Name: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Birth Date: September 25, 1969
Birth Place: Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales, UK
Occupation: Actress

“I like women who look like women. I hated grunge. No one's more feminist than me, but you don't have to look as if you don't give a - you know. You can be smart, bright, and attractive aesthetically to others - and to yourself.”

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Catherine Zeta-Jones hails from Mumbles, Wales (a tiny fishing village just outside Swansea in the UK), where she was born on September 25, 1969. 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.

Although Catherine was not known in the U.S. until her role in The Mask of Zorro in 1998, she was a well-known star in her native UK. Catherine played the lead in a production of the musical Annie at age 11, and starred in a West End production of Bugsy Malone two years later.

At age 17, Catherine nabbed the lead role in 42nd Street after having moved to London in order to pursue an acting career. Once the show closed, Zeta-Jones traveled to France, where she received the lead role in French director Phillippe De Broca's 1001 Nights (a.k.a. Sheherazade), her feature film debut.

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 (she even dabbled in music, releasing an album in the UK in the early '90s), 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.

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.

Actor Michael Douglas first met Catherine at the Deauville Film Festival, and apparently told her that he wanted to father her children during their first date. As if a premonition, they had their first child, Dylan Michael, in August 2000.

The couple married in New York's famed Plaza Hotel in November 2000; apparently, Catherine arrived 10 minutes late, as a result of being held up by her troop of security guards. Their wedding even made headlines again in 2002, when the power couple sued Hello! magazine for $815,000, for breach of security to get wedding shots and for publishing the poor quality, unauthorized photos. They won the suit and were awarded $26,000.

After appearances in High Fidelity, starring John Cusack, and Steven Soderbergh's Oscar-winning Traffic (both in 2000), she reunited with Cusack for America's Sweethearts in 2001, which also starred Julia Roberts. More recent film roles include 2002's Chicago (for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) and 2003's Intolerable Cruelty, with George Clooney.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is also the spokesperson for T-Mobile International, a leading global wireless service provider, as well as the face of cosmetics giant, Elizabeth Arden.

On the family front, she has built a seaside dream home in her hometown, determined that her children (Dylan Michael and daughter Carys) grow up aware of their Welsh heritage.

2004 is shaping up to be a busy year for Catherine Zeta-Jones: she's starring in Spielberg's The Terminal, as well as the sequel to Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve. She will also be reuniting with Banderas and Anthony Hopkins for another sequel, Zorro 2, set for a 2005 release.

Is a trained singer and dancer.

Her father was the manager of a candy factory.

Became engaged to Michael Douglas in Aspen, Colorado. [31 December 1999]

Chosen one of 1998's Most Beautiful People by People Magazine.

Her first child with fiance Michael Douglas, a boy named Dylan Michael was born on 8 August 2000 about 6 p.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The baby weighed in at 7 pounds and seven ounces and measured 21-1/2 inches.

Sister of David A. Jones, an executive at Initial Entertainment group, the company that co-financed Traffic (2000).

Named after her grandmothers: Catherine Fair on her mother's side, and Zeta Jones on her fathers.

Catherine and husband Michael Douglas share the same birthday, 25 years apart. He was born 25 September 1944; she was born 25 September 1969.

Daughter-in-law of Kirk Douglas and Diana Douglas.

Stepmother of Cameron Douglas.

Sister-in-law of Joel Douglas, Eric Douglas and Peter Douglas.

Her character in Traffic (2000) was changed to a pregnant woman, because Zeta-Jones herself was pregnant at the time with her son, Dylan.

Speaks Welsh fluently.

Measurements: 34C-25-36. (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).

Mother is Irish, father is Welsh.

She portrayed Palene, the beautiful Thracian prophetess and woman of Spartacus, in Jeff Wayne's 1992 musical version of "Spartacus." The role of Spartacus was played by her future father-in-law, Kirk Douglas, in Stanley Kubrick's motion picture Spartacus (1960).

In the June 1998 of Yahoo! Internet magazine, she was listed as the number one actress being searched on Yahoo!.

Gave birth to her first daughter, named Carys Zeta Douglas, early Easter morning in New Jersey (April 20, 2003).

A traditional Welsh choir sang at her wedding.

Her wedding ring includes a Celtic motif and was bought in a Welsh town called Aberystwyth.

Hired as the spokeswoman for T-Mobile cellular communications [2003]

As a child, she was exposed to a virus that gave her breathing difficulties. This required a tracheotomy surgery, which ultimately left a surgical scar on her neck.

Is an avid fan of musicals, paticularly the ones she saw as a child: Mary Poppins (1964) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968).

Thursday December 11 2003 she was a hostess, together with husband Michael Douglas, at the 2003 annual Nobel Peace Price Concert in Oslo Spectrum in Oslo, Norway.

Ocean's Twelve (2004) reunited her with previous colleagues Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Don Cheadle.

She is a spokesperson for Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics.

Was born in Swansea but grew up in the small seaside town of Mumbles in Wales.

Her production company is Milkwood Films, named after the play "Under Milkwood" by Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. She and Thomas are both from the same Welsh town, Swansea.

Her friend, singer Bonnie Tyler, sang at her wedding. Both Zeta-Jones and Tyler come from the same region of Wales.

She released the singles "For All Time" in 1989, "In the Arms of Love" and "I Can't Help Myself" in 1995 and a duet with David Essex, "True Love Ways", which was her only chart single. It appeared at #38 in the UK Top 75 singles chart in 1994.

Ranked #50 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties

In addition to Michael Douglas, she also shares a birthday with Will Smith, Heather Locklear, Barbara Walters, Michael Madsen and the late Christopher Reeve.

21 October 2004 - Filed lawsuit against the Spice House, "Reno's Friendliest Topless Cabaret" for the unauthorized use of her photo on its website.

On an awards show, speaking of her role of Velma Kelly in the movie Chicago (2002), she stated that while it was as exciting, it was almost as painful as giving birth to her son.

In 1992 the Columbia single 'For All Time' peaked at #36 in the UK charts; In 1995 she spent a week on the UK chart at #72 with 'In the Arms of Love'.

Ranked as #68 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)

Named #82 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

Was once engaged to Angus Macfadyen.

Was considered for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

Was originally approached to play "Roxie" in Chicago, but wanted to play Velma Kelly because of the song "All That Jazz". Renee Zellwegger ended up winning the role of Roxie.

In 2004, she began a two year $20 million contract to endorse T-Mobile.