Most people still picture Catherine Zeta-Jones in a corset. Or maybe sliding through laser beams in Entrapment. For decades, she was the definition of a "movie star"—that untouchable, big-screen presence that felt too grand for the living room. But honestly? Things have changed. If you look at the Catherine Zeta-Jones TV shows landscape lately, she’s doing some of the most interesting work of her entire career on the small screen.
She isn't just "guest starring." She's reinventing herself.
It started as a trickle and turned into a flood. While the world was busy remembering her Oscar win for Chicago, Zeta-Jones quietly began colonizing streaming services and prestige cable networks. It's a move that mirrors what stars like Nicole Kidman or Meryl Streep have done, but with a specific, campy, slightly dangerous edge that only she can pull off.
The Early Days You Probably Forgot
Long before the Hollywood hills called, she was the darling of British television. We have to go back. Way back.
In the early 90s, she played Mariette in The Darling Buds of May. It was a massive hit in the UK. Like, "stop-the-streets" massive. She was the quintessential "village beauty," and while the show was wholesome, her charisma was already vibrating at a frequency that the 4:3 aspect ratio of 1991 TVs couldn't quite handle. It’s funny looking back at those episodes now. You can see her doing the work of a character actor while looking like a silent film star.
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She also did a stint in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. She played Maya, a belly dancer/spy (of course), in an episode titled "Palestine, October 1917." It was brief, but it proved she could handle the high-octane adventure vibes that would eventually lead her to Zorro.
Why Morticia Addams Changed Everything
Let's talk about Wednesday.
When Tim Burton cast her as Morticia Addams, the internet had a collective realization: Oh, this is perfect. Playing the matriarch of the macabre in one of the biggest Catherine Zeta-Jones TV shows to date wasn't just a casting win; it was a vibe shift. She didn't try to copy Carolyn Jones or Anjelica Huston. Instead, she brought this regal, almost terrifyingly poised energy to the role. She doesn't have a lot of screen time in the first season, but she haunts every frame she's in.
The chemistry with Luis Guzmán’s Gomez was divisive for some who wanted a "traditionally handsome" lead, but it was actually much closer to the original Charles Addams cartoons. Zeta-Jones played it with a sultry, understated humor. She understood that in the world of Netflix streaming, you don’t need to shout to be noticed. You just need to hold the gaze.
The Feud That Proved Her Range
Before she was a kooky mom on Netflix, she took on a legend.
In Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Bette and Joan, she played Olivia de Havilland. This was a risky move. De Havilland was still alive at the time (she lived to be 104!) and actually sued over her portrayal. But looking at the performance objectively, Zeta-Jones was luminous.
She had to play the "sane" one in a world of chaotic rivalries. It required a specific kind of stillness. She nailed the mid-century accent and that old Hollywood posture that seems to have disappeared from modern acting. It was a meta-commentary on her own career—a movie star playing a movie star during the sunset of the studio system.
National Treasure and the Villain Era
Then came National Treasure: Edge of History.
Look, the show didn't set the world on fire. It was canceled after one season on Disney+. But for fans of Catherine Zeta-Jones TV shows, it provided something we rarely see: Catherine as a straight-up, bleach-blonde villain.
She played Billie Pearce, a black-market antiquities dealer. She looked like she was having the time of her life. While the younger cast was busy solving riddles, she was gliding through scenes in monochrome power suits, radiating "I might kill you or buy your company" energy. It’s a shame the show didn't find its footing, because seeing her play a Bond-style antagonist was a highlight of 2022.
Prodigal Son and the Dr. Vivian Capshaw Arc
If you missed her arc on Prodigal Son, go back and find it.
She joined the second season as Dr. Vivian Capshaw, a resident M.D. at Claremont Psychiatric. This was Zeta-Jones at her most unhinged and brilliant. She starts off appearing like a professional, perhaps even a love interest for Michael Sheen’s "The Surgeon," but things get dark. Fast.
