Gwyneth Paltrow praises teacher mother

Gwyneth Paltrow has praised her mother for teaching her how to act.

The 39-year-old star admits her actress mum Blythe Danner - whose most recent screen appearances include roles in comedy TV series 'Will & Grace' and movie 'Meet the Parents' and its two sequels - taught her a lot about her craft and she has never forgot the tips she gave her.

In an address to students at The Spence School in New York - the all-girls school where Gwyneth was a pupil - last week, she said: "I studied drama here, but I didn't study it past being at Spence. My mother ... has done a lot of stage work. I got a great education from her ... and growing up here where I went to the theatre all the time. I've developed my own technique, but the most important thing is your instincts."

Although Gwyneth - whose father is the late TV and film producer Bruce Paltrow - learnt a lot about acting from her mother, it seems the Oscar winner isn't prepared to give her kids bowling tips.

The 'Contagion' star took her seven-year-old daughter Apple and five-year-old son Moses - her kids with husband Chris Martin - to the Bowlmor Lanes ten-pin bowling alley but she didn't let them win.

Gwyneth topped the scoreboard with 83, while Apple and Moses could only make 70 and 62 respectively.