CATHERINE ZETA JONES – LIVE WEBCHAT on Thursday 28 Jan from 10.30am - 11.15am

[BojanaMumsnet]

We are thrilled to announce that Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones will be joining us for a live webchat on Thursday 28 January from 10.30am - 11.15am.

Catherine started her career on the stage, winning critical acclaim for her musical prowess before exploding all over the nation's consciousness in The Darling Buds of May. Since then she has learned swordfighting for her role in The Mask of Zorro, made Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed Traffic while pregnant, and won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the film adaptation of Chicago. And now, on Thursday, we will have her full attention

In her latest role Catherine plays the journalist Rose Winters in the movie version of the seventies TV classic Dad's Army. DON'T TELL HIM, PIKE.

Please do join us on the day to chat to Catherine - and if you can't make it on the day please post up your questions in advance. As ever please do also remember our webchat guidelines.

Dad's Army is released in cinemas on Friday 5 February.

Thanks
MNHQ

[YesICanHearYouClemFandango]

Shwmae Catherine! Gobeithio ti'n iawn.

I also have Bipolar II. I was wondering if you had any tips for getting through the bad times? Are there any thoughts you cling to or techniques you use? Is there anything you think is crucial to keeping well?

I'll listen to you. Even if it is boring stuff like eating properly and exercising. Because, you know, you're Catherine Zeta Jones.

Thank you for going public about your illness by the way. It was really brave of you. I was diagnosed over 10 years ago and I've barely told anyone. Even people I'm close to. So I know it must have been difficult. But it was a great thing for you to do.

[Iwasbornin1993]

Hi Catherine! Welcome to Mumsnet

Can I please ask where your favourite place in the world is and why?

[ivepiercedmyfootonthespike]

Hello Catherine!

Hope you're well. Have either of your children expressed an interest in acting as a career path?

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

Hi Catherine,
You've achieved so much. Are you a great planner for your life and career? Or has it been more organic than that?
Thanks

[Wheresthattomoibabber]

Hi Catherine

I'm not about for the live webchat as will be at dentist having wisdom teeth out

My question is did you keep up the sword fighting? DD thinks you're awesome in Zorro and it looks really good fun.

Thank you

[dontcryitsonlyajoke]

What are your tips for making a marriage work? It is so refreshing and encouraging to see you and your husband keep on going through tough times in comparison to many (most?) Hollywood marriages.

And what have been your best and worst moments as a parent so far? My worst unsurprisingly involved a leaking nappy... My best was realising just quite how much my emotionally quite closed 6yo son loves his 16mo brother when he just shrugged and laughed upon discovering his beloved Lego train had been pulled apart, and then sat back and watched his brother play with the pieces! Nobody else, not even me or his sister, would have got away with that :)

[CatherineZetaJones]

test

[Doilooklikeatourist]

Hallo Catherine ,
I admire the way you manage to always look classy when ever you're in the public eye ( please don't say you're in your PJs now !)

My daughter is doing a performing arts degree , any tips on how to get on in the business ? She's primarily a dancer

Will go and see Dads Army , like a lot of people I remember watching it as a child ( and my husband quite fancies tou , so he'll be there too ! )

Best wishes to you , and the family

[Maida98]

Hi Catherine,
When you look back at the 18 year old girl that you were when you first studied musical theatre fulltime, how much has your attitude to the performing arts changed?

[Icecreams1]

Hi Catherine,

What were your first thoughts when you read the script for Dad's Army?

Can't wait to see the film!

[50shadesofknackered]

Hi Catherine,

I wondered what your thoughts are regarding the recent controversy over the lack of black actors nominated for the Oscars.
Also, Hollywood and the lifestyle that goes with it seems to be very superficial and often destructive. How do you manage to create a normal life for yourself and your children?

[WildeWoman]

Hi Catherine.
Where do you live these days? Not that I want to stalk you or anything, I mean moreso - do you live in Wales or LA?

Do you follow rugby?

[SandyMumsnet]

Morning everyone
Catherine is on her way!

[CatherineZetaJones]

Hi everyone, it's Catherine Zeta Jones. I have arrived and ready to go whenever you are. Thanks for taking the time out to post your questions. I'll get through as many as I can.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@LineyReborn

What attracted you to the role of Rose in Dad's Army?

Dad's Army was a childhood favourite, great memories of watching it with my parents and siblings. When the offer came, for me to be part of this new film, I was racking my brain, wondering what I was to possibly play. In what was a male-dominated series, as good as it was, women weren't really focused on. To my great surprise, they had written a character for me to play a journalist, whose assignment was to do an article for The Lady magazine, about the home guard. Happy to see also in the script that turned up on my desk, that they had brought in more women to the film, The wives of the platoon are featured, which was not in the original series, and it opens up the whole film for me. Women on the home front were very prominent, and did a lot to keep the home territory safe.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@HelenaDove

I remember watching repeats of Dads Army as a kid.

Are you and Micheal both fans of classic British tv/comedy?

