CATHERINE ZETA-JONES: CHICAGO INTERVIEW

By Prairie Miller

It's hard to believe that the steamy and mesmerizing dancer you're watching up on the screen in the movie musical Chicago is Catherine Zeta-Jones. But the Welsh beauty apparently has all kinds of secret talents, musical and otherwise, in addition to the ones she's already revealed in her films. Catherine also drew lots of comparisons in this interview, between the ambitious performer she plays in Chicago, and her own lifelong competitive obsessions.

You've been quite a hit at Chicago screenings around town. Did you hear how audiences are wild with applause after your opening number in the movie?

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES: Yes, I did hear about that. And it made me want to go and sneak in, and do one of those screenings. So I went to the L.A. premiere, and they were cheering there. They were like clapping after every number, so that's great. But that's what the whole film does. It just lifts you up. And I think musical comedy people who are thinking of buying a theater ticket to a musical comedy or going to a cinema to buy a ticket, will have a shock.

How come?

CZ: Because this is dark and sexy. And dirty and funny. With these tongue in cheek, fantastic numbers that are staged so beautifully

How did you get into such great shape after your pregnancy?

CZ: Well, it was somebody's bright idea to do this after I had the baby! But I started dancing when I was a kid. And I did musical comedy as a teenager, and then I stopped. But the lazy Welsh person in me never went to the gym. I went on the treadmill and stretched a bit, but never did I do the capacity of what I used to do. That was another life! I never put on dance shoes again. So cut to I'm there on the first day of rehearsals, and looking behind me at the best dancers in the world and going, 'why do I have to be in front. Can't I go behind the girl there, the really pretty one?' So it took me a long time to get into the swing with many, many hot salt baths to ease the pain. But I wanted to prove to Rob (Marshall, the director) that I could actually do it. So of course I went completely over the top, and hadn't warmed out hardly enough to be able to do it. And I woke up the next morning, and I couldn't walk down the stairs! My Achilles tendon had shrunk. So I had to have the day off. I thought, 'oh great they're gonna be very impressed with me. I do one day and then ask for a day off!' But we had six weeks of training, and it was tough. I would do anything for Rob though, even if I could hardly walk! You like realize as you're driving home in the car, 'oh my God I'm never gonna do that again.' You know, that is on film for the rest of my life. But that gives you the masochistic attitude to go on. And kill yourself, because you can't go back tomorrow and redo it with a different audience so it's fresh, or have a week's sleep and go back and do it. You just gotta do it right there and then.

What's your biggest dream as an actress?

CZ: What I don't want people to think, is she's done that before, so that was no big deal for her. Because I worked really hard. But I didn't think for one minute that I would be doing what I had to be doing at 33 years old. It's always surprising. I was very lucky that when I made my entrance into the American film market with 'Zorro,' that everyone thought I was Spanish. But it was really hard for me at one point, because I have a British Welsh accent and there aren't so many British Welsh roles that you can go and audition for! So after the Spanish accent, I thought I needed an American accent for more opportunities and more jobs to come my way. On 'Entrapment,' I did an American accent. And people were surprised. So you just have to break the mold, in a way. And a lot of actors can sing and dance, but maybe not to this capacity.

How neat were those dancing shoes you got to wear in Chicago?

CZ: They were stunning. But try dancing in them! Like during rehearsals I'm in my sneakers and my sweaty old sweatpants. And I'm like, 'what do you mean you want me to dance in those heels and those beads!' I could hardly lift my arms in that dress, I was popping out of it. But I kept some of them, like all my shoes.

How weird is it doing musical numbers without an audience around?

CZ: It was bizarre. Especially when Renee and I at the very end do a dance number together. We were shooting it like at 3 A.M. So the guys got lights and set up the lights. And you'd have these big old hairy light boys. And we'd be like breaking sweats getting our butts kicked, and they'd be snoring so loudly! I looked at the back of the theater, and I saw them and I went, 'stop, stop, stop, excuse me.' I mean we're screaming and dancing, shooting off the lights, and then they're sleeping. It drove me nuts. It's like we're working here! You wake up and go home and sleep. Then they'd give us like three little claps at the end. It was so awful. We had to pretend they weren't even there!

Has show business ever been a fickle thing for you?

