Gwyneth Paltrow says she steers clear of all media about herself—and after decades in the spotlight, it’s a rule she lives by with intention rather than fear.
Making a much-anticipated return to dramatic acting, Gwyneth Paltrow stars in the buzzy ping-pong drama Marty Supreme, now playing in theaters. In the film, she portrays Kay Stone, a once-famous Hollywood actress navigating late-career vulnerability, who becomes romantically involved with the morally slippery athlete Marty Mauser, played by Timothée Chalamet.
One of the film’s most emotionally bruising moments sees Kay breaking down during the opening-night celebration of her new stage play—triggered by a brutal review. It’s a scene that hits close to home, even if Paltrow has worked hard to distance herself from that exact experience in real life.
Choosing Distance From Reviews
“I don’t read reviews—I haven’t since I was about 22,” Paltrow says in an interview with USA TODAY. “I really try not to read anything about myself at all, though every now and then something sneaks through.”
That boundary, she explains, has been essential to protecting both her confidence and her sense of self in an industry that thrives on constant judgment.
Still, there are rare moments when praise manages to break through—and land gently.
The One Review She Didn’t Mind
Recently, during an interview, a journalist read aloud a glowing review from The New York Times about her Oscar-winning performance in Shakespeare in Love. Back in 1998, critic Janet Maslin wrote that Paltrow delivered “her first great, fully realized starring performance,” calling her portrayal breathtaking and utterly convincing.
Paltrow laughs recalling it now. “I actually thought, ‘Maybe I should print that out and put it on my mirror,’” she says. “That would feel really good. It’s pretty nice!”
A Director Who Learned the Same Lesson
Interestingly, Marty Supreme director Josh Safdie shares Paltrow’s aversion to reviews—though his came from a much harsher lesson. Early in his career, Safdie received a vicious critique of his 2008 debut film after it screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
“The reviewer said that halfway through the movie, he wanted me to get hit by a truck,” Safdie recalls. “Not the character—me. The writer and director.” After that, he says, he stopped reading reviews entirely.
Vulnerability on Set
Safdie was struck by Paltrow’s humility when she stepped back onto a stage for the film. He intentionally scheduled her return-to-theater scene as the very first thing they shot.
“She turned to me and said, ‘I hope I remember how to do this,’” he recalls. “There was such real vulnerability there. It reminded me exactly why she’s who she is.”
Paltrow was deeply touched when she learned that choice was intentional. “That was the nicest thing,” she says. “It made a huge difference for me. I grew up doing theater—so many plays. Suddenly it just felt like I was back where I started, doing a play again. It was incredibly grounding.”
Living Beyond the Noise
For Paltrow, the lesson is simple but hard-earned: longevity doesn’t come from obsessing over praise or criticism, but from staying connected to the work itself. And as Gwyneth Paltrow says she steers clear of all media about herself, her return to acting feels less like a comeback—and more like a quiet, confident continuation.
