IMDb describes Gwyneth Paltrow as "a tall, wafer-thin, delicate beauty." But the actress isn't all that square like most think. We may know her for her serious roles in Shakespeare in Love and The Talented Mr. Ripley, but she has actually once starred in a rom-com film called Shallow Hal with Jack Black.
They played a couple in the movie. The two may seem like an unlikely pair in real life, but the Academy Award-winning actress actually got along well with the School of Rock star on set.
Everyone on set was also surprised that such an actress would want to work with them and do something so goofy like wearing a fat suit. Paltrow has expressed her regret over that, calling the movie a "disaster" and definitely her least favorite. Still, the Goop founder had a good time with her leading man. Jack Black himself has said nothing but nice words about the actress all these years. But what's really their relationship like today? Here's what we know.
How It Was Like For Gwyneth Paltrow And Jack Black On Set
Jack Black admitted to feeling a little nervous around Gwyneth Paltrow at first on the set of Shallow Hal. But he said he felt more comfortable when he saw her wearing the fat suit. "To tell you the truth, when I saw her in the suit, I was just more relaxed around her. 'Cause you know, when she's just Gwyneth, she's just that stunning and like, unapproachable," Black told E! during a behind-the-scenes special.
He added, "You end up stammering and stuttering all the time. So I was cool with her in the suit. I actually asked her if she would keep the suit on all the time. She said, 'no it's a hundred and fifty degrees.'" Paltrow also described her co-star as "loving" and "kind-hearted" which is why she didn't want to miss the project despite regretting it now. The behind the scenes clips and bloopers from the film definitely show how much the onscreen couple enjoyed working together at that time.
Gwyneth Paltrow Made Jack Back Blush By Singing A Dirty Song
When Jack Black was promoting his 2018 fantasy comedy film, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, the actor spilled some secrets on what Paltrow's really like behind the camera. The Nacho Libre star told News.com.au, "When I did Shallow Hal with Gwyneth Paltrow, I have to admit she made me blush. I was very surprised by her salty sense of humor. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you because it’s very inappropriate…"
He continued and sang the naughty lyrics of the song: "Strangers in the night, exchanging rubbers, this one is too tight, let’s use the other. This one is too loose, won’t hold the juice, now waaaait!" Jack Black added, "She completely out-salted me. She won the battle of funny little dirty ditties with that song. And her version of that song has stuck with me all these years." The actor said that the song also stuck with him throughout the years. Aside from the dirty nature of the song, it's certainly not easy to forget such a candid performance by a classy actress like Paltrow.
The actress never commented on that anecdote, probably to avoid discussing Shallow Hal. The Sliding Doors star deeply regrets taking on such an insensitive role. "The first day I tried the fat suit on, I was in the Tribeca Grand and I walked through the lobby. It was so sad. It was so disturbing. No one would make eye contact with me because I was obese," she said. "For some reason the clothes they make for women that are overweight are horrible. I felt humiliated because people were really dismissive."
What's Gwyneth Paltrow And Jack Black's Relationship Like Today?
The two are good friends to this day. They may not hang out a lot these days but they're certainly cool with each other, unlike most former co-stars. After Shallow Hal, the two continued to achieve great things in their own careers. Jack Black starred in his iconic film School of Rock just two years after the rom-com.
"That’s my finest moment. It’s where all the planets aligned perfectly for me. I had a great writer who wrote for all my strengths and I had that in my corner. That was a very fortunate moment for me and it felt like it was a home run for me," he said about playing musician Dewey Finn.
Paltrow's career continued to flourish as well. She went on to make a special appearance on the TV show Glee and played Iron Man's love interest Pepper Potts in some Marvel movies. These days, she's focused on her controversial lifestyle brand, Goop. Netflix has a documentary series about it called The Goop Lab.