Gwyneth Paltrow Says the Public Would Be “Quite Shocked” to Learn What Movie Roles She Gave Up to Raise Her Kids

Gwyneth Paltrow may be a famous film star, an entrepreneur who founded the sometimes unrelatable lifestyle brand Goop—but, like many if not all mothers, Paltrow has had to make sacrifices when it comes to her career as she raised children, a relatable reality far too many women know well.

Paltrow shares daughter Apple and son Moses with ex-husband Chris Martin, and said during an interview on Today with Hoda and Jenna that the public would be “shocked” to learn which movies she was forced to pass on because of her obligation to her family.

During the interview, Zanna Roberts Rassi mentioned that Paltrow’s mother, Blythe Danner—also an actress—“gave up some incredible roles” to raise her family, and wondered if Paltrow, a Best Actress Oscar winner, had done the same.

“There were a lot,” Paltrow admitted, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I mean, it’s funny, because it didn’t feel like a sacrifice to me at the time, but if I look back at it through a cultural lens, I think, like, wow, if people knew that I didn’t do this movie or that movie, they’d be quite shocked.”

After having kids, Paltrow became much more selective in what roles she took on, and she told People last November that she hasn’t been in an entire movie since before her daughter was born in 2004: “Well, it’s kind of ironic because I really stepped away from acting when Apple was born,” she said. “The last time I was in every scene of a movie was when I was pregnant with her. When I had her, it just—everything felt redefined for me, and I thought, ‘I’m not sure that I want to do this so much as a career.' I definitely don’t want to…I’m not going to go away for months on end.” 

Since then, Paltrow founded Goop, and has largely been focused on building her wellness empire since, rather than acting. To that end, though, Paltrow told Roberts Rassi that she “never says never” to the idea of returning to a movie set.

On motherhood, Paltrow said, per People, that she’s “been so defined and so fulfilled by motherhood,” adding “It’s like the guiding force. It’s what I return to.”