Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (born September 27, 1972) is an American actress.

The daughter of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, Paltrow dropped out of her university to follow an acting career. She began her career in theatre in 1990, and made her film debut the following year. Her early films include such successes as Se7en (1995), Emma (1996), in which she played the title role, and Sliding Doors (1998). Her performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998) brought her widespread recognition; she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, for Outstanding Lead Actress and as a member of the Outstanding Cast, among other awards and nominations.

She followed this success with roles in such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Shallow Hal (2001). She also starred in the film Duets (2000), produced and directed by her father, Bruce Paltrow, and sang on two singles released from the film's soundtrack, which were hits in some countries. She received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama for Proof (2005). More recently she appeared in the box-office success Iron Man (2008).