Catherine Zeta Jones is one of the most sought after actress of the Hollywood industry. She is a multi-talented personality. A talented dancer, model and an exceptional singer, as well as film and stage actress, Catherine Zeta Jones was born on September 25, 1969in Mumbles, Wales - a small fishing village. Her talents were quite evident from an early age. Her name stems from two different grandmothers; one grandmother is named Catherine, while the other is "Zeta," named after a ship that Catherine's grandfather sailed on.
Right from her very childhood she use o perform on the kitchen table, and her family, Swansea neighbours and friends, were absolutely certain of her future movie stardom.
From the age of four, Catherine starred in her first public performances, singing and dancing with the local Catholic congregation's amateur shows. Years of hard work were later rewarded when she won the British Tap Dancing Championships.
At the age of 10, Catherine made her acting debut when she played the lead in "Annie", in a production at Swansea's Grand Theatre; this led shortly afterwards to an offer to play the role of "Tullah" in Bugsy Mallone. Catherine craved to dance as much as possible - so her parents allowed her the freedom to go out to Swansea's adult nightclubs. Although she was only thirteen, she passed for somewhat older. A year later, Mickey Dolenz, the former "Monkey", stopped by at Swansea and auditioned Catherine for "The Pyjama Game". He was so impressed with her performances, she was offered the opportunity to join his show for the rest of the tour.
By this time, it was obvious that Catherine was strongly determined to pursue a career in showbusiness; everyone was assured of her extraordinary talent, and at the age of fifteen, Aled Thomas, the head of Dumbarton School, granted permission for Catherine to leave her studies a year early. London, and the spotlights of the world famous "West End" stage, beckoned the Swansea girl to her destiny with stardom.
In less than two years, Catherine landed the part of second understudy in the U.K. revival of "42nd Street". As fate would have it, the Producer's first viewing of the show happened to be on the night Catherine took the lead role of Peggy Sawyer. Her performance and stage presence was electric; and she was offered the lead role.
Catherine's big break came upon her return to England in 1991, when she became a regular on the hugely popular British television series The Darling Buds of May. Her role as the eldest daughter of a farm family increased her star status in the UK, which of course, led to her becoming a tabloid favorite, constantly hounded by the paparazzi. Once the intrusiveness of the media became unbearable, she decided to take her life and career across the Atlantic.
Although a sex symbol and celebrity in the UK, it took a while for Catherine to break into the Hollywood scene. In 1994, she landed the lead role in CBS' Return of the Native, and gave a remarkable performance in her role as "Catherine" in the miniseries Catherine the Great.
It wasn't until Catherine's role in the four-hour television docudrama Titanic that Americans would soon learn why she was famous across the pond, one year before Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet starred in the big-screen version of the film.
Steven Spielberg noticed her in the miniseries and thought she'd be perfect for the female lead in The Mask of Zorro, which he was producing. Spielberg knew what he was talking about, and he wasn't the only one who was impressed; audiences and critics liked what they saw in the role opposite Antonio Banderas. Audiences probably wondered where this beauty popped up from, since they had never before heard of the Welsh star, who was often mistaken for Spanish.
"The Mask of Zorro" was an immediate hit with the movie critics and audiences worldwide. Catherine's part of Elena de la Vega demanded she learn sword fencing, and found that years of training as a dancer leant her a natural grace and poise at the art. At the 1998 Oscars, Catherine stood out on the red carpet, looking ravishing. If she wasn't yet noticed after The Mask of Zorro, her appearance at the Oscars turned heads.
In the summer of 1999, Catherine Zeta-Jones appeared opposite Sean Connery in the summer action film Entrapment. That same summer, Catherine took on the role of Theo in The Haunting, Dreamworks' adaptation of the 1963 horror of the same name, joining cast members Liam Neeson and Lili Taylor.
Apart from her acting career, Zeta-Jones is also an advertising spokesperson for the mobile phone company T-Mobile. She is currently the global spokeswoman for cosmetics giant, Elizabeth Arden. She has also starred on the Lifetime Television event of Titanic, also starring Tim Curry and Peter Gallagher.
Zeta-Jones is married to the actor Michael Douglas, with whom she has two children. Her son, Dylan Michael Douglas was born August 8, 2000. (Her American admirers like to think that he is named after Bob Dylan - a favourite of Douglas - while her British admirers like to think that Dylan Thomas, also born in Swansea, was the inspiration). Her daughter, Carys Zeta Douglas was born April 20, 2003. Zeta-Jones has determined that her children grow up aware of their Welsh heritage and has built a seaside dream home in her hometown of Swansea.
Catherine Zeta Jones is one of the rare jewels of the movie world whose precious talent and incredible screen and stage presence ensures she'll pass the test of time and reserve a place in the hall of fame as one of Hollywood's all-time greats.
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