Gwyneth Paltrow on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of "Shakespeare in Love's" – Variety

Gwyneth Paltrow never felt the same after shooting "Shakespeare in Love". The film that earned her the best actress Oscar 20 years ago turned her into a world star. "It just changed my life," Paltrow said in a recent afternoon in Los Angeles, citing the impact of the 1998 romantic comedy, which brought in nearly $ 300 million worldwide – a incredible achievement for an independent film. "I do not think it ever got back to normal."

Although Paltrow has made other films, including "Emma" and "Sliding Doors" – and was a fixture in Brad Pitt's tabloids – "Shakespeare in Love" confirmed her single status. Mark. His winning speech, torn apart by the Academy Awards, has become an instant classic on the Academy's memorable hydraulic circuit. Some 46 million viewers listened to her wearing a pink Ralph Lauren dress, guaranteeing she could never slip into a restaurant again. "I think you're going through a kind of hemisphere to be recognized," Paltrow says. "It's done in stages, but it was like, 'OK, it's categorically it's not that anymore. & # 39; "She looked up. "You are in this kingdom!"

"Shakespeare in Love" had a footprint similar to that of a crater in Hollywood. The film, which awarded seven Oscars, beat Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" for the best trophy in a fierce campaign led by Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, borrowed from the far-reaching political race book. The mogul, who was later charged with sexual misconduct by dozens of actresses (including Paltrow), was expelled from the academy in 2017 for his alleged predatory behavior. On the business front, Weinstein introduced a guerrilla tactic to push "Shakespeare" past the finish line with a $ 15 million war budget (unpublished for the Oscar races at ;time). He proved that with enough expense and blur, you could face the greatest Hollywood filmmaker and win.

Paltrow is honest about his own struggles with the volcanic producer. "He was a bully," she says. "I have never had a problem with it. I was not afraid of him. For a while, I also felt that I was the face of the Miramax consumer and felt it was my job to push him away. We fought a lot. She does not believe that Weinstein's participation in Shakespeare in Love tarnishes the legacy of photography. "It's a beautiful movie," she says. "A movie will not be successful if it's not a good movie, not like that."

And giving all credit to Weinstein underestimates the charms of the film. "Shakespeare in Love", directed by John Madden after a screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, still holds up. This has made Judi Dench the greatest lady in the industry when it comes to portraying Queen Elizabeth in a concise but delightfully tasty secondary role and an Oscar winner. He boasted of a set of sincere followers – Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Ben Affleck – in character roles. So sunny in the 90s began with Julia Roberts as a prostitute in distress in "Pretty Woman", the decade ended with Paltrow in "Shakespeare in love" in the role of Viola in disguise, a full-fledged heroine who had no need to be saved by a man. She wore the pants in the relationship with a young playwright named Will (Joseph Fiennes), who inspired her to inspire her.

Paltrow reveals that when she was married to director and writer Brad Falchuk last September, he made reference to "Shakespeare" at the ceremony. "I hope it's not too personal," she says. "But in the wedding vows of my husband, he actually said that it was not a coincidence that I was playing this muse, because that's what I'm for him and his perception, that's what I am in real life. It was really nice.

Why does the movie work so well? "Honestly, that's the scenario," says Paltrow. "It's so smart in his approach to Shakespeare and all the jokes of the entertainment industry." Our interview with Variety is the first Hollywood cover for Paltrow, 46, for quite some time. In person, she exudes the cool behavior of a corporate executive rather than appearing like a movie star looking for approval. Her full-time job is as CEO of the Goop lifestyle brand, a company based in Santa Monica, Calif., That she launched with a newsletter containing her strange product recommendations – think about coffee enemas and $ 50 toothbrushes – spectacular recipes and travel destinations. Later this year, she will star in a Netflix doc for Goop similar to the podcast she co-hosts. "I'm going to interview experts and ask questions, and then we'll go out there," she says.

Paltrow does not read scripts anymore. From time to time, she will accept a small role. The day of our conversation, she plans to watch the first episode of "The Politician" by Ryan Murphy, the TV series Netflix. "I play a very rich mother of Montecito," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought of seeing her. "It makes me uncomfortable. I do not like to watch myself. "

One of the reasons why Paltrow left the film industry a few years ago is the disappearance of his movies, medium-budget stories aimed at adults. "I think that cinema and the business around them have changed so much in the last 20 years," she says. "I do not think one of the films I'm known for is made today. Would they make 'The Royal Tenenbaums'? Would they make "The Talented Mr. Ripley"? Would they do "Shakespeare in Love"? "

