GWYNETH Paltrow is to play Nicole Kidman’s wife.

The Iron Man actress has signed on to replace Charlize Theron in The Danish Girl, an adaptation of a novel about the first post-operative transsexual.

The film follows Danish artists Einar and Greta Wegener who found success after Einar stood in for a female model that Greta was set to paint. As their work gained popularity, Greta encouraged her husband to continue to adopt a female guise.

This eventually led to Einar undergoing a sex change operation in 1931, shocking the world and threatening their marriage.

Anand Turker is set to direct the film, which screenwriter Lucinda Coxon is adapting from David Ebershoff’s novel of the same name.

Nicole previously won an Oscar for playing a lesbian in The Hours, while Gwyneth saw her character in Shakespeare In Love disguise herself as a man in order to fulfil her acting dreams.

Last week, Nicole said she actively sought out “extreme” film choices and explored all aspects of love, sex and marriage.

“In the end I hope my life will be a mix of extreme love and bold artistic choices,” she dished. “I’ve never wanted to be safe. I’ve never chosen safe relationships. And I’ve never chosen safe films.”

Beyonce Knowles gets on so well with her pal Gwyneth Paltrow’s two children, they’ve started to call her “Aunt B”!

Apple, five, and Moses, three — the actress’ kids with her Coldplay rocker husband Chris Martin – are apparently big fans of the former Destiny’s Child star, who is married to rapper Jay-Z.

“Apple always refers to Beyonce as Aunt B,” a source told BettyConfidential. “If she’s looking at the TV or a magazine she’ll always get Gwyn’s attention and say: ‘Look at Aunt B!’

“It’s adorable and Beyonce finds her nickname cute and endearing. She is great with children and loves to visit with them and she showers Apple with attention. She is a great faux aunt!

“Beyonce can’t wait to have her own children with Jay-Z and she and Gwyneth and their equally talented husbands have become very close under the extreme spotlight of fame.

“Gwyneth avoids the tabloids, but sometimes she’ll have fashion magazines laying around at home or in her movie trailer and Apple loves flipping through them and looking at all the pretty women.

“She’s always surprised when she comes across Beyonce’s image, because she doesn’t have any understanding of the fame. She oohs and ahhs over the images and says: ‘Isn’t Aunt B pretty?’ Gwyneth laughs and agrees.”

Gwyneth Paltrow admits it has taken her “a lot of effort” to get into shape.

The actress — who raises two children with her Coldplay rocker husband Chris Martin – says it’s only through her strength of mind that she had the ability to shift her post-pregnancy pounds and have the confidence to wear a swimsuit again.

“The thing that really takes me by surprise is that when you really commit to something you can change anything and you can do anything,” she said.

“When I met my trainer Tracey Anderson and I really started following her program I felt like ‘I cannot believe that I can put on a bathing suit or wear these costumes that are tiny and short or whatever and feel good about myself’.

“It takes a lot of effort. But there is a great reward at the end. It’s like anything in life. You have got to work to get something, you don’t get anything for free.”

Paltrow recently revealed she doesn’t look to star in movies her can kids can watch — her project choices are entirely selfish.

“I don’t think I will start looking for projects the kids can watch,” she said. “I feel like I give them so much time at home and I work so little and I give everything I have to them.

“I feel like when I work that is my time to express myself and to be creative and to really delve into somebody else’s mind, heart and psyche. That is my thing. I do it once a year — maybe only for a few weeks but it can be as R rated or not as I want it to be.”

Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t care if her children can’t watch her films.

The actress — who raises two kids, Apple, five; and Moses, three, with her Coldplay rocker husband Chris Martin — says she looks for movie projects that she’s interested in, not what her family will enjoy.

“I don’t think I will start looking for projects the kids can watch,” she says. “I feel like I give them so much time at home and I work so little and I give everything I have to them.

“I feel like when I work that is my time to express myself and to be creative and to really delve into somebody else’s mind, heart and psyche. That is my thing. I do it once a year — maybe only for a few weeks but it can be as R rated or not as I want it to be.”

Paltrow was recently branded snobby and unfriendly by her coworkers on the set of Iron Man 2.

Gwyneth Paltrow is planning to create her own lifestyle brands for women and families in a bid to become the next Martha Stewart.

