Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have been married almost 26 years, and the Swansea-born actress lifted the lid on the secret to their long and happy union
Catherine Zeta-Jones opened up about her marriage to Michael Douglas (Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has opened up about her long union with Michael Douglas as she admits the “marriage wouldn’t have lasted” if their situation was different. The Welsh star, 57, wed the Hollywood icon almost 26 years ago, and they share two children.
A marriage lasting more than a quarter of a century and counting is not to be sniffed at, especially in Hollywood. Despite their 25-year age-gap, the couple seem like they are going to go the distance.
So what is the secret to living happily ever after? According to Oscar-winning Catherine, who won her award for her role in Chicago, it is “working”.
She told The Times: “Michael is, like, ‘Go and do that job, that’s amazing.’ And then he’s able to fly in and see me for a long weekend.
“Much better than waking up, going, ‘What do you want for breakfast, honey?’ I don’t think our marriage would ever have lasted if it was like that.”
Swansea-born Catherine met Michael at a film festival in France in 1998 after they were introduced by Danny DeVito. They were married just two years later and also share son Dylan Michael, 26, and daughter Carys Zeta, 23. The couple share the same birthday, September 25, but were born 25 years apart.
Their relationship has not been without its issues, though. Michael was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010, which the actor later claimed was caused by him performing oral sex.
The following year, Catherine was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and checked herself into hospital. They separated briefly in 2013, but soon reunited.
The actress says she has no plans to return to Wales, where she has not lived permanently since she was a teenager. Despite this, Catherine says she still feels close to the country thought she admits regretting that she speaks very little Welsh.
Catherine got her big break in The Darling Buds of May at the age of just 21, opposite Sir David Jason and Pam Ferris. The BBC comedy drama got her noticed by Hollywood and she went on to star in the likes of The Mask of Zorro, Oceans Twelve and High Fidelity.
She was born and raised in Swansea, growing up in the Treboeth and Sketty areas of the city. She goes back to her natural accent for the upcoming Amazon Prime series Kill Jackie, where she plays a wealthy art dealer with a secret past.
Catherine said: “People were, like, ‘Thank God she’s using her Welsh accent.’ I think the response was that it’s time for me to be Welsh.”
The mum-of-two largely lives in New York with her husband. The family spent 10 years in Bermuda to escape press intrusion after their kids were born.
Catch Catherine on The Graham Norton Show tonight (Friday, October 2) from 10.40pm to 11.30pm. Other guests include the legendary Sylvester Stallone and Andrew Garfield.
