IT'S THE STUFF of which fairy tales are made. Talented young performer from tiny village lands role as understudy to lead in West End musical only to get thrust into the spotlight when principal falls ill. Understudy excels, earns rave reviews, heads to Hollywood, forges a successful movie career, marries into Tinseltown royalty, wins an Oscar and lives happily ever after.
Any screenwriter trying to persuade a studio to make a film of Catherine Zeta-Jones' life might have trouble getting the project approved on the grounds of plausibility. Even Zeta-Jones has to pinch herself sometimes to believe the twists and turns of a career that have seen her transform from, in her own words, a 'dumb little Welsh girl' to bona-fide screen goddess - a latter-day Rita Hayworth or Ava Gardner - feted by the likes of Esquire magazine as 'the most beautiful woman on the planet'.
The 36-year-old actress is back on the silver screen this month in The Legend of Zorro, starring opposite Antonio Banderas in a long-awaited follow-up to the 1998 box-office hit The Mask of Zorro. Shooting the sequel was a sentimental journey, she says, allowing her to revisit the character of the fiery Elena that launched her movie career seven short years ago.
'Elena means a lot to me personally and professionally because it was the role that got me recognised internationally,' Zeta-Jones says between sips of tea at a Beverly Hills hotel.
Elena also helped her win the heart of the man to whom she's been married for five years, the actor and producer Michael Douglas, with whom she has two children. 'He fell in love with me after watching that movie,' Zeta-Jones says. 'At least that's what he says - and I've never questioned him.'
Reprising Elena was 'like visiting an old friend', Zeta-Jones says. 'When I walked on set and saw Antonio in his Zorro outfit it brought tears to my eyes.'