Catherine Zeta-Jones: 'Darling Buds of May' made me a celebrity, cost me my actor tag
Synopsis
Catherine Zeta-Jones has opened up about the unexpected downside of becoming a British TV sensation: overnight celebrity erased her identity as an actress. Now, at 57, she is reclaiming that identity with a high-octane Amazon Prime Video thriller that let her use her Welsh voice on screen for the very first time.
Key Takeaways
Catherine Zeta-Jones said 'The Darling Buds of May' made her a celebrity overnight but caused audiences to 'forget she was an actor.' She made her Hollywood debut in the 1996 film 'The Phantom' , co-starring Billy Zane .
She described arriving in Los Angeles as an 'ego jolt' but credited the anonymity with helping her start afresh.
Zeta-Jones, now 57 , is set to star in Amazon Prime Video series 'Kill Jackie' , playing wealthy art dealer Jackie Price .
She called the role 'a gift of a part' and said filming in Wales allowed her to use her own Welsh voice on screen for the first time.
Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed that the British comedy series 'The Darling Buds of May' transformed her life overnight — but came with an unexpected cost: audiences stopped seeing her as a serious actress.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Speaking on 'The Graham Norton Show', Zeta-Jones recalled the seismic impact the show had on her early career. 'That one hour of television changed my life. I became a celebrity overnight and people sort of forgot I was an actor,' she said. The actress described how the overnight fame, while thrilling, effectively overshadowed her craft in the public eye.
Starting Over in Hollywood
After building substantial television success in Britain, Zeta-Jones made the leap to Hollywood, first appearing in the 1996 superhero film 'The Phantom', starring opposite Billy Zane. The transition, however, meant beginning entirely from scratch in a market where she had no profile. '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,' she told the show.
The anonymity in Los Angeles — stark contrast to her bona fide celebrity status back in the UK — ultimately proved to be a formative experience, she said, forcing her to rebuild her reputation purely on her performances rather than her public image.
New Chapter: 'Kill Jackie' on Amazon Prime Video
Zeta-Jones is now set to star in the new Amazon Prime Video series 'Kill Jackie', in which she plays Jackie Price, a wealthy art dealer who discovers she is the target of a deadly squad of assassins known as The Seven Demons. The role, she said, represents a deeply satisfying career milestone.
'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,' she said. She also noted the personal significance of filming in Wales, adding: '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.'
A Career Defined by Reinvention
Zeta-Jones's trajectory — from British TV fame to Hollywood obscurity to Academy Award-winning actress — is a rare arc in the industry. Her candid reflections on the double-edged nature of early celebrity offer an unusually honest account of how overnight fame can simultaneously open and close doors in an actor's career. With 'Kill Jackie' on the horizon, she appears firmly in a third act defined on her own terms.
Point of View
Not failure, nearly derailed her career. The distinction between 'celebrity' and 'actor' is one the industry rarely draws publicly, which makes her remarks on 'The Graham Norton Show' genuinely revealing. Her arc from Welsh TV darling to Hollywood unknown to Oscar winner is also a quiet rebuke to the idea that early breakout success is always an advantage. The 'Kill Jackie' announcement suggests she is leveraging streaming's appetite for female-led thrillers at a stage in her career when leading roles of that scale have historically dried up for women in Hollywood.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Catherine Zeta-Jones say about 'The Darling Buds of May'?
Catherine Zeta-Jones said the British comedy series changed her life overnight, turning her into a celebrity, but added that the sudden fame caused people to 'forget she was an actor.' She made the remarks during an appearance on 'The Graham Norton Show.'
What is Catherine Zeta-Jones's new show 'Kill Jackie'?
'Kill Jackie' is an upcoming Amazon Prime Video series in which Zeta-Jones plays Jackie Price, a wealthy art dealer who discovers she is being targeted by a lethal assassin squad called The Seven Demons. Zeta-Jones described the role as 'a gift of a part.'
What was Catherine Zeta-Jones's first Hollywood film?
Her first Hollywood film was 'The Phantom' in 1996, a superhero movie in which she starred opposite Billy Zane. She had already established herself as a celebrity in the UK before making the transition to Hollywood.
Why did Catherine Zeta-Jones find moving to Los Angeles humbling?
Zeta-Jones was a well-known celebrity in the UK but was completely unknown in America when she moved to Los Angeles. She described the experience as 'a huge ego jolt at first' but said it was ultimately humbling and beneficial for her career reinvention.
How old is Catherine Zeta-Jones and what has she said about taking on new roles at this stage?
Catherine Zeta-Jones is 57 years old. She described her role in 'Kill Jackie' as 'the kind of role that is very satisfying, to say the least' at this stage of her career, and said filming in Wales and using her native Welsh voice on screen for the first time made the experience especially meaningful.
