Going for gold

Playing a hard-hearted Beverly Hills wife who seeks financial security through serial matrimony gave Catherine Zeta Jones cause to reflect on her own marriage.

She's famously wed to actor-producer Michael Douglas, who is 25 years her senior. While the film, Intolerable Cruelty, takes a pretty pessimistic of matrimony, the Welsh-born actress says marriage has to be taken a day at a time.

"I think, especially in this business, we meet a lot of people and sometimes you spend a lot of time being nice to strangers. The only advice I can give is just keep a clear head and be nice to each other," she says.

Zeta Jones herself seems effortlessly to juggle the demands of motherhood and stardom. She and Douglas have a three-year-old son Dylan, and a new baby daughter. She was pregnant with Carys during the making of Intolerable Cruelty.

"My little three-year-old makes me feel very special - to have a little boy telling me I have the prettiest eyes he has ever seen," she says. "I'm having a great time with my children. I have a little lady-in-waiting who is going to drive her dad mad in 15 years."

She follows her Oscar-winning performance as bold, brassy and bad Velma in the screen musical Chicago with the Coen brothers' comedy Intolerable Cruelty opposite George Clooney.

He plays a Los Angeles divorce lawyer who falls for the serial gold-digging ex-wife of one of his clients. Inevitably in this battle of the sexes, the pair are drawn to each other.

The film marks a departure for Joel and Ethan Coen, who are more likely to be associated with arthouse fare rather than a mainstream comedy harking back to the classic screwball comedies of Preston Sturges and Howard Hawks.

The thought of working for the creators of such acclaimed indies as Fargo and The Man Who Wasn't There, as well as having a laugh with Gorgeous George, was irresistible for Zeta Jones. "You take a piece of material like this, then you get Joel and Ethan in that equation, then George. Just that whole equation was really exciting me," she says.

She wants to keep acting interesting by doing different things, explaining: "There's only so many ball-breakers and murderesses I can play, it's about trying to mix it up. Like when I was offered Traffic, that was amazing because it wouldn't be what you'd think would be given to me."

Using Beverly Hills as the setting for the story appealed to her. "These things happen all over the world but what a great backdrop to have Hollywood in our movie. I know people who are divorced and have really nice houses," she says.

She didn't have anyone in particular in mind when she was playing Marylin Rexroth. "I didn't model my character on anyone in particular - and, even if I did, I wouldn't give their names," she says.

Working with Clooney was a lot of fun, or as she describes it: "A very easy working experience", adding: "He brings a fantastic energy, a suave attitude that is completely irresistible. More than anything, I think the chemistry between me and George worked from the beginning."

Clooney's equally nice about her. "She's stunning and just lights up the room," he says.

Her leading man was equally enthusiastic about being reunited with the Coens, with whom he worked on O Brother, Where Art Thou?. "It's not just a bunch of people, it's family," he says.

The film looks at infidelity, Hollywood-style with a jaundiced eye. "I hope people just enjoy it, then go home and take a look at their marriage," says Zeta Jones.

Her career is certainly on the up. Next, she's appearing in a Steven Spielberg movie, Terminal, with Tom Hanks. She admits that she's surprised at being so successful, although she's worked hard for it. "I'm lucky, but it seems the harder I work, the luckier I get. It was something that I so wanted to do that I've just been pursuing it all my life," she says.

* Intolerable Cruelty (12A) is showing in cinemas from today.

Published: 23/10/2003