The "Se7en" actor Gwyneth Paltrow who made buzz after her vagina-scented candles, recently shared the meaning behind the most attention-seeking products from her lifestyle brand-Goop.
In an interview with TODAY on Sunday, Paltrow shared her journey from career pivot from Oscar-winning actress to the CEO of Goop, the lifestyle brand she founded initially as a newsletter in 2008, as per People magazine.
"I always find it surreal -- a little bit -- when I come into a store and watch people as they mill around and ask questions and pick things up." "It's such a place of discovery for people and everybody's always smiling when they're in the store. So, I love coming into the store," she said in a conversation with TODAY's Willie Geist.
Goop's best-known products include a $75 10.5 oz candle labelled "This Smells Like My Vagina". The candle, which is made with geranium, citrusy bergamot and "cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed," boasts a name that catches the eye enough that Paltrow asked TODAY whether she was allowed to say its title on morning television.
She explained about the product, "This candle is really like that provocation to say like, 'It's amazing to be a woman in every way. It's amazing to have that kind of power and you deserve to have that agency", as per People magazine.
Paltrow, who won an Oscar for her role in 1998's 'Shakespeare in Love' has not appeared in a feature film since 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame'. Though she got involved with Goop, the company she joined in 2016 as CEO. After which the actor entirely stepped out from acting.
Paltrow also said that it was around the time she won that award that her place in the public eye went from "people kind of being curious about you or discovering you or rooting for you to it all being upended, and people really wanting to tear you down and take great pleasure in it."
"Which ends up being a really beautiful lesson in knowing who you are." "Loving the people you love. Being totally in integrity. And like f*** everybody else, " Paltrow added.
While Paltrow starred in Netflix's 2020 series 'The Politician', co-created by her husband Brad Falchuk.
Referring to herself as "a fake extrovert" who tried to pretend that she loved being in front of the camera when that wasn't the case. She said, "never felt very, fully comfortable being in the public eye to that degree" and would likely only act on screen moving forward if Falchuk asked her to play a role in one of his projects.
When asked about her acting career Paltrow said "I really don't miss it all. I think I'm so lucky that I got to do it, and I'm sure I still will at some point." "The team is always trying to get me to do a movie, but I really love what I do and I love how immediate it is and how ... we're able to create a product out of thin air that we believe in so much."
Paltrow also indicated she would be interested in performing on the stage in a future acting role in order to fulfil a promise to her mother, actress Blythe Danner.
"I did promise my mother at some point before I die, I told her I would go and do a play so ... I'm gonna deliver on that promise at some point," she shared.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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