Before Paltrow — who also graces the cover of THR‘s Women in Entertainment issue — took the stage to accept the 20th annual Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, Downey had some words of endearment as well as some playful digs at his former co-star and onscreen love interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paltrow played Pepper Potts, opposite Downey’s Tony Stark, across several films.
Downey didn’t waste any time before teasing her for being “impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants” — as she has frequently gone viral for forgetting key Marvel moments and even which of the superhero films she’s been in.
“Who’s that?” the Sympathizer actor said Paltrow once asked, to which he jokingly responded, “That’s Spider-Man. He said his name was Peter. His character’s name is Peter. He’s Tom Holland. You’ve done four movies with him.”
Throughout his speech, Downey looked back at her long career and the impressive film résumé she’s built. She first broke out in Hollywood in 1998with her Oscar-winning performance inShakespeare in Love before starring in dozens of other projects including her upcoming film, Marty Supreme.
Downey went on to praise her work ethic, as Paltrow was “building Goop between takes on the set ofIron Man” and raising her kids while also continuing her acting career. He also referenced how her split with ex Chris Martin “introduced the planet to the possibility of ‘conscious uncoupling’ — remember that? — which Hollywood has done a great job not emulating.”
He then touched on Paltrow’s more recent moves, saying she sidelined “[a] second unannounced acting retirement for emerging talent Josh Safdie, make-out sesh with Timmy [Chalamet] —Marty Supreme!”
Later, the Oppenheimer actor mused about Paltrow’s “polarizing public persona,” saying that “polarizing” is “a word used by dingbats to falsely describe powerful women who demonstrate decades of irrefutable relevance and reinvention.”
“That’s why we are here,” Downey continued. “In an age where we so crave leadership, example, integrity, resolve, and too often folks come up short, we have here a woman that is willing to go to trial, confronting her retired optometrist accuser regarding an alleged injury on a Deer Valley ski resort slope — and comport herself so honorably that a musical theater production is born to commemorate her moral strength, intestinal fortitude, not to mention her impeccably tasteful, civil suit chic-yet-practical courtroom attire.”
In an ecstatic conclusion before Paltrow came up onstage, Downey yelled, “It’s time to recognize … Gwyneth fuggin’ Paltrow.”
Rachel Sennott served as the host of Wednesday’s breakfast alongside additional speakers of Dakota Johnson, Regina Hall,Chase Infiniti,Sarah Paulson, Goldie Hawn,Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney. Jennifer Lopez received the Equity in Entertainment Award, presented to her by Kerry Washington.
THR’sWomen in Entertainmentwas presented by Lifetime, and the gala was sponsored byDelta Air Lines, Medicube, Reyka Vodka and Seven Bucks Productions, and in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Gersh, Chapman University and Loyola Marymount University.