Paltrow says she plans to retire from the Marvel Film Universe after "Avengers: Endgame", where she recasts her role as Pepper Potts, Iron Man's girlfriend. "I mean, I'm a little old to be in costume and all that at this stage," she says. "I feel very lucky to have done it, because I got talked to about it. I was friends with [‘Iron Man’ director] Jon Favreau. It was a wonderful experience to make the first "Iron Man" and see how important it became to the fans. "

She is not opposed to the Oscars rewarding the best image winners with a comic tent, especially given recent box office trends. "So, if the language spoken in the movie is that of the superhero movies and these are great movies, then I guess why not, is not it?" Says Paltrow. "I loved 'Black Panther. 'I thought it was a very powerful film and culturally very important. It's great that he was nominated. I mean it's so cool. "

Just do not ask Paltrow too much about the list of this year's Oscars contenders. Of all the best nominees in pictures, the only others she's seen are "A Star is Born" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", both with her two children (from her first marriage with Chris Martin). She admits that she still has to catch "Roma" in a theater. "Oh, my God," she said. "It seems like a commitment. What else is really good? "

There is of course "The Favorite". "What is it?" Does request.

Is not she an Oscar winner? "I'd better keep myself busy," Paltrow says. "I usually end up looking at the ones I'm supposed to watch. But this year, I'm a little late, apparently.

Gwyneth Paltrow initially rejected "Shakespeare in Love". "The film had many iterations," she says. "Julia Roberts was going to do it for a long time, and then this version collapsed. It ended in Miramax, and I was the first person to whom they offered it. She was not interested. "I was in the middle of a terrible break" – with Pitt – "and the idea of ​​going to England and being away from home seemed just to me …" She it's going away. "I did not even read it. I thought, "I can not read anything right now. I'm having a very bad time. "

Like many Hollywood classics, "Shakespeare in Love" languished before becoming a hit and became a hell of development. The idea of ​​the scenario was designed by Norman, the credited co-author. Edward Zwick was attached to the staging and he recruited Stoppard to work on a new project, a spiritual tale unfolding in the theater world, where Shakespeare was suffering from the writer's blockage. Once Roberts arrived on board, the film got the green light from Universal Pictures. But Roberts bailed out when his choice for Shakespeare, Daniel Day-Lewis, refused to join the cast.

Photo rights were finally sold to Miramax. Weinstein skirted Zwick as a director and hired John Madden, whom he already knew in two earlier films, "Mrs. Brown" and "Ethan Frome." Madden had a particular look at the narrative, the one that put the relationship between Will and Viola. "John Madden, bless him, made it a more romantic film," says Stoppard, "I had a lot of fun with humor and the possibilities of making jokes on the stage. had a good time writing it, but I think that without John, it would not have been like before, he realized that the movie was really motivated by his love story. "

The most difficult task would be to launch Viola. Once Paltrow refused, Madden met Kate Winslet, who played a role in the star role in "Titanic". "She read the script and completely understood it," recalls Madden. "I had lunch with her, where she was ecstatic. Then, a week later, she called and said, "I do not think I can do it." He tried to persuade her by arranging a reading with some of his friends, but that only pushed him away. "She was feeling pissed off and she came out," says Madden.

After a few months, Paltrow finally read the script and she was thrilled. "I just could not let it down," she says. "It was perfect." She had no choice but to agree to play Viola. One of his agents tried to dissuade him. "This person said," I think it's more of a guy role. "I thought," Well, I want to do it. "

It meant that she would be working again with Weinstein. In her October 2017 talk in the New York Times, Paltrow revealed a secret that she would have kept her entire professional life. In early 1996, "Emma", Weinstein summoned Paltrow into a hotel room, put his hand down and asked for a massage. "I had a really uncomfortable and strange experience; that way, he's never been inappropriate with me anymore, "says Paltrow. But working with Weinstein had other disadvantages. For example, he refused to pay Paltrow his final compensation for the "Emma" show at the box office. She pushed him until she received this money. "I asked him to pay me something. I remember that I received this legal letter saying, "It's not a recognition that we owe you this money, but here's a check."

She described how it was to deal with Weinstein. "It was a very difficult boss," she says. "It was a difficult relationship. We were going to participate in the struggles behind. I remember once, my mother [Blythe Danner] went into a room, and I shouted something to him. She said to herself, "Who was it on the phone?" "When Paltrow told her, she said," Oh, my God, good for you. Get up for yourself.

