Oscar-winning actress and lifestyle mogul Gwyneth Paltrow has candidly spoken about the significant life shift she has experienced since her two children moved out to begin their university studies.
Navigating the 'Vacancy' of an Empty Nest
The 53-year-old star, who shares daughter Apple, 21, and son Moses, 19, with her ex-husband Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 48, described feeling a profound sense of change. "My kids went off to college, and I had this big vacancy in my purpose and orientation," Paltrow revealed during a recent Q&A session for her new film, 'Marty Supreme', where she was interviewed by fellow actress Demi Moore.
She admitted that this period of adjustment coincided with an unexpected call from director Josh Safdie about a role, for which she felt unprepared. "I was so embarrassingly out of the [loop]. I had never even seen Timothée Chalamet in a movie, which is...I swear. Now I have," she told People magazine.
A Strategic Return to the Silver Screen
Paltrow, who significantly scaled back her prolific film career to raise her children and build her brand Goop, framed her return as a "confluence of things." She reflected on her intense work schedule before motherhood, stating, "I realized I did such an insane number of films before I had my kids. Some years, I was doing four movies a year, five movies a year."
She explained that becoming a mother, and later a single parent, prompted a deliberate slowdown. "I stopped for three years completely and since then have sometimes dipped my toe. But I kind of wanted to not be in some far-flung location; I was a single mom," she shared.
Her role in 'Marty Supreme' as a retired movie star named Kay resonated deeply with her own experience. "I felt for Kay so much and her loss... there was something so tragic about her and sort of cold," Paltrow described. "And then she makes this choice to go back. Anyway, of course, there was the meta thing of her unquitting, which I was doing."
Children Forging Their Own Paths
As Paltrow navigates her acting comeback, her children are building their own careers. Apple Martin, a student at Vanderbilt University studying law, history and society, has ventured into modelling and music. In October, she released a song and music video with the band Jade Street.
She has credited her parents for instilling a strong work ethic, telling The Daily Telegraph, "I know this is not a normal way to grow up by any means. But my parents did a really good job of instilling in me that I shouldn't be entitled to anything. I have to work."
Meanwhile, her son Moses is following in his father's musical footsteps. He is part of a three-piece band called Dancer and is a student at Brown University.
Paltrow's return to film last year generated headlines for a different reason, when paparazzi photos of her kissing co-star Timothée Chalamet, 29, on the 'Marty Supreme' set went viral. Recalling the reaction among her friends, she said, "You should have seen my mommy group chats when the paparazzi pictures came out of us kissing in the park. All the moms were pretty stoked."
