Catherine Zeta-Jones says The Darling Buds of May made her a 'celebrity overnight'
Catherine Zeta-Jones says 1990s drama series The Darling Buds of May gave her almost instant fame in the UK.
Catherine Zeta-Jones says The Darling Buds of May changed her life and made her a "celebrity overnight" but that fame diminished her reputation as an actress.
Catherine, 57, was cast as Mariette Larkin in the ITV period drama, which first aired in 1991 and followed the life of the Larkin family in 1950s rural Kent.
The show was based on the book series by H. E. Bates and also starred Sir David Jason as "Pop" Larkin, the father of the family, Pam Ferris as "Ma" Larkin and Philip Franks as Charley Charlton, who marries Mariette.
The Darling Buds of May ran for three series between 1991 and 1993 and was a huge ratings success, turning Catherine into a household name and a sex symbol in the UK.
But that sudden fame wasn't an entirely positive experience for Catherine, who became a tabloid fixture due to her high-profile relationships with John Leslie, Mick Hucknall and David Essex.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, she said: "That one hour of television changed my life. I became a celebrity overnight and people sort of forgot I was an actor."
After having more television success in Britain, Catherine made the jump from television to Hollywood, appearing in the 1996 superhero movie The Phantom opposite Billy Zane, and then appeared in the 1998 blockbuster The Mask of Zorro with Antonio Banderas, which was a box office hit.
Catherine says it was necessary to start afresh in Los Angeles because she was unknown in America, whereas in the UK she had become a bona fide celebrity.
She said: "When I went to LA literally nobody knew me, which was a huge ego jolt at first but then extremely humbling, and ultimately very good for me to start afresh."
Catherine - who was born and raised in Swansea, Wales - made her life in LA thanks to her success, and she also went on to marry Hollywood icon Michael Douglas in November 2000 and raise two children, son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23, with him.
The actress is starring in new Amazon Prime Video series Kill Jackie, in which she portrays wealthy art dealer Jackie Price, who discovers she's the target of a lethal squad of hitmen known as The Seven Demons.
Catherine admits that, at her age, the role is a "gift", especially because she got to return to her hometown, Swansea, to film the show and use her natural Welsh accent as Jackie.
She said: "It is a gift of a part. The show is crazy and high-octane and she is really crazy. It is one of those parts and, at 57, the kind of role that is very satisfying, to say the least.
"Going home was just so incredibly wonderful. It was very fulfilling and to be able to use my own Welsh voice for the very first time was wonderful."
Asked if there will be more of Kill Jackie, she answered: "I’d love to do more - I am not done with her yet."
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday (02.10.26) at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
