Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke Reflect on Their Time Filming “Great Expectations”
Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke are looking back on their time filming the 1998 film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, “Great Expectations.” The pair, who starred together in Alfonso Cuarón’s film, recently reunited to discuss the movie and a particular scene that Paltrow refused to do. In a video for Vanity Fair published on December 17, Hawke asked Paltrow if she remembered Cuarón pitching the idea for a love scene between their characters.
The scene in question, which was ultimately never filmed, would have involved Paltrow’s character Estella receiving oral sex from Hawke’s Finnegan. Paltrow recalled being hesitant about the scene, saying “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, my father’s going to have a heart attack.'” Hawke went on to detail how Cuarón pitched the idea to them, describing the camera angles and the intended emotional impact of the scene.
A Refusal to Compromise
Cuarón’s vision for the scene involved the camera panning down Paltrow’s body, then up to her breasts, and finally to her face as she reached ecstasy. However, Paltrow was not comfortable with the idea and put her foot down. “And I remember looking at Gwyneth, and Gwyneth is like, ‘Alfonso, I’m never going to do that,'” Hawke recalled, with Paltrow laughing beside him. Paltrow acknowledged that she felt self-conscious about her family seeing her in such a scene, which “really bothered” her at the time.
Now, Paltrow says she wouldn’t care about such a scene, but at the time, she was concerned about how it would be perceived by her family and the public. Hawke praised Paltrow for her awareness of the film industry and how such scenes could be manipulated. “You had an awareness of the way that the business works, and the ways in which those kinds of images could be manipulated and what it meant to your dad,” he noted.
Careers and Reflections
During their conversation, Paltrow and Hawke also touched on their careers, nearly 30 years after the release of “Great Expectations.” Hawke’s latest film, “Blue Moon,” was released on October 24, and Paltrow stars in the newly released ping-pong drama “Marty Supreme” alongside Timothée Chalamet. The pair reflected on how they have remained true to themselves and their artistic visions despite the twists and turns of their careers.
Paltrow and Hawke’s conversation also turned to their experiences with sex scenes in their films. Unlike “Great Expectations,” “Marty Supreme” includes several sex scenes between Paltrow and her 30-year-old co-star Chalamet. Paltrow opened up about these scenes and the nearly 24-year age gap between her and Chalamet in another chat with Vanity Fair earlier this year. “I was like, ‘Okay, great. I’m 109 years old. You’re 14,'” she joked. “We have a lot of sex in this movie.”
Read more about Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke’s reflections on their time filming “Great Expectations” Here.
Image Source: nypost.com