On the set in England of "Shakespeare in Love", Weinstein was not a regular presence. But his decision-making depended on production. Paltrow had tried with Joseph Fiennes – a drama actor (and Ralph's younger brother) who was starting out in the cinema – to play Shakespeare. At Miramax, with "Good Will Hunting" ready to be a hit, Weinstein preferred someone else for the title role. "At the last minute, Harvey wanted Ben Affleck to take over and play against Shakespeare," said Paltrow, who had to step in to end the idea. "I said," No, you can not do that. Weinstein finally conceded, and Affleck joined the cast as Ned Alleyn, one of the Globe's most loyal actors.

Fiennes lived in a studio when he received the offer. "I really shouted at the top of my head when I got it," he says. He never knew that Paltrow had beaten so hard for him to get the role. "It's news for me," he says. "I feel – wow – really very indebted to Gwyneth and John."

Paltrow and Fiennes had an easy and natural chemistry, based on their different approaches to Shakespeare. She seemed to pick it up organically, while he had a more classical training. Paltrow noted that the crew was looking at her differently when she dressed as a man. "There is a shift in subconscious energy if your breasts are out and long blond hair, as opposed to a mustache and a d – k," she says. She did not like all the period costumes. "To be corseted in a corset a few inches from my life, it was really crazy," says Paltrow. "I think it's the greatest hair care, makeup and wardrobe I've ever known."

Once the film was finished, Weinstein had a major note. "Harvey became convinced that we had made a romantic comedy that did not end as a romantic comedy," says Madden. Paltrow and Madden had to tell Weinstein that Shakespeare could not be with the girl because he had a wife. As a compromise, they found themselves facing a more optimistic end, where Viola and Will bid farewell. "I was clean on another project," says Fiennes. "I had to stick to a false beard to say goodbye."

When Weinstein was ousted from Hollywood, the image that appeared in every newspaper referred to himself at the Oscars for "Shakespeare in Love." This photo first disturbed the director. "I remember feeling uncomfortable and thinking: does that take the film away?" Says Madden. "In the end, I have to step back and say that it does not cancel all the films he has made – and not that one."

"Shakespeare in Love", which opened in the theaters in early December, just days after being featured in the critics, became the hit of the 1999 season. Paltrow recalls how Hillary Clinton attended at the sumptuous premiere of the movie in New York and sat during the movie, even though she was supposed to leave for another engagement. "I think it made up for Bill Clinton falling asleep during" Emma "at the White House," said Paltrow laughing. "He took a long nap, just in the middle."

Paltrow was shocked when she won the Golden Globe. "I had never won anything in my life," she says. "I did not really expect it." Then the growing pressure began to weigh on her: she was only 26 years old at the time. She noticed that she could not be in public without the recognition of her. "At the time, Los Angeles was a one-industry country," she says. "Wherever I went, I did not feel like a civilian. I do not even know how to articulate it. "

Her pink Oscars dress has become a tradition of the industry (she even has her own Wikipedia page). Since she did not have a stylist, Paltrow chose the dress from a dress she had seen at a fashion show. "Every time I was going to make an adjustment, I was losing six pounds because I was so nervous," she says. "I'm one of those people, when I'm nervous, I can not eat." She tried to calm herself by going on a trip with friends to Mexico.

The ceremony itself is blurry. Roberto Benigni, who won the Best Actor award for "Life Is Beautiful", helped lighten the mood by jumping over rows of chairs while reading his name. Paltrow does not remember giving her speech and she says she never looked at it. She had already had links with the man who had handed her her trophy. "Jack Nicholson gave it to me," says Paltrow. "There was a funny story in which he was trying to ask me before, and I was thinking:" I have a boyfriend! "" It was not strange that she rejected it. When she forgot to take the envelope, he sent it to her with a small note. "I have it framed."

The final price of the evening was presented by Harrison Ford. When he announced that "Shakespeare in Love" was the winner of the best film, there were hiccups in the room – and all over the country. "My youngest brother was my date and my beloved mother sent me a message:" Wear a beautiful dress and be ready to make a speech, "said Donna Gigliotti, the talk show's producer. "I was fully prepared. I can only summarize it to some kind of divine intervention. "

At the end of the Oscars, Paltrow was exhausted. "After, I've been shipwrecked," says Paltrow. "I moved in with my parents for three weeks in Santa Monica. I was just overwhelmed, tired and very exposed. "Winning this award has changed the trajectory of his career and has also led to questions. She had done so much with "Shakespeare in Love", it was hard to make movies that did not come with that kind of success. "Unfortunately, I am a very results-oriented person and I have had quantifiable returns," said Paltrow. "Well, what am I doing now? This was the beginning of my questioning of my career choices. It started a whole series of reflections on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. "

Although she does not make films for the moment, Paltrow leaves open the possibility of acting in the future. "I promised my mom that if I quit my business, I would play," she says. If she can not find a new one, there is always "The Night of the Kings".