Bruce Paltrow, father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, dies in Italy, U.S. Consulate says

<br>ROME (AP) _ Producer and director Bruce Paltrow, the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has died in Italy, the U.S. Consulate said Thursday. He was 58. <br><br>Paltrow, who was the husband of actress

Thursday, October 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ROME (AP) _ Producer and director Bruce Paltrow, the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has died in Italy, the U.S. Consulate said Thursday. He was 58.

Paltrow, who was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, was known for the quirky karaoke road movie ``Duets'' (2000) and the TV show ``St. Elsewhere.''

A U.S. diplomatic official said on condition of anonymity that Paltrow died in Rome, and that the American Consulate was informed of the death Thursday.

``The consular section of the embassy was contacted by the hospital where Mr. Paltrow died. It is the embassy's responsibility to help with the return of the remains,'' the official said, adding no further details.

He suffered a heart attack and died at a Rome hospital before dawn Wednesday, the Entertainment Tonight television program reported earlier. Paltrow, who had been battling throat cancer, traveled from his Los Angeles home to Italy to celebrate his daughter's 30th birthday on Sept. 27, the show said.

He had made several public appearances in Italy in the last week, including at the Italian premiere of the film ``Minority Report,'' starring Tom Cruise.

In ``Duets,'' Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars as a Vegas showgirl who hits the highway with her long-lost dad, a karaoke hustler played by pop singer Huey Lewis.

In the original script, her character did not sing, but her father added it to the story.

``I wrote it in because I felt it was essential for the character to sing,'' Bruce Paltrow said at the time. ``I thought it would be a way for her to connect with her father. And I knew how well Gwyneth could sing. When she and her mother sing together, you just can't believe it.''