The actress — who is married to Coldplay rocker Chris Martin – will apparently cut back to doing one movie per year to focus on creating her own empire.

“Her plan is to stay visible in the occasional film, but to create products for real women,” a source told Fox News. “She is working on new products for her own beauty line under Estee Lauder and looking at different products for moms at home that she can tie to her website, GOOP.

“Her charity clothing line for ZOEtees, which will benefit Kids Company, is about to debut, and that was a major project. Other products will follow suit.

“She still spends plenty of time with Chris and the children and she continues to be a very protective and present mother.

“She has become a power multi-tasker, so she’ll take meetings while she’s sitting around her movie sets. Gwyneth wants to create an empire, but her first priority is always to her family. She is finding ways to merge the two so that other women and mothers will be able to do the same.”

Gwyneth Paltrow has been branded the Yoko Oko of Coldplay — because she’s trying to convince her husband Chris Martin to leave the band and go solo.

The actress apparently feels her hubby will do better on his own.

“Gwyneth has outright told Chris that he should consider going solo,” a source told Betty Confidential. “She is busy doing all of her projects and she wants him to diversify as well. She doesn’t have a problem with Coldplay, but she wants Chris to think about trying a solo album just to see if he likes it.

“When Gwyneth mentioned it, Chris was furious. He loves the band and he has no desire to change things right now. Chris basically ignored her and walked away.”

In 2004, Paltrow said, “People ask if I will sing with the band or do a duet, but always in front of my mind is the Yoko effect. I don’t want to be known as the girl who split up Coldplay.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is seriously unpopular!

The actress was reportedly disliked on the set of her new movie Iron Man 2, which she recently wrapped filming.

According to Fox News, Paltrow’s colleagues had secret hopes of her character being recast, or even killed in the movie.

“Gwyneth is extremely cool at work. She’s just a step above professional, too snobby,” said one insider.

Paltrow, said the source, went to great lengths to avoid her sexy costar Scarlett Johansson.

“Gwyneth is not friendly to anyone, and tends to make people feel awkward and uncomfortable,” said the mole. “She wasn’t outright rude to Scarlett, she just didn’t ever speak to her. Gwyneth went out of her way to avoid Scarlett, and they had zero contact, at Gwyneth’s choosing.

“Gwyneth would be very put out if hair and makeup were running behind or things were not on schedule. Usually, nothing was drastically late, but Gwyneth can instantly say something that lets everyone know she is put out.

“Much of the crew didn’t mind hanging out with her husband, Chris, but if Gwyneth ever came around, they scattered! Chris is so chill and relaxed and she is just the opposite. Chris has been a crew favorite since the filming of the first movie.”

“She is not going anywhere,” adds the source. “As long as Gwyneth wants to be in the movies, she will be, and the crew has to learn how to handle her.”

Maybe Gwyneth should just stick to writing her weekly newsletter?

Madonna’s friend and wife of Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, attended the Children of the City’s Champions of Hope benefit gala in Tribeca, New York, Wednesday.

Running With Scissors star Paltrow is a reasonably successful actress — but her parents hoped she’d find a cure for AIDS! (continue)

Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom didn’t want her to become an actress.

Blythe Danner, 66, has revealed how she was keen for her Running With Scissors star daughter to become a doctor and find a cure for AIDS.

“She’s so smart, we wanted her to find a cure for AIDS or something.” Blythe dished. “We were pretty firm about her finishing her education, but when we saw how talented she was, we finally said okay.”

Gwyneth, 36, is married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and they have two children — Apple, five, and Moses, three.

“Apple and Moses love to fantasize,” Danner added. “I’m always down on my hands and knees playing a character. They really love that.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is “furious” that she’s being upstaged by Scarlett Johansson.

The pair star together in new movie Iron Man 2.

And Paltrow isn’t happy that her younger costar Johansson is stealing all the limelight.

Scarlett, who plays a Russian spy, appears in a promotional campaign alongside the film’s other stars, Robert Downey Jr and Mickey Rourke. But Gwyneth has been left out.

“Gwyneth was afraid she’d be upstaged by Scarlett and not being in the campaign was the final straw,” a source told the Daily Mail.

“She is furious she’s been left out.”

The 36-year-old now plans to boycott a promotion in San Diego later this month. “She’s heading to New York instead, she’s so angry,” added the source.