| A native of Wales, Catherine Zeta Jones debuted on the
British stage, starring in the musical 42nd Street, but first made a name
for herself in the early '90s when she starred in the Yorkshire Television
comedy/drama series The Darling Buds of May. Based on a series of novels
by H.E. Bates, the show was a smash hit and made Jones one of the United
Kingdom's most popular television actresses. Dark-haired and brown eyed,
Jones has an exotic look that enables her to play a wide variety of
interesting roles. Following the demise of her first series, Jones
returned to the stage and then starred in the miniseries Catherine the
Great. She had made her film debut in Philip de Broca's Scheherazade
(1990). It was de Broca who discovered Jones while she was performing on
stage. Jones subsequently played supporting roles in several films,
including Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) and a larger part as
the seductive Sala in The Phantom (1996) before landing her first
co-starring stint playing the fiery Elena opposite Anthony Hopkins and
Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro (1998). A talented singer, Jones has
occasionally performed with the English National Opera. |