Nathan Congleton/NBCAt 48 years old, Catherine Zeta-Jones knows who she is—and she's not apologizing for it.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Mirror, the Academy Award winner looks back on her career and explain how she's come into her own. "One thing I'm not is humble anymore. I'm sick of being humble. I really am. 'So sorry I'm rich. So sorry I'm married to a movie star. So sorry I'm not so bad looking.' No sorrys. Enough. All that is important to me now is my work," she says. "That's what I love and the rest of my life is a joy because I've got two beautiful kids and a healthy, happy husband. It's all good, and I'm not going to be humble for that either."
Zeta-Jones notes she comes from a working-class family. "And I worked to get to where I am," she says. "And for many years all of us are victims of the fact that we've all got so humble. If you were a sports star and won an award you would go, 'S--t! Yeah, that was the best work I've ever done! I rocked!' Whereas actors are like, 'Oh, I'm so sorry and thanks. Can I say thanks?'"
For a time, Zeta-Jones lost her passion for making movies. But today, she's ready to get back into the game. "What shaped me as an actor, more than anything, is getting older. I genuinely lost my mojo. I didn't like it very much anymore. I was on a successful path, there wasn't any crisis or anything. And I remembered how I started off so young and became successful, because I was fearless," she says. "There was no questioning, wondering what people would think. Somewhere along the middle I got frightened again and I started to question myself as an actor." As she developed an identity outside of acting, she realized, "I'm not scared anymore."
Zeta-Jones hopes her two children with Michael Douglas—both of whom are aspiring actors—will approach their careers with similar bravery and optimism. "I am so proud. It's not about fame for them. They've been brought up around famous people. They know what that is like. They want the craft because that's what they love. And it gives me such pride that they get it. They understand that this is not a quick fix. They're so good," she says. "I can't wait for you all to see which way they're going to go, because they're going to go somewhere, I'm telling you."