The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration brought an unexpected Hollywood moment when Gwyneth Paltrow took the stage for a surprise performance.
The Oscar winner, 53, joined country singer Holly Williams and Williams’ husband, Chris Coleman, at the Nashville show on Nov. 20.
Williams, 44, invited the actress with a laugh and told the audience, “Can you all believe your luck? You’re all used to those Nashville guys, but not those Oscar-winning Hollywood guys.”
The trio then performed Williams’ 2013 song Drinks.
After the song, Williams joked with the crowd, “Can you believe it? Isn’t it annoying when they can just do anything and then just walk out and look all like that, right? Looks really good.”
She went on to explain that she “had the great honor of meeting Paltrow years earlier,” when she discovered Paltrow’s “secret voice” and “fell in love.”
They followed with Waiting for Junea song that Williams said was inspired by her grandparents from Mer Rouge, Louisiana, who “taught” [her] everything that really matters in life, that is really important.”
Paltrow and Williams’ friendship goes back more than a decade. Paltrow played a country singer in the 2010 film Country Strong and made her live TV singing debut at the CMAs that same year.
While promoting the film, she named Williams one of her favorite artists, saying in 2012, “And the Holly Williams record, I love it. I love that kind of older, soulful country.”
The two remained close. In 2020, Williams said People magazine they had become “mom friends” after vacationing together. “I’m lucky to have amazing friends like Gwyneth,” she said, adding that their shared approach to parenting was something she appreciated.