CZ: Well, you can call somebody up, don't cast them for years and then they're hot again. And it's, 'Hi! Sorry I didn't get back to you.' It's a big old family. There's no people like show people. And it makes me laugh. You have to laugh, otherwise it would make you nuts.

Was this life ever tough for you?

CZ: Yeah, I sacrificed a lot of things. But I've always been the first person to hold my hand up and say I'm ambitious. That's why I came from Wales, and that's why I'm here. If you're not ambitious or have a drive, it just doesn't happen. I was always ambitious but never ruthlessly ambitious. The only time I ever had a problem was when I was an unknown actress, and I had a small part. I'd like get the wrath of some actress. You know, I was terrified, like she was the wicked witch. You try and be nice and then you go, 'what am I wasting my time for.' And then I've never met that person since, and I can't wait to bump into her and say, 'oh I can't remember you. What is your name?!' Yeah, I can't wait to be cast in something with her.

Have you always had a problem keeping men from being all over you all the time?

CZ: No actually, I don't always get that kind of response from men. I know my husband saw me in 'Zorro,' so I guess he was one of many. Maybe I should've shopped around! But no, I never had a boyfriend until I was like nineteen.

No way. How did that happen?

CZ: I wasn't interested really. It was like, oh boys, yuck! And everyone was going, like there's something wrong with this woman. But I was always going to London doing my thing. I was never like hanging out, really. I was very focused and blinkered in a way. So no, I never get that all the time from men.

Would you say you were always naturally competitive?

CZ: I was always put in swimming meets and in school competitions and talent competitions, and was never forced. But I didn't have the Mama Rose of a mother. I genuinely wanted to do it and I've always been competitive. And I'm terrible, I'm a nightmare at Scrabble, Yazzi, and Trivial Pursuit. I have to win! If I don't win, I'm a nightmare. I have that thing where I want to get it right, be good and I want to be in it. You know, I want to win it. It's been something from swimming to judo to dancing, and to singing. And I was always like that as a kid.

How concerned were your parents about your early independent ways?

CZ: Well, when I left school, I left at fifteen. And they were really dubious about that, obviously. You know, a fifteen year old woman going to London to pursue a career in acting. They were back there in Wales thinking about the casting couch, and the drugs. I had a lot of rules to abide by, but I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I couldn't imagine looking back at my life saying, 'oh if only I had the balls and the guts to get up there and do it, maybe this would be different. Maybe my life would be different.'

How important are the Oscars to you?

CZ: I think it's out of my hands. It's not like we all have to get up on stage on Oscar night and redo what we did, and then the judges will pick who is the best. That's competition. I feel the same way about this as I did with 'Traffic.' Not like, I hope I get an Oscar and oh I should. But that they're talking about the movie that I'm in, and that I'm part of. And for my peers to applaud a piece of work that I've been in is fantastic. But the proudest day of my life was when I was nominated for Traffic and I was walking down with Michael, and everyone was talking about Oscar buzz. That in itself is exciting.

What's motherhood been like?

CZ: Well, I'm trying to be Wonder Woman. Which is impossible, it doesn't work. You know, I'm trying to put my son into 'Big Boy's Bed' whilst I'm doing this junket. I'm like, 'I didn't sleep all night. I had a little boy running around the corridors all night long!' Now he's talking so much. You know, I spent so much time trying to get him to say a word, and it's like now he's a broken record! But what it does for me in life is it puts everything into perspective. I love my work and I dissect and I'm critical, and all those things. But at the end of the day, I go home to my husband and my baby. And hopefully if everything goes great, another one on the way. It's part of a life that I could never imagine not having. Now I have no idea what I did before. What did I used to do? Yeah I made movies, I used to date, and then I got married and had a child. But what did I used to do with those hours to fill up the day? I have no idea. Probably moan!

Do you try to stay in touch with your family back home?

CZ: I fly them out to L.A. for the premieres, because they just love that. And they were all in New York to see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. You know, I think my mom is a frustrated Rockette. I'm sure she always wanted to be one, so she's off to the theater! But I'm very close to them. You know, what they've done for me and the support that they've given me. And the sacrifices that they've made for me to give this world a go, it's just incredible. We're very close, and they can't wait to see their grandson.