Gwyneth Puts on 20 Pounds—And We Didn't Even Notice

By Sarah Wexler, Allure magazine

For Gwyneth Paltrow's starring role as an alcoholic singer in the film Country Strong, she gained 20 pounds by eating fried chicken, according to her trainer Tracy Anderson.

We all carry weight differently, and it's not that I expected a 20-pound pile-on would make Paltrow look like her character in Shallow Hal, but I was shocked when I saw her "after" photo and didn't notice a difference from "before" (or "after-after"-Anderson said she's already lost the weight). Since there was no apparent physical difference-and even after her weight gain, Paltrow still looked thinner than most country stars-I have to wonder why she did it.

Related: Gwyneth Paltrow's Personal Beauty Gurus

Some critics think playing a country singer is an Oscar ploy in itself, since Walk The Line cleaned up, but I think the ultimate Oscar ploy is gaining or losing a massive amount of weight. It's worked for Tom Hanks (Castaway), Adrien Brody (The Pianist), and countless others; Renee Zellweger is infamous for this move (up for Bridget Jones, down for Chicago).

Do you think Paltrow's yo-yoing will score her an Oscar? What would it take for you to intentionally put on 20 lbs? $1,000? $10,000?

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