Paltrow explains why she did ‘Iron Man’

LOS ANGELES — They’ve opened the movie around the world and now the stars of “Iron Man” are gearing up for the film’s US release, this Friday.

The summer’s first potential blockbuster stars Robert Downey Jr. as the Iron Man, and drama-film darling Gwyneth Paltrow as his love interest, Christine Everhart. Taking on the role puts Paltrow in some illustrious company – Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Kirsten Dunst and Kate Bosworth, all of whom have played superhero leading ladies.

While the part is something new for Paltrow, she was convinced to take it on after her leading man suggested she break out of the art film market.

”(Robert) was very sweet when he called me, and I think we had both kind of been doing these kind of labor of love art films that had been seen by like 16 people, and he said to me ‘Don’t you wanna be in a movie that people actually see?’” Paltrow recounted. “And I thought ‘I never thought of that!’ So, I’m really, really glad that I did it.”

Thanks to the joys Paltrow experienced making the film and the enthusiasm already surrounding it, she is looking forward to, perhaps, a sequel.

“I [am] so happy people are loving it, and getting so excited about it, but the truth is that the experience was so wonderful, and such a happy, happy time. That’s really why I’m so happy that I did it,” she said. “The idea that there could be another one, and we could get our little family back together — it would be great.”

Another thing Paltrow is excited over is Hollywood employing herself, Liv Tyler and Maggie Gylenhaal in this summer’s biggest action films – “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” and “Batman: The Dark Knight,” respectively.

“What’s nice is that the three of us are, not to say other people aren’t, but we’re really committed to our work as actors,” Paltrow said. “I think we’ve all come from a lot of independent cinema, we come from a kind of different world. I think it’s very cool that we’re being embraced by mainstream Hollywood in that way because they could easily cast 18-year-old girls, who are more attractive, and had lovelier busts than us. I think it says a lot for the movies that they wanted women who are interesting, and who are from more kind of the more independent world.”