Catherine Zeta Jones's Biography
It is the same birthday as her husband Michael Douglas, although she is 25 years younger than him.
Catherine Zeta Jones is the daughter of Dai and Pat Jones, and the Zeta in her name is her grandmother's name, who was named after a boat.
At four years of age, Catherine Zeta Jones performed in a church drama group, and at ten she starred in the Grand Theatre's production of Annie.
By the time she was seventeen Catherine Zeta Jones was performing on stage in London. In 1983 she was given the lead role in The Pyjama Game.
However, her lucky break came when she was in the chorus of 42nd Street, and the lead fell sick and Zeta Jones was promoted. She kept the role until 1990, when she had her movie debut as Scheherazade in Les Mille et Une Mille.
Catherine Zeta Jones then appeared in a number of TV programmes. She played Mariette in ITV's The Darling Buds of May; Eustacia Vye in The Return of the Native and the lead in Catherine the Great.
Catherine Zeta Jones's early films included Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), Splitting Heirs (1993), and The Phantom (1996).
Zeta Jones was engaged to Abi Titmuss's controversial 'ex' John Leslie, but they split up in 1993.
After her lead role in the American TV mini-series Titanic, Zeta Jones enjoyed more success on the big screen in The Mask of Zorro (1998).
The film was also important to Catherine Zeta Jones in that it led to her meeting her future husband, Michael Douglas. In November 2000 the couple married at the New York Plaza, which was later to lead to a legal feud with Hello Magazine over unauthorised wedding photographs.
2000 also saw the release of High Fidelity, and Traffic, where Catherine Zeta Jones played the pregnant wife of a major drugs dealer. In real life she was pregnant too. Michael Douglas also starred in the film.
The following year Catherine Zeta Jones starred in Intolerable Cruelty, and then in 2003 she won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in the musical movie, Chicago (2002).
In 2002, Zeta Jones was chosen to be the face of cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden. In April 2003 she gave birth to her second child.
As well as having their two children, Dylan and Carys, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas have six labradors.
Asked the key to a successful marriage, Catherine Zeta-Jones replied: "Every woman and every man should have his or her own bathroom. The end."
Her film roles since 2003 have included The Terminal, Ocean's Twelve, No Reservations, Lay The Favorite, and Rock of Ages.
In December 2009, Catherine Zeta-Jones made her Broadway debut as Desiree Armfeldt in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.
Catherine Zeta Jones regularly practices pilates and yoga.
In June 2010, Catherine Zeta Jones was appointed a CBE.
In April 2011, it was revealed that Catherine Zeta Jones had been receiving treatment for bipolar disorder.
In 2016 she was cast as Rose Winters in the film version of Dad's Army
Trivia
According to the BBC Wales profile of Catherine Zeta Jones:
Michael Douglas bought Catherine's wedding ring from a jewellers in Aberystwyth.
Catherine was a British Tap Dancing Champion.
Catherine Zeta Jones was the highest ranking woman in the 100 Welsh Heroes vote.
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