Catherine began acting at age 11, playing in a production of Annie and at 13 she starred in a West End production of the musical Bugsy Malone. When Catherine was 16 she took over the lead in David Merrick's 42nd Street. Her first regular television role came in the nostalgic British TV series The Darling Buds of May.

While the U.S. audience was unaware of her work, Catherine was rapidly becoming a star in the UK. In fact, with the popularity of The Darling, Catherine became a mega-star in the UK. Coupled with her role in the four-hour television docu-drama Titanic, Catherine got some attention in the United States. Most importantly, she was noticed by Steven Spielberg, who recommended Catherine for the female lead The Mask of Zorro. She followed up this strong Hollywood debut (which this is now considered despite her appearance in 1986's The Phantom) with the equally successful Entrapment with Sean Connery.Now it seems like everyone knows who Catherine Zeta-Jones is, and will for a good long while if her box-office is any indicator.