Catherine Zeta-Jones

Welsh-born actress Catherine Zeta-Jones first captivated U.S. film audiences with her swashbuckling turn in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998) – leaving moviegoers so mesmerized by her ebony-tressed old Hollywoodesque beauty, it was a wonder she was able to move beyond all the comparisons to Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh – enough to garner respect as a serious actress. It was her impressive turn in “Traffic” (2000) and Oscar-winning scenery-chewing for her musical showstoppers in “Chicago” (2002) which firmly established her as a Hollywood A-lister. That, and a fairytale-likened marriage to one of the industry’s most respected actors-producers, Michael Douglas; thusly, entry into one of Hollywood’s most famous and respected families. Though critics and audiences alike were bowled over the exotic glamour and the fabled marriage, it was Zeta-Jones’ boldness and inherent working-class sass which figured just as heavily into her versatile appeal. Not to mention, having been raised in musical theater, Zeta-Jones – on top of all she had been blessed with – could trip the light fantastic and sing her heart out like any stage hoofer from movie musical days past.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was born Catherine Jones on Sept. 25, 1969 – or so the story went (rumors would persist that she was as much as 10 years older than her age, but she always denied the claims). Her mother Patricia was an Irish seamstress; her Welsh father Dai ran a confectionary company. Dai’s mother’s name — Zeta — would prove a helpful addition to her name when the aspiring actress began a career in a world full of Catherine Joneses. But that career would not begin for about five long years after Zeta-Jones was born in the Welsh seaside town of Swansea. She started taking dance classes at the age of four, and by the age of 10, was performing regularly with the local church-sponsored theater group and already harboring dreams of a career singing and dancing onstage. Unfortunately, she contracted a viral infection that not only kept her offstage and out of school for a period, it impaired her breathing and required a tracheotomy – traces of which would remain visible in the form of a tiny scar on her neck. Following her recovery, Zeta-Jones was enrolled in a private school to help her catch up on her missed studies – a move enabled in no small part by her parents netting a sizeable winning in a local lottery. The Jones’ moved to a nicer neighborhood, but their newly minted prep schooler was still an incurable performer. When she was not in local productions she was belting out Broadway numbers from atop the kitchen table for friends and family. Zeta-Jones’ father doubled as a supportive coach, taking her to auditions in London where the teen landed roles in productions of “Bugsy Malone” and “Annie.”

When Zeta-Jones was 14, a traveling musical theater production helmed by former Monkee Mickey Dolenz came to Swansea, casting local talent to participate in the chorus. Not only was Zeta-Jones chosen to perform, but producers cast her in a touring production of “The Pajama Game,” at which point she quit school, moved to London, and got her Actor’s Guild card. Camped out in the spare room of a former acting tutor, the promising newcomer lucked into the lead in a revival of “42nd Street” after her fill-in performance blew away producers and audiences. She logged an impressive schedule of eight shows per week for two years, and by the time she was 19, Zeta-Jones was ready for a change of pace. In 1989, she left London for a year of exploring Paris. While there, director Philip de Broca gave Zeta-Jones and her unbelievable exotic looks a screen debut in the feature “Sheherazade: 1001 Nights” (1990).

In 1991, Zeta-Jones returned to England and was offered a co-starring role as the eldest daughter in a boisterous farm family in the British TV series "The Darling Buds of May" (Yorkshire TV, 1991-93). The show was a hit, and its three-year run turned Zeta-Jones into a bona fide TV star in the UK. She began to land offers in the U.S., appearing in the TV film "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" (1992) and an episode of “Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” (ABC, USA, 1992-96). The newcomer turned out memorable performances in the Eric Idle comedy flop "Splitting Heirs" (1993) and the "Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of "The Return of the Native" (CBS, 1994) before making a return to the stage in Kurt Weill’s “Street Scenes” with the British National Opera in 1994.

