A Brad-less Gwyneth blabs about big Ben, big guns and body doubles

by Veronica Mixon


In the beginning, there was Brad.

From the moment Gwyneth Paltrow met Brad Pitt on the set of
Seven, the two became inseparable. Overnight, the daughter of
actress Blythe Danner and producer Bruce Paltrow went from
being a vaguely familiar face to a magazine cover girl.

But she was still known more for her relationship with Pitt
than for her own work--until Emma (a sort of costume-dama
"premake" of Clueless). Paltrow took the original Jane Austen
character, breathed wry, sexy life into her and became, in the
process, a star.

Careful in choosing a follow-up, Paltrow took the unlikely
role of a waitress-turned-prostitute in Hard Eight, directed
by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights). The film wasn't a box-
office sensation, but it was the perfect showcase for a young
actress out to prove her versatility.

Then came the breakup heard 'round the world. Seemingly just
like that, America's sexiest couple was no more. But while
Brad drifted from the spotlight, Gwyneth shone even brighter.
From New York to Paris, the lanky blond beauty was spied
palling around with Winona Ryder at every cool-to-be-seen-at
venue.

Now, Gwyneth returns to the big screen. First, she gets naked
with Ethan Hawke (he returns the favor) in the film version of
another literary classic, Charles Dickens' Great Expectations--
though this remake is hip, contemporary and sexy. Then she
takes center screen in Sliding Doors, a modern-day romantic
comedy that debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

She's also got herself a new real-life love interest in Ben
Affleck (Good Will Hunting). The two came out publicly at the
Golden Globe Awards.

Maybe breaking up isn't that hard to do after all.