ”

She reprised her role in the sequel to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, released in May 2010. Later in 2010, she will appear in the country musical, Love Don't Let Me Down.Paltrow will next shoot for Steven Soderbergh's Virus thriller Contagion, in which she is part of an ensemble cast.

Other projects

Paltrow is a Save the Children artist ambassador, and in that capacity, she has raised awareness about World Pneumonia Day, among other issues. She is also on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization to alleviate poverty in New York City.

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 well-received and 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. 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."

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. Estée Lauder donates a minimum of $500,000 of sales of items from the 'Pleasures Gwyneth Paltrow' collection to breast cancer research. 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.

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.Each week, the newsletter focuses on an action: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, and See. It has been ridiculed by E-Online,Vanity Fair,Independent, and the UK's Daily Mirror.

In February 2009, Paltrow received a Grammy nomination for her reading of the classic bear books of author Bill Martin, Jr..

Personal life

In her mid-twenties, Paltrow was engaged to Brad Pitt, whom she dated from early 1994 to May 1997.She later told Diane Sawyer that she was "such a mess" during that time in her life.

Paltrow had an on-off three year relationship with Ben Affleck between 1997 and 2000. They first dated from November 1997 to January 1999.Soon after their breakup, Paltrow convinced Affleck to work in the film Bounce with her;during the making of the film, which was shot in mid 1999, the couple started dating again and eventually broke up in October 2000.Paltrow was friends with Winona Ryder until her first breakup with Affleck. Their friendship allegedly ended because Ryder accused Paltrow of stealing the female lead role in Shakespeare in Love from her.

On 5 December 2003, Paltrow married Chris Martin of the British rock group Coldplay, whom she had met at a concert, in a ceremony at a hotel in Southern California.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!'" The child's godfather is Simon Pegg.Her second child, a boy named Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born on 8 April 2006, in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital.Her son's first name was explained as the song, entitled "Moses", that her husband wrote for her before their wedding. Paltrow has stated that she cut down on work after becoming a mother.She has also said that she suffered from depression after the death of her father and after the birth of her second child.[citation needed]

Paltrow lives in New York and Belsize Park in London, in a house bought from Kate Winslet.She practices yoga daily, and follows a macrobiotic diet, although she told People in 2005 that, "I'm not as stringent as I was in the past. Now I'll have cheese once in a while or white flour, but I still believe in whole grains and no sugar."Paltrow is friends with Madonna, with whom she shares a personal trainer,and fashion designer Valentino.

In December 2006, Paltrow was reported on the internet to have told Notícias Sábado, the weekend magazine supplement of Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias, that she thought British people were more civilized and intelligent than Americans.Paltrow denied making the statements attributed to her and told People magazine that she never gave an interview to a Portuguese publication, but instead had tried to say in Spanish, during a press conference, that Europe was an "older culture" and Americans "live to work".Diário de Notícias said in their 6 December 2006 edition that it had obtained the quotes from English-language articles that are still referenced online, though Paltrow has insisted that she was misquoted, declaring in 2007: "I love America, and I'm an American through and through."

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes

1991 Shout Rebecca

Hook Young Wendy Darling

1993 Deadly Relations Carol Ann Fagot

Malice Paula Bell

Flesh and Bone Ginny

1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Paula Hunt

1995 Higher Learning Student uncredited

Jefferson in Paris Patsy Jefferson

Se7en Tracy Mills Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture

Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress

Moonlight and Valentino Lucy Trager

1996 Hard Eight Clementine

The Pallbearer Julie DeMarco

Emma Emma Woodhouse Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

1998 Out of the Past Sarah Orne Jewett voice

Sliding Doors Helen Quilley Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress also for Shakespeare in Love

Russian Guild of Film Critics - Best Foreign Actress

San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress also for Shakespeare in Love

Great Expectations Estella

Hush Helen Baring

A Perfect Murder Emily Bradford Taylor Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress

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 - Motion Picture

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

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 Choice Actress

Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Sexiest Love Scene shared with Joseph Fiennes

1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley Marge Sherwood Nominated — Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress

2000 The Intern Herself uncredited

Duets Liv

Bounce Abby Janello Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress

Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss shared with Ben Affleck

2001 The Anniversary Party Skye Davidson

The Royal Tenenbaums Margot Tenenbaum Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast

Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Shallow Hal Rosemary Shanahan Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress

2002 Searching for Debra Winger Herself Documentary

Austin Powers in Goldmember Gwyneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous in 'Austinpussy'

Possession Maud Bailey

2003 View from the Top Donna Jensen

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

Love and Other Disasters Hollywood Jacks

Running with Scissors Hope Finch

2007 The Good Night Dora

2008 Iron Man Virginia "Pepper" Potts Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress

Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress

Two Lovers Michelle Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female

2010 Iron Man 2 Virginia "Pepper" Potts

Love Don't Let Me Down Post-production

Source:wikipedia