This Girl Raised by Candy Factory Owner Is a Hollywood Beauty Who Married an Iconic Actor 25 Years Older

• This future Academy Award winner had a failed engagement and a string of short-lived relationships before she settled down.
• She is an excellent stepmother, credited for being the "cement" that holds the family together.
• With her husband, she experienced medical issues that emerged in tandem.

This classic brunette beauty was born September 25, 1969, to a candy ― or as it is known in her native Wales, 'sweets' — factory owner and a seamstress. The only girl in the family, she is flanked by two brothers.

At 23, she became a household name in the United Kingdom for her star turn as Mariette in the comedy-drama set on a farm, "The Darling Buds of May."

As her star rose in 1991, she met television host John Leslie, one of her first public relationships, at a gig of the pop singer Chesney Hawkes. The liaison reportedly fell apart after 18 months because she wanted to start a family, and he did not.

Hawkes has said in hindsight that she was "the most beautiful woman" he had "ever seen." She was the only woman he ever loved. "We'll always be mates," he asserted.

Her next tryst was more contentious; she was caught kissing her co-star Paul McGann, a married dad of one, in his car. McGann denied the smooch but admitted the incident "rattled" his marriage, which he returned to. Their TV movie "Catherine the Great" was released in 1995.

She was convinced she found the love of her life in "Braveheart" star Angus Macfadyen, to whom she got engaged. The Scottish actor called off the engagement after 15 months in 1996.

The brunette inspired another proposal, this time from Hollywood producer Jon Peters, but she turned him down. In a tell-all book in which he collaborated, he claims they had a "torrid, shock-the-neighbors affair."

The Swansea-born performer was also briefly entangled with "It's Only Love" singer Mick Hucknall in 1998. But the Simply Red frontman called off the fling after only four months.

By then, her career was in a new stratosphere in Hollywood. She was starring opposite Antonio Banderas in "The Mask of Zorro," Sean Connery in "Entrapment," and alongside Billy Zane in "The Phantom."

Indirectly, she attracted her future husband through one of these films, but he was not one of her leading men. "I just sat forward and said, 'Who is that?'" Michael Douglas thought when he saw "The Mask of Zorro."

Michael Douglas Was Not 'Quite the Son-in-Law' Catherine Zeta-Jones' Parents Anticipated

At a 1998 film festival, Danny DeVito made the introduction between this Welsh starlet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Douglas. "I was smitten with her, no doubt," the actor said. They were born on the same date ― 25 years apart.

He told Cameron Douglas, his son from his first marriage, about meeting someone terrific, "The girl from Zorro." The younger actor was impressed, saying, "Wow, she's hot."

Zeta-Jones forged a strong relationship with her stepson from their first acquaintance. "I want us to be friends, and I want you to know that you are a huge part of our family and are welcome any time," she told him.

The third-generation actor said that she has been "good as her word," adding, "Dad and I have had our ups and downs over the years, but Catherine is someone who has cemented the family together."

The older Douglas and Zeta-Jones' relationship moved fast after they began dating the following year. Following their New Year's Eve engagement in 1999, they welcomed their son Dylan a few months later.

Their three-month-old progeny was at their November 18, 2000 wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York, and so was Cameron, who stepped up as best man. Douglas reflected:

"I wasn't quite the son-in-law her parents had envisioned! I do like to wind up Catherine's father and call him Pops."

The couple settled in Bermuda for the first few years of their marriage. When visiting his dad and stepmother on the island, Cameron experienced no Hollywood airs. He said in 2009:

"Catherine doesn't wear make-up; she's just a normal mum. She and Dad spend most of their time with the kids."

The May-September pairing became parents again to their daughter Carys in April 2003. While the "Fatal Attraction" star was focused on his career during his first marriage, he had the luxury of staying at home with the kids while his wife worked the second time around.

At an industry event in September 2019, Douglas admitted that his wife of nearly two decades still gave him butterflies. "She cleans up pretty good," she added. As they have made their home in the country, going to award shows is by no means a chore. He said:

"So, we look at it as an opportunity to come out and see a lot of old friends and go to these shows, see people we love or admire."

Catherine Zeta-Jones Was Battling Her Own Demons While Her Husband Was Ill

The "Wednesday" actress was floored when her husband was diagnosed with stage four throat cancer in 2010. "I thought I didn't have the [emotional] tools to cope," she said, adding:

"But it's amazing where the strength comes from – from family and friends, from strangers supporting us."

While Michael recovered after rounds of chemotherapy and radiology, the stressful time triggered something in the actress, who was later diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.

"If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it," she told People shortly before booking into a mental health facility in April 2011. "There is no need to suffer silently, and there is no shame in seeking help."

The condition is characterized by bouts of depression with periods of mild mania. A close friend of the star said that small things became "overwhelming" for the actress. "There was just a little piece of her chipped away," she said.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has continued to pour her energy into her family. On her father's birthday in September 2020, she posted a tribute to her "papa," who "inspires" her to no end. In the photo, they are indulging in cake and tea.