Gwyneth Paltrow Biography

Gwyneth Paltrow, Actress

Birthdate: September 27, 1972

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Sign: Libra

Born on September 27, 1972 to famous showbiz parents (actress Blythe Danner and film and TV director Bruce Paltrow), Gwyneth Kate Paltrow had discontinued a college degree to become a full time actress in 1990.

She has a younger brother, director Jake Paltrow, and she is cousin to actress Katherine Moennig. She was also childhood friends with Maya Rudolf, "Saturday Night Live" comedienne, and was first noted when she guest starred in the live comedy show in 2001. She is proud of her half-Jewish roots, her father was of Ashkenazi Russian Jewish descent.

Her first debut film was in "Shout" in 1991. She had a small role as the young Wendy in Steven Spielberg's "Hook" later that year. She had appeared in a couple of films more after that but her breakthrough role was in 1995's "Se7en." She starred as Tracy Mills, wife to Brad Pitt's character, David Mills. The film was a huge success both commercially and critically. She had starred a year later in "Emma," where she had received strong critical acclaim.

It was in "Shakespeare In Love" in 1998 where she won an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. After which, Paltrow starred in numerous other critically-acclaimed films like "The Talented Mr. Ripley." In the 2000 film "Duets," Paltrow displayed her singing ability when she sang a cover version of "Cruisin'" with Huey Lewis. The song had gotten strong positive reviews and eventually released as a single.

The public has always been fascinated with Paltrow's relationships. Her 3-year romance and engagement with Brad Pitt had been very high-profiled. She had claimed that she regretted breaking up with the actor. She was also linked with actors Ben Affleck and Luke Wilson and several other famous personalities.

On December 5, 2003, she married Coldplay rocker Chris Martin in a secret wedding ritual in California. She gave birth to Apple Blythe Alison Martin on May 14, 2004 in London. On April 8, 2006, she gave birth to her second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin.

She had publicly announced that she suffered from depression after her father's death. She now practices yoga and follows a macrobiotic diet. She became Estee Lauder's Pleasures perfume endorser in 2005 and in August 2007, she appeared in Chicago to sign the perfumes' bottles and donated more than $500,000 of sales of items from the "Pleasures Gwyneth Paltrow" collection to breast cancer research.

Her other charities include being on the board of Robin Hood Foundation, an organization whose goal is to alleviate poverty in New York City.

Paltrow had been the subject of stalker Dante Soiu's obsessions. He allegedly sent more than five packages a week containing love notes, candies, flowers, pornographies, and over a thousand of emails. He had made sexual threats and showed up at her house numerous times. He was sentenced to a mental institution but the decision had been overturned.

In October 2007, Paltrow signed to star together with celebrity chef Mario Batali in a U.S. TV series "Spain... On The Road Again."