Catherine Zeta-Jones says an unexpected career move got her discovered by Steven Spielberg

Catherine Zeta-Jones says an unexpected career move got her discovered by Steven Spielberg Catherine Zeta-Jones. JC Olivera/Getty Catherine Zeta-Jones was in her 20s when she made a decision that would change her career forever.At the time, the Welsh actor was famous to UK audiences for starring in the popular early-'90s British series, "The Darling Buds of May." But she yearned for more, so she decided to move to California and see if she could make it in Hollywood.With six months on a visa, Zeta-Jones had to get work quickly, and auditions were a bit of an ego check."I'd been in this business since I was 9 years old, professionally in theater and in television, and a few films in Britain at that point," Zeta-Jones told Business Insider. "But I'd go into casting agents, and they'd be asking me what I had done."She ended up taking a role on the 1996 CBS miniseries "Titanic." Though it wasn't a "huge leap" for her, it led to something even better: attention from Steven Spielberg.The director happened to be watching the show one night and liked what he saw. He suggested she screen test for "The Mask of Zorro," which he was producing. A week later, she was "shipped down to Mexico to screen test with Antonio Banderas." The rest is history.See the full clip below:Or read the full interview with Zeta-Jones. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Jason Guerrasio is an award-winning entertainment correspondent at Business Insider and has covered various aspects of the film industry for over two decades. On the site, his reporting can range from what's going on behind the scenes at some of the biggest companies in Hollywood, colorful interviews with some of the most well-known names in entertainment, and exploring the darker side of the industry.In 2020, Jason received the New York Press Club award and Los Angeles Press Club award for his story on the rise and fall of MoviePass. It has since been made into the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash."Previous to BI, Jason was the managing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, one of the leading publications in the independent film industry. He's also written for numerous publications over the years, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Variety, and indieWire.Popular ArticlesMary Carole McDonnell built a true-crime empire. Then the FBI came for her. Growing up Marvel: The tormented life of Stan Lee's child, JC LeeA bullet. A legend. A lie. Bufford Pusser killed his wife, authorities say. What happens to his legacy now? Movies Celebrity