# Catherine Zeta-Jones spent years trying to escape her past. In 2002, it won her an Oscar

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/catherine-zeta-jones-spent-years-trying-to-escape-her-past-in-2002-it-won-her-an-oscar/
- Published: 2026-10-28T01:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T02:38:24+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/catherine-zeta-jones-spent-years-trying-to-escape-her-past-in-2002-it-won-her-an-oscar/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Zeta-Jones won an Oscar for playing Velma in *Chicago*.
- She had once set musical theatre aside to pursue dramatic acting.
- Her performance also earned a Bafta and a SAG Award.

## Summary

Catherine Zeta-Jones spent years distancing herself from musical theatre to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor, before returning to song and dance as Velma Kelly in the film adaptation of *Chicago*. Her performance brought her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and showed how the skills she had once set aside could become central to her success.

Before *Chicago*, Zeta-Jones had been a tap-dancing champion and appeared in stage musicals, then established herself in films including *The Mask of Zorro* and *Traffic*. She wanted to play Velma, despite Roxie being the larger role; Renée Zellweger was cast as Roxie. Zeta-Jones shaped Velma’s look with a Louise Brooks-inspired bob and injured her Achilles tendon on the first day of filming. She also won a Bafta and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.