Cruisin

Background:

Movie star, wife and mother Gwyneth Paltrow has much to be proud of. Winning an Oscar for the role of Viola De Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love (1998), Gwyneth proved she could be a star at just 26 years old.

Singing the hit "Cruisin" with Huey Lewis, starring beside some of Hollywood's elite leading men: Jude Law, Michael Douglas, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey, to name a few, Gwyneth has the power to consider roles and toss the ones she finds lacking easily aside.

She is married to musician Chris Martin and gave birth to their first child, Apple Blythe Alison Martin. Her role as mother shines as bright as she does on screen.

Gwyneth Paltrow appears to have the capacity to have it all and keep it.
May she shine bright for a very long time.

Showbiz Heritage

Childhood and Family:

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, California on September 28, 1972. Gwyneth's father, Bruce Paltrow, was a TV producer and director who died in 2002 from complications of pneumonia and a recurrence of throat cancer. Gwyneth's mother, Blythe Danner, is an actress with a large list of roles to her credit, including parts in such films as The Great Santini (1979), The Prince of Tides (1991) and Meet the Fockers (2004).

Gwyneth's heritage is rich with show business and although she did try to attend college, she soon discovered it just was not for her and instead began to actively pursue a career in acting.

"Acting isn't everything to me. My family, that always comes first." Gwyneth Paltrow

"He's dead, and I'm suffering. Before this happened, I was really at a place in my life where I thought, 'I've figured it out'. Then it was like someone stomped me in the stomach. I needed to talk to my therapist and practice yoga. I hadn't dealt with it, and I felt like it was killing me. I was really scared." Gwyneth Paltrow, referring to her father's death

Gwyneth takes on Shakespeare

Career:

"I don't really understand the concept of having a career, or what agents mean when they say they're building one for you. I just do things I think will be interesting and that have integrity. I hate those tacky, pointless, big, fluffy, unimportant movies." Gwyneth Paltrow

Mix Rock & Roll, romance & John Travolta, and chances are your part in the movie will also be noticed. Gwyneth's first feature film acting debut took shape as small part Rebecca in the 1991 drama Shout. That same year she was given another small role in Director Steven Spielberg's Hook, starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman. In TV's Cruel Doubt (1992), Gwyneth was given the opportunity to act with her actress mother, Blythe Danner.

More films followed: Deadly Relations (1993), Malice (1993), Flesh and Bone (1993), Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) and Jefferson in Paris (1995), but in 1995 the role of Tracy Mills in the superbly crafted crime drama Se7en, starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey thrust Gwyneth into the limelight. It was during this time that she also became romantically involved with the movie's sexy Brad Pitt. 

Movies came Gwyneth's way in the shape of Moonlight and Valentino (1995), Sydney (1996), The Pallbearer (1996), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), Great Expectations (1998) and Hush (1998).

1998 would prove to be a superb year for Gwyneth Paltrow when she was cast in the roles of Emily Bradford Taylor in the thriller A Perfect Murder, also starring Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen, and as Viola De Lesseps in the romantic hit Shakespeare in Love. Gwyneth would win an Academy Award for Best Actress for the role of Viola De Lesseps.

Gwyneth Paltrow has stayed busy since. Starring in movies such as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Duets (2000), Bounce (2000), The Anniversary Party (2001), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Shallow Hal (2001), Possession (2002), View from the Top (2003), Sylvia (2003), and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), Gwyneth also has embraced the real life roles of wife and mother. 

Fans can enjoy her in the upcoming features, Proof, starring with Anthony Hopkins, Every Word Is True (2005) and the untitled Marlene Dietrich project still in works.

Awards:

-  Women in Film Crystal and Lucy Award (2004)
-  ShoWest Convention: Special Award - Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film (2004)
-  Women in Film Crystal Awards: Crystal Award (2004)
-  Crystal and Lucy Awards for excellence in film and television. (2003)
-  Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Actress - Drama/Romance, BOUNCE (2001)
-  Empire Awards: Best Actress, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (2000)
-  MTV Movie Awards: Best Kiss, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1999) - shared with Joseph Fiennes
-  Academy Awards: Best Actress, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1999)
-  Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE '(1999)
-  Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Actress - Suspense, A PERFECT MURDER (1999)
-  Florida Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Actress, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1999)
-  Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1999)
-  Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1999)
-  Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards: Sierra Award - Best Actress, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)
-  Russian Guild of Film Critics: Golden Aries - Best Foreign Actress, SLIDING DOORS (1998)
-  San Diego Film Critics Society Awards: Special Award, SLIDING DOORS (1998)
-  Golden Satellite Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, EMMA (1997)