Gwyneth Paltrow grew up in the spotlight with her famous parents – actress Blythe Danner and film producer-director Bruce Paltrow – and she's also the goddaughter of movie icon and the most celebrated director of his generation, Steven Spielberg.
A lifelong friend of Gwyneth's father, who sadly passed away in 2002, the legendary filmmaker has always been there for his goddaughter. Steven has even documented some of the Goop founder's most cherished moments, including her 2018 wedding to second husband, Brad Falchuk.
"I guess I had a pretty good videographer," Gwyneth joked on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021. "He always has a video camera in his hands, so any family event – the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, whatever the case may be – he is always videoing.
READ: Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter Apple Martin recycles her infamous 2002 Oscars dress
"He definitely has videoed me over the years and he was actually, you know, the only person who was videoing at my wedding two and a half years ago."
In a sweet twist, it was also Steven, 76, that gave Gwyneth, 50, one of her first major opportunities in Hollywood. During a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director recalled: "Bruce [Paltrow], her dad, and [my wife] Kate [Capshaw] and I had taken Gwynnie to see The Silence of the Lambs when it first came out. We were driving back from the movie theater, and I was going back to work [on Hook] the next day. I was looking at her in the rearview mirror, and she was talking about the film. And she had this really frightened look on her face, and it suddenly clicked. … So I turned around and said, 'Do you want to make a movie?' She got a SAG card because of it."
Following their trip to the theater, Gwyneth was eventually cast as a young Wendy Darling in Hook (1991), and the rest is history! The actress has gone on to receive various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Some of her most iconic movies include Seven (1995) Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), Shallow Hal (2001) and Iron Man (2008), plus its sequels. Acting has taken a backseat for Gwyneth in recent years as she pivoted to her mega-successful wellness and lifestyle brand Goop.
While they both have busy schedules, Steven and Gwyneth have continued to spend quality time together, and they've frequently gone on vacation together. In 2011, the director took his goddaughter and her two children – Apple and Moses – on his $280 million luxury yacht Seven Seas for a visit to Porto Cervo, Sardinia.
The trip actually made headlines after angry sunbathers called police and coastguards to complain about the noise coming from one of Steven's speedboats after it breached the 900ft exclusion zone from the shoreline.
According to Mail Online, the filmmaker was happy to pay the resulting fine and politely told officials: "I'm sorry. I'm Steven Spielberg. I didn't know the rules. It's only right I pay."
When their not vacationing together, Steven and Gwyneth have also caught up at major Hollywood events, and they're always so happy to see each other.
In 2012, the director and his goddaughter posed for photos with Steven's wife, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom actress Kate Capshaw, at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at Hollywood & Highland Centre. And judging by the smiles on their faces, they have the most adorable bond.