Two extremely famous parents, a relatively normal upbringing, and some surprising talents
of her own. Carys Zeta Douglas is already taking after her mom and dad in several ways.
As the daughter of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Carys Zeta Douglas
grew up surrounded by Hollywood royalty. She was born on Easter morning in 2003,
three years after her elder brother, Dylan Michael Douglas, per CNN. She spent her early
days at the family's home in Manhattan, New York, but Carys actually grew up in Bermuda.
This meant that she was blissfully unaware of her parents' fame, as she told Town & Country in 2018,
"I thought my dad was a pancake maker [...] I didn't know he was an actor. Honestly."
The family decided to swap the big city for island life early on as Michael Douglas'
mother was from Bermuda. Speaking to Parade in 2022, Catherine Zeta-Jones explained,
"Soon after our kids were born, we moved out of the States and put them in schools
there [...] We were there for ten years and it was a profoundly wonderful time."
As a result, Carys and her brother Dylan were initially sheltered from the spotlight. In 2018,
Zeta-Jones told Entertainment Tonight,
"They've kinda been removed from the crazy world of Hollywood or even the
crazy world of Manhattan [...] We've kind of shielded them away."
When the family moved back to Manhattan,
everything changed for the worse. Carys told Town & Country,
"I hated it [...] I used to get really upset. They would jump on the subway
and sit right in front of me. I was, like, six. I was confused. That’s when I knew,
'If this is going to be what it’s like, I need to focus on who I really am, and this
is going to be something that’s just going to happen, and I can’t do anything about it.'"
Although Carys eventually came to terms with life in the Big Apple,
being surrounded by the media proved difficult. Carys recalled one particularly
challenging incident when she saw a tabloid in a drugstore claiming that her father had cancer
again and that his death was imminent. Of the distressing incident, she told Town & Country,
"I just started crying [...] I was like, 'Why didn't my parents tell me
this?!' Only it wasn't true. People just always want a story to tell."
Zeta-Jones and Douglas wanted to instill the right values in their kids, something
Carys really appreciates. Speaking to Town & Country, she explained,
"My parents do a really good job of reality-checking me and being like,
'Look around you. The life you have is extraordinary.'"
Meanwhile, Zeta-Jones revealed that when raising her children,
she prioritized manners above everything else, saying,
"There's nothing worse than a privileged kid without manners [...] I drilled it
into them like boot camp. [...] She knows she cannot roll her eyes at me,
or huff and puff around me. I never did it to my mother, and she's not doing it to me."
"She's strong and smart and has good morals and good judgment."
Carys Zeta Douglas comes from an incredibly tight-knit family. For one,
she's unbelievably close with her brother, Dylan Michael Douglas,
as she's repeatedly showcased on Instagram. In a post celebrating his birthday in 2020, she gushed,
"The most incredible brother and best friend I could ask for. I
thank you for everything and love you more than you will ever know."
Two years later, she again praised him on his birthday, writing on Instagram,
"To my built-in best friend — you are the epitome of joy."
That special family bond also extends to her parents. In 2021,
Carys celebrated her mom and dad on Instagram, writing,
"[An] appreciation post for the best parents in
the world. I thank you for all you do today and everyday. I love you."
Zeta-Jones offered additional insight into their unique bond when she told Entertainment Tonight,
"My daughter and I have a really, really close relationship [...] she
has a wonderful communication with myself and her father."
Discussing the bond she shares with her mother, Carys also told Hello! magazine,
"It’s really special – I am lucky. We are open and honest with each other. She has taught me
all the ins and outs of life but also to have fun and to cherish every moment."
Carys Zeta Douglas has many passions, including fashion and music. She stepped
into the spotlight when she made her modeling debut alongside her
mom on the cover of Town & Country in 2018. Speaking to the publication,
Carys opened up about how clothes have taken on a powerful significance to her, saying,
"Fashion has been so important in my life because my mom is like a fashion icon to me."
According to her mom, Carys is also a talented dancer,
with Zeta-Jones telling Entertainment Tonight,
"My daughter is very athletic."
In 2022, Carys revealed her talent as a singer and pianist, when she posted
a video of herself singing Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" on Instagram.
In 2021, Carys Zeta Douglas graduated from high school and her parents couldn't have
been happier. Sharing photos from the occasion on Instagram, her dad wrote,
"We love you so much and we are so excited for your future as the best is yet to come!"
Carys' brother Dylan graduated from Brown University with a degree in political science, and
it seems that she is following in her brother's footsteps. As Zeta-Jones told Parade in 2022,
"My daughter is currently studying foreign relations and diplomacy at
school. They got their brains from me, though my husband likes to differ."
In 2022, Catherine Zeta-Jones revealed that both Carys and
Dylan would love to be actors, telling Parade,
"They know about celebrity-dom,
so they don't want to be famous [...] They just want to be good actors."
Offering more insight into her children's love of acting, Zeta-Jones told "Jimmy Kimmel Live!",
"They go to summer camp every year — they do like
three musicals and straight plays — and they love it."
She reiterated the sentiment to Entertainment Tonight, saying,
"But it's so evidently clear that they have it and they get it. They know it's a craft;
It's not a quick fix of getting a YouTube show."