I am a huge fan of classic British TV and comedy. I feel honoured that the show that really launched me in the UK, the Darling Buds of May, is now part of that group, with re-runs constantly on television, and a new generation of fans of the show. My mother sends me DVDs of new up-and-coming TV shows and I've invested in a machine that plays both American DVDs and British so that I can keep abreast of the great television coming out of Britain.

[ClarissaBell]

Hi Catherine, can you tell me what your go to foundation is please? Thanks

[WildeWoman]

Have you any interest in politics - either Welsh/UK/EU/American politics. Particularly given potential for Brexit and with the upcoming US presidential elections. And have you ever met Mr. Donald J. Trump?

[CatherineZetaJones]

@Lightbulbon

What's your opinion on the lack of good roles for women over 40 in Hollywood?

This is a really good question, as I have been in this business since I was 9 years old, and have heard the same thing said throughout the different parts of my career. Then, HELLO, I'm in my 40s..... and it's true. It's not that there aren't great stories to be told about women in their 40s, its just that the big bosses in Hollywood feel that the demographic of moviegoers are less interested. I wanted to be in film because I was brought up watching great performances by women in their 40s, in the 70s, Anne Bancroft, films like Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More, interesting roles for women, at a great age. There's talk in Hollywood about diversity right now, and it's a good conversation to be had, and necessary, but when we say diversity, let's mean diversity for actors with ethnic differences, age differences, and sex differences. I don't think I'm going to change a demographic - all I want to do is to do good film that is accessible to people of all ages and races.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@liquidrevolution

Looking forward to seeing the film this weekend. sorry two questions - Did you have fun filming it? And how do you juggle childcare and homelife when working?

I had the best time doing Dad's Army. Coming home to work with actors of professionalism and talent and jolly good people to hang out with for many hours of the day is a treat for me! Reminds me how much I love working here and feel at home here.

As actors, we get asked the second question a lot. But let's be real, I'm lucky to have a very close family who surround my children if I am not there. I have help with them and I'm in a very good position to be able to leave from time to time, do work like Dad's Army, have fun like I did in Dad's Army then go back. I'm not the only woman in the world who has children who works. But I feel blessed that I'm in the financial situation where it is somewhat easier for me than others.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@APlaceOnTheCouch

Hi Catherine,
You've achieved so much. Are you a great planner for your life and career? Or has it been more organic than that?
Thanks

Excellent question. People used to say to me, god you're so lucky, and of course in my business, luck does play a small part. Being there at the right time, in the right place, but you have to be so prepared, ready to go, when those opportunities arise, and I was always ready to go, and prepared.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@ALemonyPea

I'm going to watch this next week wth DH. Can't wait, we are big fans of the original series.

I loved you in Chicago, do you plan on doing a musical again?

Since Chicago, I did a musical in New York, called A Little Night Music,on Broadway I was lucky enough to win the Tony award for it. And coupled with Chicago, you can only imagine how much I love musicals. And it seems that musicals have been good for me! I would love to do an original piece. I've been asked many times to do revivals of older shows, but to invent a character and be part of a show from inception would be terrific. I'm looking to go back to Broadway in the near future to do a straight play, something I have never done before. I am very excited about that prospect!

[CatherineZetaJones]

@coffeeisnectar

Hi!

Do your children like to watch films you've been in or do they get embarrassed?

Btw I think you are amazing not starstruck at all...Oh no

My children love to watch films, generally. They don't necessarily gravitate to my husband's and my films - it's too close to home to break the reality screen. They love visiting sets, and probably see movies that children of their age don't see because they understand the process, understand that it's just a movie, and I find them being very critical of both my and my husband's (and any actor's) work in general, but I think it's because they want to be actors themselves, and they study hard the performances and learn from them, as well as just sitting down as regular teenagers and watching the movies.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@Maida98

Hi Catherine,
When you look back at the 18 year old girl that you were when you first studied musical theatre fulltime, how much has your attitude to the performing arts changed?

I hope this will answer your question. When I was in musical comedy, as a teenager, there was a big divide between actors who were in musicals and actors who were at the National Theatre who happened to do Shakespeare now and again. It was a touch of snobbery that I always wanted to break. And I feel I did, I moved from musical theatre to television to film to musicals on film, back to Broadway, back to film... and that was the career I always wanted. Where there were no boundaries. You weren't put in a box nd had to do only what was given to you in that box.

[CatherineZetaJones]

@WildeWoman

Hi Catherine.
Where do you live these days? Not that I want to stalk you or anything, I mean moreso - do you live in Wales or LA?

Do you follow rugby?

I live in New York, actually just outside Manhattan, in the country, where I feel is the best place to bring up my children. Being from a small town myself, I love it too, but love the accessibility of Manhattan being less than an hour away.

I follow the Rugby: guess who I support....

I'm also following Premiership football as my home town, Swansea, is now in it, I love basketball in the States - I'm going to the Superbowl next week so you could say I'm a sports fan generally.