50 facts about Catherine Zeta-Jones: Danny DeVito introduced her to Michael Douglas who she married

50 interesting things from life of actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

1. Jones is a Welsh actress.

2. Began her career on stage at age 12 with the lead role in Annie.

3. Starred in a number of British and American television series, including The Darling Buds of May.

4. She came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the action film The Mask of Zorro (1998) and the crime thriller Entrapment.

5. Her breakthrough role was the film Traffic.

6. Zeta-Jones won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Desiree in A Little Night Music.

7. Was born in Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales, on 25 September 1969, to Patricia (née Fair) and David Jones.

8. Her mother Patricia was a seamstress.

9. Her father David Jones was a sweet-factory owner.

10. Her father is of Welsh descent.

11. Her mother is of Welsh and Irish ancestry.

12. Was named after her grandmothers, Catherine Fair and Zeta Jones.

13. She has two brothers.

14. Both of her brothers help with her production company, Milkwood Films.

15. At the age of five, she was sent to the Hazel Johnson School of Dance to make use of her energy.

16. By the time she was 11, she was a British tap-dancing champion.

17. She was educated at Dumbarton House School, a co-educational independent school in nearby Swansea, but left early to further her acting ambitions without obtaining O-levels.

18. Attended the independent Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, West London, for a full-time, three-year course in Musical Theatre.

19. When she was 14, Zeta-Jones was cast as Tallulah in theatre production of Bugsy Malone.

20. Travelled to France where she played the lead role in French director Philippe de Broca's Les 1001 Nuits.

21. Her singing and dancing ability suggested a promising future.

22. Went on to release the singles "In the Arms of Love", "I Can't Help Myself", and a duet with David Essex "True Love Ways", reaching No. 38 in the UK singles chart in 1994.

23. Starred in an episode of the American television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

24. Was featured in a television commercial for the German Deutsche Bahn at the age of 21.

25. Steven Spielberg, who noted her performance in the miniseries Titanic (1996), recommended her to Martin Campbell, the director of The Mask of Zorro.

26. Studied dancing, riding, sword-fighting and took part in dialect classes to play her role as Elena in The Mask of Zorro.

27. Won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Newcomer and received an Empire Award nomination for Best British Actress and a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress.

28. Voiced Marina in the animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

29. Made her Broadway debut in Trevor Nunn's revival of A Little Night Music with Angela Lansbury.

30. Received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for A Little Night Music.

31. British comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders parodied Zeta-Jones in 2007, on their sketch comedy television show French & Saunders.

32. Zeta-Jones is the global spokeswoman for cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden.

33. Appeared in numerous TV commercials for the phone company T-Mobile.

34. She also appeared in a commercial for Alfa Romeo.

35. She is also the spokeswoman for Di Modolo jewellery.

36. Was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.

37. Appeared on several magazine covers, including Allure,[49] Harper's Bazaar, W, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.

38. Was chosen one of "1998's Most Beautiful People" by People magazine.

39. Ranked number 68 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement, and was named number 82 in 2006.

40. Danny DeVito introduced Zeta-Jones to actor Michael Douglas.

41. Douglas and Zeta-Jones met the Deauville Film Festival in France in August 1998.

42. Zeta-Jones and Douglas became engaged on 31 December 1999.

43. Zeta-Jones and Douglas married at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on 18 November 2000, after Douglas' divorce was finalized.

44. Douglas is 25 years her senior.

45. Douglas and Zeta-Jones share a birthday.

46. A traditional Welsh choir (Côr Cymraeg Rehoboth) sang at their wedding.

47. Her Welsh gold wedding ring includes a Celtic motif and was purchased in the Welsh town of Aberystwyth.

48. Mick Hucknall from the band Simply Red also performed at their wedding.

49. Hucknall and Jones had dated in the past.

50. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have two children, son Dylan Michael and daughter Carys Zeta.