Gwyneth Paltrow’s frank F-bomb admission as she promote new TV show The Politician
Gwyneth Paltrow’s love life has been the subject of intense scrutiny worldwide for years. Now she’s made an honest admission about her family as she makes a comeback to TV.
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When it comes to Gwyneth Paltrow, you’re likely in one school of thought or another: you love her or loathe her.
The 47-year-old daughter of late film director and producer Bruce Paltrow and actor Blythe Danner has attracted more than her fair share of criticism over the two decades-plus she’s spent in the spotlight.
From the unconventional advice she dispenses via her lifestyle brand, Goop, to the unorthodox ways she divorced and recently remarried, Paltrow is a polarising woman of our time.
There was her ‘conscious uncoupling’ from first husband and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in 2014 after 10 years of marriage, continuing to co-parent and protect their children, Apple, 15, and Moses, 13.
“We wanted to do it in a way that would be the least traumatic for them. It took a lot of work but I think it really paid off,” she tells TV Guide/Watch.
“My ex and I are really close. We remain a family, even though we’re not a couple,” she explains, adding honestly, “but I’m sure I’ve f*cked the kids up in other ways.”
Last year she found wedded bliss again with writer-director, Brad Falchuk, who she met on the set of Glee back in 2010.
They began dating in 2014 but decided not to live together in the early months, in deference to the two children each brought to the relationship from their previous marriages.
“We got married almost a year ago but we decided to keep our separate residences and make the transition for the kids a little bit more gentle, especially because we both have teenagers.” She smiles. “And it’s actually worked out well. We finally moved in together which is really fun. Of course, there are always complications, but I think it’s going well.”
It’s not the conventional choice but from her career roles to her domestic arrangements, she’s expected to do the unexpected — all while puncturing her own reputation.
Like her latest role in Netflix quirky drama series, The Politician, playing the glamorous but weirdly oedipal adoptive mother of the titular character, Payton Hobart (played brilliantly by TV newcomer Ben Platt).
A melding of Glee and The Royal Tenenbaums, the Tony award-winning Platt, who breaks into song and often, is undeniably the star of the show; while his character’s belief in himself as one destined for political greatness is supported by his sycophantic mother.
““Being a mother myself certainly helped me to understand how deep a mother’s love is, especially that you see what heartbreaking sacrifices she is making for him,” Paltrow says.
Her husband also works on the series, co-producing the project with Ryan Murphy — with Paltrow crediting Falchuk with getting her back on TV.
“It was great to work with Brad. He’s a brilliant writer and he’s the only person who I think could have got me back to acting,” she smiles.
“It’s fun. He’s my favourite director, so I especially love it when he directs an episode. It was also great to work with Ryan again. We all worked together on Glee and had such a fun experience,” she recalls. “I love the character, and of course, I love her outfits.”
For those who love Paltrow’s red carpet appearances, she parades around The Politician in an eclectic and eccentric wardrobe as Georgina Hobart — donning an extravagant red ball gown to do the gardening in episode one.
So has politics ever interested Paltrow?
“No, God no,” she protests. “No, I think we are in a very polarised moment politically and I think it’s such a shame, nobody’s listening to anybody else and it’s causing a lot of divisiveness and a lot of pain. But no, I’ll never run for office.”
She’s too busy running Goop, the lifestyle brand she launched in 2008 now worth
A divorce and new husband aside, Paltrow has been kept wildly busy with Goop now worth a reported US$250 million.
Surprisingly, she insists operating her burgeoning empire has entirely eclipsed her passion for show business.
“I didn’t miss acting at all,” she insists. “I’ve always loved travel and cooking and wellness and I felt much more passionate about that than acting. And really, you only live once. Goop has been a really fulfilling experience.”
Though she has come under heavy criticism from the medical profession for some of her more non-traditional advice — on subjects ranging from diet to vaginal health — Paltrow appears nonplussed.
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“We’re not prescriptive at Goop. We never say, ‘You should do this or do that.’ We have Q and As with experts on topics we think are interesting. I think when we were a smaller company and would talk about things people thought were crazy, certain people would push back but we’ve learned some lessons and we’ve grown up.
“Now we categorise content. For example, if something has a lot of scientific research behind it, we say so, but if something is a medical intuitive, we will say, ‘Hey, there’s no science behind this but it’s really interesting.’ So those things are more for entertainment. I’ve come to learn that whenever you’re trying to push on culture and move things forward there will be pushback. But we love being trailblazers. A lot of times we’ll talk about something that people think is outrageous, and then six months later, everyone’s doing it.”
With a company staff of 295 employees, what is she like as a boss?
“I’m a perfectionist. I think I can be a demanding boss and I don’t like it when we make the same mistakes more than once, but we have a very good work environment and it feels very collaborative. The team feels very aligned and close to the mission. Overall, I’ve learned so much about myself and I’ve learned to have difficult conversations, giving difficult feedback which I find really hard. I’ve also had to learn Excel,” she leans forward. “Which is a nightmare.”
Paltrow began her Hollywood career as a typical ingenue, landing a slew of plum roles — many for Harvey Weinstein’s then company, Miramax — including Seven (1995), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998) and Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award.
It was Paltrow’s secret testimony to The New York Times journalists who wrote the critical investigation into his alleged sexual assaults and harassment history, convincing others also to tell their stories of abuse.
“I like getting older,” she offers. “The best part is that you get to really know yourself and when that happens, you’re able to live with integrity and a lot of peace comes with that. You behave close to who you are, your word and your deed are close together. I think you understand what’s really important in life, which is your relationships, and also how you feel in your own skin.”
Up close, she looks remarkably youthful, insisting she’s not so very different in any regard from her much younger self.
“I think I’m very much the same as I was then. I love to have fun, love to ask questions, love to travel and try things, and I’m still pretty irreverent, unfortunately, to this day,” she laughs. “Obviously I’ve grown up. I’m more humble, hopefully wiser. “And overall, I think I have the same spirit now as I did back then,” adding “I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”
* The Politician is streaming now on Netflix, available on Foxtel iQ4