• Catherine Zeta Jones shared how she’s grown more confident with age.
  • “I have my insecurities like every other woman. But as I’ve got older, I’ve got much more confident about the way I look.”
  • For her, self-esteem comes from inside and the pride she puts into her work.

Early on in Catherine Zeta Jones’ acting career, whenever she auditioned for a character described as “beautiful” or “gorgeous,” her heart sank a little. “It’s always intimidating,” she recently told The Sydney Morning Herald. “Personally, I would never consider myself a great beauty but my mother always told me to make the best of myself.”

As she’s gotten older, the 51-year-old has really leaned into that mindset. “There’s a confidence I’ve sometimes had to put on when I walk down a red carpet. I have my insecurities like every other woman. But as I’ve got older, I’ve got much more confident about the way I look,” she explained.

The actress didn’t divulge whether or not she takes advantage of filler or Botox, but she did say she doesn’t care who does. Because when it comes down to it, what’s inside breeds the most genuine confidence.

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“I am all for whatever makes you happy. There are so many treatments now that don’t make you look like you’ve just stepped off Mars, so it goes back to self-confidence,” she said. “An inner confidence is very empowering for women. Whatever that takes, do it.”

She did admit that she’s concerned about the hyper-focus on appearance within younger generations—especially for her 18-year-old daughter, Carys Zeta Douglas. “I really feel sorry for my daughter’s generation who are inundated with images on social media with filters,” she admitted. “There’s not a real representation of a woman. I was never brought up with that. I know for sure if I was brought up in that world, it would have affected me.”

Although things were a bit different for Zeta-Jones growing up, she feels comfortable in her skin now more than ever. And that confidence is influencing the work she does—she’s no longer going for roles rooted in appearance.

“Most of the more interesting roles are not glamorous. For many years now I’ve shied away from pretty roles, hoping for much more fleshed-out, real, warts-and-all characters to play,” she said. “There are some interesting roles out there for women and it’s getting better for women over a certain age.”

In addition to acting, she’s recently found a love for product development and design that has materialized in the form of her own home and lifestyle line, Casa Zeta Jones. Most recently, she announced the launch of her own activewear and footwear, and she doesn’t plan on stopping her creations any time soon.

“At this point in my life, I really enjoy having the time to work on my brand and I’m hands-on. I would be making things anyway,” she said. “I make curtains, cushions, I love to design.”

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Kayla Blanton

Kayla Blanton is a freelance writer-editor who covers health, nutrition, and lifestyle topics for various publications including Prevention, Everyday Health, SELF, People, and more. She’s always open to conversations about fueling up with flavorful dishes, busting beauty standards, and finding new, gentle ways to care for our bodies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University with specializations in women, gender, and sexuality studies and public health, and is a born-and-raised midwesterner living in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two spoiled kitties.