Apple Martin, 21, takes the helm as director at her $67K a year college
Daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin gains experience behind the scenes
At just 21 years old, Apple Martin has taken on the role of director, guiding her college theater crew through a recent production at the prestigious $67K-per-year Vanderbilt University. This marks her first foray into the spotlight as a creative lead, blending her academic pursuits with her passion for performance.
As the daughter of Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Apple is set to earn her degree in law, history, and society from Vanderbilt in May. Her interest in pursuing a career in acting, much like her mother, is being fueled by hands-on experience as she directs a theatrical production at her Nashville-based institution.
“I would love to do theater because I adore it so much. I’ve obviously never done film before, but I’ve been trying to get involved in student films. I was born a theater kid,” she said.
Apple recently shared photos from the stage, expressing her delight in “the best weekend, best people, best organization, and best memories,” with her college captioning the post: “Miss Director couldn’t have said it better.”
Last year, Apple spoke to Interview magazine about her deep passion for theater, calling it her “favorite thing” in the world. She emphasized her love for the stage, while also noting her efforts to explore student film projects. “I love dancing and I love acting. My dream is to act,” she added.
When discussing her previous aspirations to attend law school, Apple told Vogue: “I was in that rebellious ‘I don’t wanna be like my parents’ phase.” She further clarified that she won’t follow in her father’s footsteps as a musician, despite his role as Coldplay’s frontman.
Apple garnered attention when she was accused of bullying and expulsion from school, though she later refuted these claims. On Instagram, she addressed the rumors: “Hi! I didn’t wanna respond, but this story is entirely untrue and has blown out of proportion. I’ve never been expelled from any school, especially not for bullying anyone. I completely understand people not liking me, and that’s fine! The internet is where opinions are shared. [sic] However, this rumor is false—I’m not that kind of person, and those close to me know the truth.”
In 2024, Apple faced bullying allegations following a video where she appeared to disrupt a fellow debutante’s photo shoot and glanced disapprovingly at her date during the Le Bal des Debutantes event in Paris. A source close to Gwyneth told DailyMail.com that Apple is “a girls’ girl” rather than a “mean girl.” “Apple’s more playful and fun, and she’s truly a total girls’ girl,” the source explained. “She’d never intend to steal the spotlight from anyone—this wasn’t her goal. Calling her a mean girl is very inaccurate. She had an amazing evening, and I feel bad that this is overshadowing it, as it was such an uplifting experience for her and the other girls.”
