Robert Downey Jr. laughs at Gwyneth Paltrow for her famous mix-up with Tom Holland: “You’ve done four movies with him”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘recurring memory lapses’ have become a Hollywood meme - especially in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A few years back, a clip went viral showing the actress admitting she didn’t remember who Tom Holland was - even though they shared the screen in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and several other MCU films. Now, staying true to her “forgetful” reputation, Robert Downey Jr. seized the moment to poke fun at his co-star’s (very) shaky memory.

“Impossibly intelligent, yet...”

On December 3, The Hollywood Reporter hosted its Women in Entertainment 2025 gala. Before Paltrow took the stage to accept an award, her Marvel co-star Downey Jr. stepped up with a perfectly timed jab.

Without missing a beat, the man behind Tony Stark went straight for the punchline: “She’s impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants.”

The remark, a nod to her many lapses - most famously forgetting Holland - sent the audience into fits of laughter.

Downey Jr. kept the bit rolling: “Who’s that?” he said, mimicking Paltrow. “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.”

The crowd erupted again. After the playful roast, Downey shifted gears, showering Paltrow with praise before she stepped up to accept her honor. Her speech wrapped with a warm round of applause.

Where does Paltrow’s ‘forgetful’ reputation come from?

Over the years, Paltrow has admitted in interviews that she doesn’t always remember which films she’s been in - or even some of her co-stars. The most infamous example came in 2019 during an appearance on The Chef Show, when she confessed she didn’t recall being in Spider-Man: Homecoming. She insisted she’d only appeared in an Avengers movie, not in that Spider-Man instalment.

Even after Jon Favreau - actor, director, and producer in the MCU - pressed her on it, Paltrow seemed genuinely surprised to “rediscover” her role in the film.

Another funny anecdote involves Sebastian Stan (a.k.a. the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes). Stan has said he had to introduce himself to Paltrow three separate times because she kept forgetting who he was.

A joke made in good fun

Far from being a cruel dig or hinting at any health issue, Downey’s joke was a lighthearted nod to one of Marvel’s quirkiest running gags: Paltrow’s uncanny ability to forget movies and co-stars she’s worked with. It’s a playful gesture that doesn’t ridicule her but rather celebrates a peculiar trait that has sparked countless moments of unintentional comedy.

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