Gwyneth Paltrow Once Felt She Made More Girl Friends in Her 40s Because She Was Less Threatening
Gwyneth Paltrow has accomplished a lot in her career, which the Oscar-winner felt sometimes made it hard to build friendships with other women. But this changed as the actor matured.
Gwyneth Paltrow feels winning an Academy Award at age 26 messed up her mind
Paltrow accomplished much success during her younger years by featuring in many popular films. When she was 26, she added to her success by winning an Oscar. In hindsight, Paltrow couldn’t believe her massive achievements at the time.
“It’s crazy when I think about that now,” Paltrow told CBS News. “At the time I thought I was, like, a full adult, you know?”
Despite feeling like an adult, Paltrow recognized she was still extremely young at the time. And her lack of maturity, coupled with the attention of fame, might have had negative consequences on her mental wellbeing.
“You know, to reach that kind of, like, pinnacle at that age and have that much scrutiny and attention, and then it’s like, no matter what you do after that, you can’t really win, right? It’s like you have a few years of it’s, like, nothing’s gonna live up to that. It’s just a lot to hold,” Paltrow continued.
Gwyneth Paltrow felt she made more girl friends in her 40s because she became less threatening
Winning an Oscar wasn’t the peak for Paltrow. The actor continued to solidify her A-List status. Afterwards, she further branched out her fanbase with the lifestyle company Goop. Her own podcast, named after her company, has continued to help Paltrow connect with fans in a much more personal way.
Because of Paltrow’s celebrity, many fans have been exposed to her personal life. But after several years, Paltrow felt there was a benefit that came with her time in the spotlight. For instance, some might have been too intimidated by the actor’s success to forge an actual friendship with her. But this became less of a problem for Paltrow in her 40s.
“I feel a sisterhood emerging around me. I’m less threatening now that I’m 40 and not 26-with-an-Oscar,” Paltrow once told Shelf in 2013 (via Contact Music). “They know I’ve been through a lot of pain and suffering – some public, some private – and I keep going. Or maybe it’s just that I was the first one who could afford therapy!”
How Gwyneth Paltow recently felt about turning 50
Paltrow recently reached the milestone of turning 50 years old. But the actor welcomed entering the fifth decade of her life. In fact, in an interview with Vogue, she had an easier time turning 50 than she did with her earlier milestones.
“I feel very happy and fulfilled and not scared and weirdly not freaked out about it,” she said about being 50. “I remember turning 30 and feeling like there was so much pressure to be married and have a baby. I was not in a serious relationship when I turned 30, and I remember just thinking, I’m disappointing my parents. I haven’t married my stockbroker or a lawyer, and I’m this weird artist.”
Compared to entering her 30s and 40s, her 50s weren’t a big deal at all. Still, turning 50 brought about a new set of questions that Paltrow wondered about.
“For the last year or so leading up to it, I have been ruminating on these different chapters in a woman’s life,” she continued. “What does it mean to go through perimenopause and then later menopause? And why is that a taboo, and why are we put out to pasture?”