The scenes between her and Michael Sheen were a masterclass in scenery-chewing. Two Welsh powerhouses just going for it. It was camp, it was thriller, it was soap opera—all wrapped into one. This is where her TV work really shines; she isn't afraid to be "too much." She leans into the melodrama because she knows she has the technical skill to back it up.
The Reality of the "Pivot"
Why did she move to TV?
The industry changed. Mid-budget movies—the kind she built her brand on in the 2000s—basically died. They moved to streamers. If you want to play a complex woman over 40 who isn't just someone's mother in a superhero movie, you go to HBO, Netflix, or Hulu.
She’s been very vocal about the lack of great roles for women as they age in Hollywood. By embracing the "limited series" and the "recurring guest icon" roles, she’s stayed relevant without having to fight for scraps in a Marvel-dominated cinema landscape.
A Quick Rundown of Key TV Roles:
- The Darling Buds of May (1991-1993): The breakout.
- Titanic (1996): No, not the James Cameron one. This was a miniseries, and it’s actually what led Spielberg to recommend her for Zorro.
- Feud: Bette and Joan (2017): The prestige turn.
- Queen America (2018): A deep-dive into the world of pageant coaching on Facebook Watch (a platform no one used, but the performance was great).
- Prodigal Son (2021): Pure, unadulterated thriller fun.
- Wednesday (2022-Present): Global cultural phenomenon.
- National Treasure: Edge of History (2022): The stylish villain experiment.
The Strategy for Watching
If you’re diving into the world of Catherine Zeta-Jones TV shows, don't just go for the big names.
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Queen America is surprisingly sharp. She plays Vicki Ellis, the most renowned pageant coach in Oklahoma. It’s a dark comedy, and she plays Vicki as a woman who is incredibly flawed, narcissistic, and yet strangely sympathetic. It’s probably her most "human" TV role, stripped of the glamour of Morticia or the period costumes of Feud.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think she’s just "doing TV" because movie offers dried up.
That’s a lazy take. Honestly, if you watch her in Wednesday or Prodigal Son, you see an actress who is bored of being the "love interest." TV allows her to be the weirdo. It allows her to be the person pulling the strings. In movies, she was often the prize to be won. On television, she is the one setting the rules of the game.
Her career trajectory is actually a blueprint for how to handle a "second act." She didn't disappear. She didn't do straight-to-DVD action movies. She waited for the "Peak TV" era to offer her roles that matched her stature.
How to Keep Up With Her Career
To truly appreciate her work on the small screen, you have to look for the nuances. Watch how she uses her physicality. In Wednesday, she’s rigid, almost like a statue. In The Darling Buds of May, she’s all fluid movement and sunshine. The range is there, even if the medium has changed.
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If you want to stay updated on her latest projects, keep an eye on Netflix’s production cycles. Wednesday Season 2 is the big one on the horizon, where rumors suggest we'll see much more of the Addams family dynamic and, hopefully, more of Morticia’s backstory.
Actionable Steps for Fans:
- Track the "Ryan Murphy" Universe: Zeta-Jones often works with creators who appreciate "diva" energy. Keep an eye on Murphy’s future anthologies.
- Look for the Miniseries: She tends to favor 6-10 episode arcs rather than 22-episode procedural slogs. This ensures higher production value.
- Check UK Archives: Many of her early TV movies, like The Return of the Native (1994), are available on niche streaming services like BritBox. They are essential for seeing her dramatic roots.
- Follow the Creators: Instead of just following her, follow the showrunners like Tim Burton or the writers of Prodigal Son. They are the ones crafting the "villain" roles she currently excels at.
The era of the "movie star" might be fading, but the era of Catherine Zeta-Jones dominating your living room is just getting started. She’s proved that she can hold an audience’s attention whether it’s on a 60-foot IMAX screen or a 6-inch smartphone. That’s not just luck. That’s a calculated, expert-level pivot from a woman who knows exactly what she’s worth.