With her extensive performing background and certifiable star status in the UK, Zeta-Jones could take any path she wanted from stage to screen. She chose to move to Los Angeles and take a crack at American film stardom. “Blue Juice” (1995) and "The Phantom" (1996) failed to garner much notice but a supporting role in the CBS miniseries, "Titanic" (1996), caught the eye of filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who shared news of his find with director Martin Campbell. Campbell, blown away but her timeless beauty and its similarities to 1940s screen goddess Hedy Lamarr – once called “the most beautiful woman in the world back in the day” – cast Zeta-Jones in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998). The film was an instant hit and star-making role for Zeta-Jones, whose swordplay, horseback riding and flamenco dancing was imbued with a sexual charge that audiences found irresistible. American entertainment magazines were abuzz over this latest overseas import with her onscreen Castilian lisp and off-screen Hollywood glamour that earned comparisons to legendary radiant beauties like Lamarr and Gardner. Though she did not know it yet, this hard working, ambitious, exceedingly talented woman was about to become the epitome of the phrase – “the woman who has it all.”

Trumpeted as the next big thing, Zeta-Jones dazzled opposite Sean Connery in the romantic thriller "Entrapment" in 1999, for which she did many of her own stunts. But her onscreen May-December match-up with the aging Connery mimicked a real-life romance with actor-producer Michael Douglas, the dashing Hollywood heavyweight 25 years her senior. After seeing Zeta-Jones onscreen in “Zorro,” Douglas reportedly turned to a friend and said, “I don’t know who she is, but I’m gonna marry that woman.” Taking off like gangbusters, the two became parents and subsequently married in 2000, culminating in a reportedly $1 million dollar ceremony at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Anyone who was anyone was in attendance. Unfortunately the ceremony was overshadowed by high profile lawsuits concerning photo rights for the affair.

Prior to the nuptial circus, Zeta-Jones’ talents were criminally underused in the 1999 remake of "The Haunting," but she had a memorable cameo as the free-wheeling former girlfriend of John Cusack's central character in "High Fidelity" (2000). But it was with director Stephen Soderbergh’s epic “Traffic” (2000) that Zeta-Jones was first able to change public perception by gaining universal acclaim for her portrayal of a drug dealer’s wife who transforms from innocent bystander to business partner — a role she played while pregnant with she and Douglas’ first child. The stunning performance caused an outcry when Zeta-Jones was overlooked come Oscar time.

In 2001, Zeta-Jones was featured in "America's Sweethearts," a romantic comedy about a high-profile Hollywood couple, but that was soon forgotten when she displayed heretofore unseen (on the big screen) singing and dancing chops as the murderess Velma Kelly in the film version of the Broadway musical "Chicago” (2002). Her captivating performance earned Zeta-Jones an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical. That same year, Zeta-Jones, named as one of People magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” signed on as the global spokeswoman for Elizabeth Arden cosmetics.

After a much-followed awards season that dovetailed with her second pregnancy, the actress returned to the screen in the dark Coen Brother comedy "Intolerable Cruelty" (2003), which, despite starring she an equally attractive and charismatic George Clooney, fell flat with audiences and critics. At that time, the beaming mother of two had also signed on as a spokesmodel for T-Mobile cellular phones.

Teaming for the first time with Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, Zeta-Jones next appeared in "The Terminal" (2004) which, although she made a solid attempt to portray a romantically-challenged woman, she was simply too beautiful and sharp to be believed as a loser in love. She re-paired with Clooney and his heisting cohorts for the lackluster sequel "Ocean's Twelve" (2004), this time providing a love interest for Pitt. Zeta-Jones film appearances eased up over the next few years as she raised her two children and split time between the family’s estate in Bermuda and other homes in New York City, Spain, and Wales.

