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Gwyneth Paltrow has built one of the most fascinating careers in Hollywood, balancing prestige projects with pop culture hits. An Academy Award winner, Paltrow has shined in every genre, from emotionally charged dramas to box office hits that made sure she stayed at the top. As she celebrates another birthday in Hollywood, it feels like the perfect time to revisit her filmography.
Whether you watch her in a femme fatale role, or a Shakespearean tragedy or as a Marvel leading lady, Paltrow's characters have consistently brought depth and sophistication to the screen. Here are five films starring the actress that definitely deserve to be on your watch list.
Shakespeare In Love
We are starting off strong with the role that won Gwyneth Paltrow her first Oscar. The actress played Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love, where she harbors a deep love for the theater, a passion that is forbidden to women of her status. Undeterred, she disguises herself as a man, Thomas Kent as she goes to audition for a Shakespeare play.
It's a powerful role, one that defies the social norms of that time and Paltrow plays her with so much grace and courage. Viola is bold and determined and navigates the constraints of her time with quiet strength. The film was a massive box office success and went on to win numerous accolades, including seven Oscars.
Joining Paltrow in the film were Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. Directed by John Madden, Shakespeare in Love is today considered to be one of the best period dramas of all time.
Available to watch on: Prime Video
The Talented Mr. Ripley
In 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Marge Sherwood, an American woman living in 1950s Italy. Marge is the girlfriend of another character known as Dickie Greenleaf, played by Jude Law, a wealthy playboy whom the titular Tom Ripley, played by Matt Damon is sent to retrieve.
Although her role is that of a supporting cast member, the actress steals the scene in quite a few scenes. Marge's character is one that brilliantly sets the premise as the enmity between Ripley and Greenleaf escalates. In many scenes she is the sane voice of reason as Ripley continues to destroy Greenleaf's life.
Available to watch on: Prime Video
Two Lovers
Although Gwyneth Paltrow absolutely dominated the screens in the late 90s, her films in the 2000s also carried charm and brilliance and Two Lovers is one of those films. The film is loosely based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1848 short story White Nights.
Directed by James Gray, Two Lovers follows Leonard Kraditor, a man struggling with depression and past heartbreak. Living with his parents who have grown more and more concerned for his well being, he finds himself being torn between two women: Sandra Cohen, a kind and steady woman his parents have set him up with and Michelle Rausch, his impulsive and magnetic new neighbor, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
Michelle is complex, beautiful, free spirited and self destructive because of her addiction and her complicated relationship with her married lover Ronald. But Paltrow brings so much depth to Michelle, portraying her as an alluring but emotionally fragile woman who is just searching for connection and escape. Despite her flaws, she shares intimate moments with Leonard, reflecting her passion for love, and her vulnerability.
Paltrow's performance is one of the core aspects of the film and it brilliantly compliments Joaquin Phoenix's role as Leonard. It made it's premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and remains one of Gwyneth Paltrow's most beloved works.
Available to watch on: Prime Video
Emma
Douglas McGrath's Emma is considered to be one of the best film adaptations of Jane Austen's classic novel. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow as the eponymous Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy confident and spirited young woman in 19th century England, the film gave Paltrow one of her most career defining performances.
Emma fancies herself a skilled matchmaker and takes pride in orchestrating romantic unions among the people around her. Paltrow's portrayal of Emma captures the character's charm, wit and occasional naivety. She takes Emma's journey from pride and self assuredness to self-awareness and emotional growth, balancing comedy with subtle vulnerability. The character’s evolving relationship with George Knightley, portrayed by Jeremy Northam, forms the emotional core of the story, culminating in a mutual recognition of love and respect.
Available to watch on: Prime Video
The Iron Man franchise
Pepper Potts is perhaps one of Gwyneth Paltrow's most famous roles as she plays the leading lady in the Iron Man franchise, opposite Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark aka Iron Man. She's the competent assistant to the heart and backbone of Stark Industries, and is the most important person in Stark's life.
Talking about her role in 2008, the actress told Comic Book Resources,
"Looking at Pepper, that she's a very good woman. She's very smart, she's very level headed, very grounded. And I like the fact that there's a s*xuality that's not blatant. I think it's lovely.”
She then further adds a few words about Pepper's relationship with Stark and says,
“She's his assistant, and so he is her boss. And he's a very powerful, serious guy. So there's that dynamic...And there's also a bit of mothering tenderness she has for him where she's worried about him. And then there's also a kind of s*xual kick to it all. That's what I loved about it, because there was so much that was kind of real. And fun, and it wasn't just one note"
Introduced in 2008's Iron Man, Pepper is intelligent, charming, grounded and quietly magnetic as she guides Stark through his reckless genius. As their bond deepens, she navigates tensions between love and concern, ultimately stepping into heroic roles, both in strategy and on the battlefield.
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Over the years, Pepper and Stark eventually got married, and had a daughter, Morgan Stark. Paltrow’s portrayal transforms Pepper from assistant to icon, blending intellect, bravery, and humanity, solidifying her as a central figure in the MCU’s emotional and heroic landscape.
Available to watch on: Disney+
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