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It was the role that kickstarted her acting career, but Catherine Zeta-Jones has shared that her role in The Darling Buds of May had more of an impact on her success than fans may realise.
The actress, 57, was cast as Mariette Larkin in the ITV period drama, which first aired in 1991 and followed the life of the Larkin family in 1950s rural Kent.
Catherine has now shared that she became a 'celebrity overnight' after her first appearance in the series aired.
The show was based on the book series by H E Bates and also starred Sir David Jason as 'Pop' Larkin, the father of the family, Pam Ferris as 'Ma' Larkin and Philip Franks as Charley Charlton, who marries Mariette.
The Darling Buds of May ran for three series between 1991 and 1993 and was a huge ratings success, turning Catherine into a household name and a sex symbol in the UK.
Catherine shared that her sudden fame wasn't an entirely positive experience, especially due to her high-profile romances with John Leslie, Mick Hucknall and David Essex.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed she became a 'celebrity overnight' when she appeared in The Darling Buds of May, as she detailed the impact the role had on her acting career
The actress was cast as Mariette Larkin in the ITV period drama, which first aired in 1991 and followed the life of the Larkin family in 1950s rural Kent
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, she said: 'That one hour of television changed my life. I became a celebrity overnight and people sort of forgot I was an actor.'
After having more television success in Britain, Catherine made the jump from television to Hollywood, appearing in the 1996 superhero movie The Phantom opposite Billy Zane, and then appeared in the 1998 blockbuster The Mask of Zorro with Antonio Banderas, which was a box office hit.
Catherine says it was necessary to start afresh in Los Angeles because she was unknown in America, whereas in the UK she had become a bona fide celebrity.
She said: 'When I went to LA literally nobody knew me, which was a huge ego jolt at first but then extremely humbling, and ultimately very good for me to start afresh.'
Catherine made her life in LA thanks to her success, and she also went on to marry Michael Douglas in November 2000 and raise two children, son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23, with him.
The actress is starring in new Amazon Prime Video series Kill Jackie, in which she portrays wealthy art dealer Jackie Price, who discovers she's the target of a lethal squad of hitmen known as The Seven Demons.
Catherine admits that, at her age, the role is a 'gift', especially because she got to return to her hometown, Swansea, to film the show and use her natural Welsh accent as Jackie.
She said: 'It is a gift of a part. The show is crazy and high-octane and she is really crazy. It is one of those parts and, at 57, the kind of role that is very satisfying, to say the least.
Catherine shared that her sudden fame wasn't an entirely positive experience, especially due to her high-profile romances with John Leslie, Mick Hucknall and David Essex
'Going home was just so incredibly wonderful. It was very fulfilling and to be able to use my own Welsh voice for the very first time was wonderful.'
Asked if there will be more of Kill Jackie, she answered: 'I'd love to do more - I am not done with her yet.'
Catherine was joined on the show by fellow actors Sylvester Stallone and Andrew Garfield, singer Tom Ogden and the band Blossoms.
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
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