Yes, Catherine Zeta-Jones is VERY intimidating. This is what it's like to interview her.
I'm going to be honest with you, going into this interview, I felt a little intimidated by Catherine, I mean, she’s the recipient of several accolades (an Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, Tony Award); has starred in major films including Chicago, Traffic, Entrapment, and my favorite, No Reservations, and she is Hollywood royalty (on her own and as the wife of Michael Douglas and daughter-in-law of Kirk Douglas).
So when I arrived at Facebook's headquarters in NYC (her new series Queen America is on Facebook Watch and is SO good!), I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was nervous, and I'm never really nervous.
Normally, celebrities are quite nice to me since I am writing about them, but I have had one or two who weren't as, uh, how do I say this? Let's say their personality during our one-on-one didn't match the personality they put out there on talk shows and social media, which is a real disappointment. Anyways... that's a whole other story that I will save for another day.
Back to Catherine!
I shamefully almost, sort of expected her to look me up and down disapprovingly, (as if she's one of her intimidating, holier-than-though characters in her movies, like the chef she plays in No Reservations or beauty queen coach Vicki in Queen America) and for her to look unamused as she talked to me. Like, Who is this girl from MIAMI LIVING? I've never heard of that magazine. (My insecure thoughts, not hers.) We all know that I am no Kelly Ripa and that I don't have a big name behind me, like Town & Country magazine, the last cover story she did. So yeah, I was worried that she might be one of those celebs who treats the smaller, unheard-of publication like an insignificant nobody.
So I walk in the door.... and Catherine says, "Come on in!" --her Welsh accent evident. (In movies, she so often speaks in a perfect American accent that I forget she's from Wales.) Her publicist introduces us. "Hi Vanessa!" Catherine exclaims enthusiastically, then apologizes for the room smelling "foodie." They were snacking. She sits down on the banquette next to me, in her beautiful, long, fuchsia dress, and I tell her that I love Queen America. She literally claps her hands excitedly. "Yay!" she says joyfully. It is such a genuine and endearing gesture that it immediately puts me at ease.
From there it only got better!
She spoke about her new role on Queen America, her family, her 18-year marriage with Michael Douglas (adding that many thought it wouldn't last; she was surprisingly candid with me about them/him), acting, theater, Casa Zeta-Jones, and more.
Catherine is genuinely so sweet and down-to-earth, I can’t wait to share our cover story interview in MIAMI LIVING's February 2019 issue!
