Gwyneth Paltrow, 1998 Best Actress SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (R) (Historical Romance) Gwyneth Paltrow won her Best Actress award for portraying Viola De Lesseps, who pretends to be Master Thomas Kent, in order to do the forbidden thing for a woman to do, which was to act on stage. This play happens to be Shakespeare's play, one that he is having trouble writing, until he meets her. William Shakespeare discovers her secret, and they fall in love, despite the fact that she must marry another.

Gwyneth Paltrow (1972 - ) Gwyneth Paltrow was born on September 28, 1972, in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of film director, Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner. She received her early training from her parents, starting at age 11 when the family moved to Mass. where her father began working on in summer stock productions in the Berkshires. After graduating from The Spence School in New York, in1990, Gwyneth Paltrow attended the University of California at Santa Barbara studying art but dropped out in 1991 to actively start her acting career. Paltrow's big breaking role was Emma Woodhouse in the film, "Emma." Because of her performance in this film, Gwyneth Paltrow was offered the part of Viola in "Shakespeare in Love," for which, she received the Oscar for Best Actress. Paltrow's other film credits include: HOOK SHOUT MALICE MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE JEFFERSON IN PARIS SE7EN THE PALLBEARER EMMA SYDNEY GREAT EXPECTATIONS SLIDING DOORS A PERFECT MURDER THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY BOUNCE POSSESSION THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS SHALLOW HAL A VIEW FROM THE TOP SYLVIA