In 2005, Zeta-Jones reprised her role as Elena in "The Legend of Zorro" (2005), the character now estranged from her masked husband (Antonio Banderas) and trying to balance the thirst for adventure with the desire to be a responsible parent. Off-screen, Zeta-Jones continued to successfully strike that balance, starting her own production company Milkwood Productions, based out of her hometown of Swansea. Following her starring role as a chef in the predictable but moderately popular romantic comedy “No Reservations” (2007) Zeta-Jones was slated to enjoy her first producer credit with Milkwood’s debut, “Coming Out” (2008), a comedy in which Alan Cumming plays the gay coach of a Welsh Rugby team.

• Also Credited As:
  Catherine Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones
• Born:
  September 25, 1969 in Swansea, Wales
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Dancer, Singer

Family

• Brother: David Jones. born c. 1967
• Brother: Lyndon Jones. born c. 1972; works at Zeta-Jones' production company
• Daughter: Carys Zeta Douglas. born April 20, 2003; father Michael Douglas
• Father: David Jones. born c. 1944; formerly worked for a candy factory
• Grandmother: Kathleen Fair. maternal grandmother; died in June 2001
• Grandmother: Zeta Jones. paternal grandmother; source of Zeta-Jones' stage name
• Mother: Patricia Jones. born c. 1946
• Son: Dylan Michael Douglas. born August 8, 2000; father, Michael Douglas

Significant Others

• Companion: Jon Peters. reportedly turned down his marriage proposal in 1996 because "I want to be known as an actress rather than a Hollywood wife"
• Companion: Angus Macfadyen. briefly engaged in 1995
• Companion: John Leslie.
• Companion: Jon Peters. reportedly turned down his marriage proposal in 1996 because "I want to be known as an actress rather than a Hollywood wife"
• Companion: Mick Hucknall.
• Companion: Nick Hamm.
• Companion: Paul McGann.

Milestones

• 1981 Began her career playing "Annie" on stage
• 1986 Starred as Peggy Sawywer in West End production of the stage musical "42nd Street" (date approximate)
• 1990 Made feature film debut in the title role of Philippe de Broca's "Sheherazade/Les 1001 nuits"
• 1991 Co-starred in British TV series "The Darling Buds of May"
• 1992 Appeared in episode of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (ABC)
• 1994 Starred in CBS TV-movie " The Return of the Native"
• 1995 Had title role in the English-language made-for-German-television miniseries "Catherine the Great"; aired in USA in 2000
• 1996 Made US miniseries debut in "Titanic" (CBS)
• 1996 Played the villainous Sala in "The Phantom"
• 1998 Breakthrough screen role opposite Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas in "The Mask of Zorro"
• 1999 Appeared alongside Liam Neeson and Lili Taylor in the remake of "The Haunting"
• 1999 Starred opposite Sean Connery in "Entrapment"
• 2000 Had a memorable supporting role as John Cusack's beautiful but callous former girlfriend in "High Fidelity"
• 2000 Played the unsuspecting wife of a drug lord in Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed drama "Traffic"
• 2001 Featured in the romantic comedy "America's Sweethearts"
• 2002 Cast as murderess Velma Kelly in the film version of the hit Broadway musical "Chicago"; received a Golden Globe nomination
• 2002 Spokesperson for VoiceStream Mobile; replaced Jamie Lee Curtis
• 2003 Starred opposite George Clooney in "Intolerable Cruelty" directed by the Coen brothers
• 2003 Used her voice to bring the character Marina to life in the animation feature "Sinbad"
• 2004 Joined the ensemble cast of "Ocean's Twelve," the sequel to the 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" as the love interest to Brad Pitt's Rusty Ryan
• 2004 Starred as a flight attendant who falls for an immigrant (Tom Hanks), living in a New York airport in the romantic comedy "The Terminal"
• 2005 Reunited with Antonio Banderas and director Martin Campbell in the epic adventure "The Legend of Zorro"
• 2007 Starred as a master chef in the romantic comedy "No Reservations"
• Toured in "The Pajama Game"
• Will co-star opposite Guy Pearce's Houdini in "Death Defying Acts"

Source : http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019539/bio