It seems that acting is in the genes for Zeta-Jones’ family, and her children have definitely inherited the skill.
"Their love of the craft of acting is so strong,” she told Barrymore. "And they’ve never done anything professional, but they would like to go into acting and you know you come from a family where your name is synonymous, very much like Michael, very similar stories where you both had to be, ‘The kids of.’ I never had that I was like, ‘Audition? I am in. They don’t want me, I’ll just queue up around the corner and line up again.’”
Zeta-Jones explained to Barrymore that she and her husband have already warned their children about the difficulty they may face.
“If you are successful in business, your kids have, it’s not an easy way in, in fact one has to prove oneself more,” she said. “So even with that deterrent my kids are like, ‘No, sorry we still want to do it.’”
Douglas already knows what it is like to be the child of an actor, starting out in the film industry. He is the son of famed actor Kirk Douglas, yet has carved his own way in the industry just fine.
Zeta-Jones does acknowledge that she and her husband have each experienced great success in acting, and seems hopeful that her children may enjoy similar careers.
She told Barrymore, “I’ve had a wonderful life being an actor and if they get half the joy that I’ve had. All I want is my kids to be happy and healthy, everything else is a bonus, right?”
While her husband was seemingly born into the acting world, Zeta-Jones got her start when she was around the age that her children are now. She acted in several television roles throughout her twenties before beginning to land several starring roles in movies in the mid-to-late nineties.
No matter what happens in her childrens’ futures, there is one thing we know for sure: Zeta-Jones has a happy family life. Last year, she shared stories of how the family bonded during quarantine, stating, “Just to have the time to be together and to talk, it's been really great. I've really enjoyed having the whole family together."
The actress has since been getting back into the swing of life, having attended virtual red carpets this year. And, despite her daughter and son getting older and moving out, Zeta-Jones is still proud of her family life.
She told Barrymore, “When I really sit down to think about it, it gives me joy to be an empty nester because I see what both Michael and I have done and I’m not bragging, you never know as a parent what you are going to get. The best laid plans, whatever, it’s just two people come together and there is a creation and then you guide them.
“I had a mother who was a wonderful, beautiful blueprint of what a mother should be, strict but for her it was manners and a disciplinarian but kind… With my children I tried to instil those qualities the best I could and for both Michael and I the best, best joy is when we get complimented about our kid’s behaviour and their manners and how they are just good two grounded kids.”