The actress opens up about her 'ambition' as an actress and lifestyle guru.
Gwyneth Paltrow is an ambitious, talented professional and she's not going to apologize for it.
As part of Elle Magazine's "Women in Hollywood" issue, the Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder takes center stage in a profile looking at her multifaceted career -- including her evolving lifestyle brand and her role in the new Netflix dramedy The Politician -- and opens up about owning her determination and drive.
"In the ’90s, when I was coming up, it was a very male-dominated field," Paltrow shares in the profile. "You used to hear, ‘That actress is so ambitious,' like it was a dirty word."
However, she says that, with the changing times and ever-evolving opportunities in multiple fields, and her plans for the future of Goop, "My ambition has been unleashed."
That isn't something that comes as any surprise to her close friends and fellow actresses, including Cameron Diaz.
Reflecting on Paltrow's work ethic, and talent at balancing the many and varied responsibilities in her life, Diaz marveles as her pal's ability to juggle her obligations and budget her time, telling Elle, "She can do four million things at once."
In The Politician, Paltrow plays Georgina Hobart, a wealthy, ethereal eccentric who dispenses pearls of questionable self-help wisdom and swears by the healing powers of new age crystals.
It's been suggested that the character is jokingly modeled after a common popular misconception of Paltrow herself. However, it's a misconception that the actress' longtime friend, Kate Hudson, says makes no sense.
"Anybody who thinks that someone as successful as Gwyneth has just been floating around in caftans all day is just being rude," Hudson tells the publication, adding, "I'm way more like that than Gwyneth -- I really do throw crystals around."
Meanwhile, Paltrow's husband, Brad Falchuck -- who created, executive produced and directed episodes of The Politician -- says her performance on the show has, for many, just reestablished her reputation as a truly formidable actress.
"Seeing her quiet elegance and how she can command a room was a reminder that she is a bona fide screen presence," Falchuk says in praise of his wife. "She exudes light."
Elle's "Women in Hollywood" issue -- which has multiple covers featuring this year's honorees, including Nicole Kidman, Mindy Kaling, Scarlett Johansson, Zendaya, Natalie Portman, Lena Waithe, Melina Matsoukas and Jodie Turner Smith -- hits newsstands on Oct. 22.
RELATED CONTENT:
