Profile: Gwyneth Paltrow

9 August 2006 12:00am

Real Name: Gwyneth Kate Paltrow

Birth Date: September 28, 1972

Image: Willowy blonde Hollywood actress

Best Known For: Her squeaky-clean lifestyle with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin

Early Life: Gwyneth was born in LA to actress Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow.

She attended Crossroads School before moving to New York where she enrolled at Spence School. She later attended the University of California, where she studied history for a short time.

While she did well academically, Gwyneth had always loved acting - she was just five when she first trod the boards alongside her famous mother.

In the early 90s she started to bag small movie roles and quit college to devote herself to acting.

Her big break came in 1995 when she was cast in the blockbuster Se7en, alongside Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

Career High: In 1998 she won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the film Shakespeare In Love.

Love Life: Gwyneth married Coldplay's Chris Martin in December 2003. They have a daughter, Apple, who is nearly four, and a two-year-old son named Moses.

The actress was previously engaged to Brad Pitt.

Don't Mention: Gwyneth had a stalker between 1999 and 2000, who allegedly wrote her letters and sent five to 10 presents a week, including love notes, flowers, food and pornography. He was later sentenced to several years in a mental institution.

Words Of Wisdom: "I realised life is so short and precious, you should do things that make you feel inspired, that push you and teach you something. I'd rather not have a big house, a huge closet of clothes, diamonds and a private plane, and instead a body of work that I'm proud of."

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