Gwyneth Paltrow Almost Let Go Of Her Shakespeare in Love Role Over Brad Pitt Split? (Photo Credit – Instagram/Facebook)
Advertisement
Imagine almost ditching an Oscar-winning role. Gwyneth Paltrow nearly passed on Shakespeare in Love because of her messy breakup with Brad Pitt. Heartbroken and overwhelmed, she couldn’t even read the script. “The idea of going to England just seemed…” she shared, proving heartbreak almost rewrote Hollywood history.
Yep, the same Shakespeare in Love that snagged her a Best Actress Oscar in 1999 nearly slipped through her fingers. Julia Roberts was initially attached to the film, but that version fell apart, and Miramax knocked on Paltrow’s door. “I was the first person they offered it to,” she said. Still, a shattered heart almost made her pass on what turned out to be the role of a lifetime.
But let’s rewind to the breakup drama. Paltrow and Pitt—Hollywood’s golden duo—broke off their engagement in 1997. Cue heartbreak central. While Gwyneth Paltrow tried to piece herself together, Shakespeare in Love waited in the wings. It wasn’t until she finally cracked the script open that everything clicked. “I just couldn’t put it down,” she admitted. “It was perfect.”
Even then, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. An agent dismissed the part as “more of a guy’s role.” (Clearly, they hadn’t seen Viola de Lesseps work her charm!) Thankfully, Paltrow ignored the noise and said yes; the rest is history. Her performance became the talk of Hollywood, and that shiny gold statue became hers.
But here’s where it gets more interesting. Paltrow hasn’t exactly buried her memories of Pitt. In fact, she still sings his praises. During a Howard Stern interview, she dropped a bombshell about how Pitt once stood up to Harvey Weinstein for her. After Weinstein allegedly made a pass at her, Pitt stepped in. “It was like the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically,” Paltrow revealed. “He said, ‘If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you.’” Classic protective boyfriend energy, right?
Fast-forward to today and Paltrow can even laugh about her Brad Pitt era. Last year, she joked on Instagram about the actor’s uncanny ability to morph into his girlfriends’ doppelgängers. “Or we like to look like him, let’s face it,” she teased, responding to a post titled, Brad: The Man Who Likes to Look Like His Girlfriend.
Looking back, it’s wild to think heartbreak almost robbed us of one of Paltrow’s most iconic performances. From Shakespeare in Love’s romantic highs to her real-life rollercoaster, Paltrow’s journey proves one thing: sometimes, love lost makes room for career gold. And in her case, literal gold.
