Gwyneth Paltrow on Marty Supreme: Avoiding reviews, embracing the role

Paltrow portrays Kay Stone, who becomes romantically involved with the unscrupulous athlete Marty Mauser

Gwyneth Paltrow has returned to dramatic acting with the hit ping-pong epic Marty Supreme, now in theaters, portraying washed-up Hollywood star Kay Stone, who becomes romantically involved with the unscrupulous athlete Marty Mauser, played by Timothée Chalamet.

In one of the film’s most emotionally charged scenes, Marty walks in on Kay sobbing during the opening night party for her new play after receiving a harsh review, a moment that resonates deeply with audiences.

For Paltrow, 53, reading reviews has long been an experience she avoids entirely. “I don’t read reviews – I haven’t since I was about 22,” she told USA TODAY. “I try not to read anything about myself at all, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.”

There are rare exceptions: during a recent interview, a journalist read back a New York Times review of her Oscar-winning performance in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love.

Critic Janet Maslin wrote, “Paltrow, in her first great, fully realized starring performance, makes a heroine so breathtaking that she seems utterly plausible as the playwright’s guiding light.” Paltrow admitted she considered printing the review and putting it on her mirror, saying, “That would feel really good. It’s pretty nice!”

Director Josh Safdie shared a similar perspective on avoiding reviews, recalling his first experience with critical backlash after his 2008 film The Pleasure of Being Robbed.

“I got a review and this guy was like, ‘Halfway through the film, I wanted Josh to get hit by a truck. And I’m not talking about the character, I’m talking about the writer and director of this film,’” Safdie recalled. “And I was like, ‘He wants me to die? What did I do to this person?’ So I stopped reading reviews after that.”

Despite the potential scrutiny, Paltrow’s performance in Marty Supreme has been widely praised for its emotional depth and authenticity, marking a triumphant return to the screen.

Her ability to navigate the film’s dramatic highs and lows while maintaining her characteristic poise and commitment underscores her enduring presence as one of Hollywood’s most respected actors.