A 'humbling' career move led to Catherine Zeta-Jones' big break

Catherine Zeta-Jones’ arrival in Hollywood in the mid-1990s was an ego check.

The Welsh actor, then in her 20s, had starred for years on the popular early-’90s British series “The Darling Buds of May,” and was already a sensation in the UK. But when she touched down in California, she went from being recognized on the street to having casting agents ask her in auditions if she had any acting experience.

That wasn’t all.

“I couldn’t get cable TV,” Zeta-Jones told Business Insider with a laugh. “I had been working since I was 9, but I couldn’t buy anything in the States because I didn’t have a credit card yet. I had to start from scratch.”

Starting over turned out to be worth it for Zeta-Jones. After taking a role in the CBS miniseries “Titanic,” she caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, who recommended her for “The Mask of Zorro.” The role would make her a star Stateside and lead to an illustrious three-decade career in Hollywood.

Zeta-Jones is now known on both sides of the pond for memorable roles ranging from the pregnant wife of a Mexican drug lord in "Traffic" to her Oscar-winning turn as the iconic Velma Kelly in "Chicago" to Morticia Addams in Netflix's "Wednesday."

But despite her long list of credits, there’s one thing she still hadn’t done for a role until now: use her native Welsh accent.

Her latest project, the AMC+ series “Killing Jackie,” marks Zeta-Jones’ long-awaited return to her Welsh roots. After decades of having her brain work overtime doing English, American, and Scottish accents — and many more — the opportunity to speak in her native accent was grounding. “It was liberating and cathartic,” Zeta-Jones said.

So, too, was the subject matter. Based on the 2018 novel “The Price You Pay” by Nick Harkaway (using the pseudonym Aidan Truhen), the revenge thriller stars Zeta-Jones as the titular Jackie Price, a Welsh high-end art dealer with a shady past in the drug trade who discovers a hit has been put out on her. With a deadly team of assassins known as The Seven Demons on her tail, Jackie goes to great lengths to stay alive — at one point even biting off a man’s ear.

Navigating the series’ ultra-violent scenes was a blast for Zeta-Jones, who relished the chance to go off the rails.

“I love this character,” Zeta-Jones said. “I wanted the audience to come along on this ride with me and root for her. In all the craziness.”

In the latest edition of Business Insider’s Role Play series, Zeta-Jones reflects on her instant bond with Sean Connery, helping her husband Michael Douglas get a part in “Traffic,” and the leading man she was most intimidated to work across from.

On being discovered by Steven Spielberg and golfing with Sean Connery

Business Insider: Let’s go back to your 20s. You’re in London, where you can’t walk down the street without paparazzi all over you thanks to “The Darling Buds of May.” Then you go to LA, where nobody knows you. What was that like?

Catherine Zeta-Jones: I had six months on a visa, so I could go and give the States a shot for six months. I would have hated myself if I decided the American thing wasn’t for me. I would have always thought, What if I had given it a shot?

It was good for me once I got over my ego being knocked a bit. I’d been in this business since I was 9 years old, professionally in theater and in television, and a few films in Britain at that point. But I’d go into casting agents, and they’d be asking me what I had done.

I took a job that was not a huge career leap for me — the CBS show, “Titanic,” the TV series after the blockbuster movie came out. I kept reminding myself that I came to give America a shot.

Steven Spielberg, on a Sunday night, was watching this CBS “Titanic” series when he saw me. As the producer of “The Mask of Zorro,” he suggested that I screen test. Literally, within a week of it coming on TV, I was shipped down to Mexico to screen test with Antonio Banderas. Five days later, they called my agent and said I got the job, and three days after that, I was down there starting my sword-fighting lessons. 

After that, you worked across from Sean Connery in “Entrapment,” which cemented your stardom. Is it true you got that role because you told Connery you play golf?

[Laughs.] He used to say that tongue-in-cheek. You know, Sean Connery was a dear, dear force of nature. 

Would you guys play golf?

Yeah. 

Did you ever beat him?

No. And even if I could, I would never tell. I beat Michael Douglas. Any day of the week. But not Sean Connery.

You can’t beat 007. 

No way. Even if he cheated, I would just turn my head. 

On working with her husband on ‘Traffic’ and tap dancing with Christopher Walken

Speaking of your husband, is it true that Michael finally signed on to “Traffic” because he kept looking over your shoulder, looking at the drafts you were getting for the role you took in that movie?

There is a lot of truth in that. I was pregnant, and no one knew. And Steven Soderbergh asked me to do “Traffic.” And I kept saying, “Oh my gosh, there’s no way I can do this. Steven Soderbergh wants me in his movie, and I’m having a baby!” I was happy to be having a baby, but I so wanted to do this movie. So I called Steven and said, “I love the script, um, I think she would be even better if she was pregnant.” And he said, “When are you due?” I went, “August,” and he said, “We’ll make it work.” 

Michael never reads my scripts. I never read Michael’s scripts. It’s the one thing we kind of do on our own; we don’t really talk shop at home. We just don’t. But he knew how great that script was, and so Soderbergh called him and asked him if he had a chance to read my script. [Laughs.] And he said, “Kinda, but she’s been telling me.” So that’s when he came on board. 

What I loved about that movie was not just the stellar performances, but I love that I can say I’ve been in a movie with Michael Douglas. Because if he wasn’t my husband, I so would want to work with him. So even though we didn’t have any scenes together, it was phenomenal. 

You starred in the rom-com “America’s Sweethearts.” The movie ends with Christopher Walken showing up to the junket to show footage of the movie he made with your character. It turns out to be all behind-the-scenes footage of the movie, which seems to be a musical, and we see you tap dancing with Walken. Is it true that subplot is in “America’s Sweethearts” because you specifically wanted to tap dance with Christopher Walken?

Absolutely. I wanted to tap dance with Christopher Walken! I’m a big tap dancer. There are not many actors of my generation or Michael’s generation, yes, [Michael Douglas’ father] Kirk’s generation, that can tap dance. So when I had the chance to do that, I was like, “Guys, we can’t miss this chance.” It was totally, selfishly, for myself. 

We touched on a few leading men you have worked with over your career. Looking back, is there one who made you stay on your game the most? Someone who you knew you had to bring your A-game to every time you walked on set?

I have to say Sean, but it wasn’t that I had to be on my A-game. I just never wanted to stop acting with him, because we were such good buddies. He was so incredibly protective of me, like a daughter he never had, and he said that to me. And I loved his wife. I can’t really say family, because he’s not family, but I never wanted to act with anyone else after Sean Connery. I just didn’t. It was fun. 

But I will say when I did “The Terminal” with Steven Spielberg at the helm and working so closely with Tom Hanks, I did go to work on the first day and go, “Mommy, I want to go home and cuddle.” I got a little intimidated. Then — and I say this all the time — I learned the better they are, the nicer they are.

Now I’ve worked for so long, I’ve worked with some actors and gone, “Ugh, you just burst my bubble; I so wanted to work with you.” Very rarely, but it has happened.

But working with all those guys on the “Oceans” movies: Matt [Damon], Brad [Pitt], George [Clooney]… I did a movie with George with the Coen brothers, and that was exceptional. So it’s not so much bringing your A-game, because I want to do that with everyone I work across from.

Even on the movies where you realize, I don’t think this is going to work, how do you get through it and feel positive and 100% committed? It’s usually that the actors you’re working with are so amazing. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

New episodes of “Kill Jackie” drop Fridays on AMC+.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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