Why Zeta is Extremely Passionate About Her Hatred for LA

By Robin Turner

IT MAY be the City of Angels and the centre of the popular entertainment industry, but for Welsh film star Catherine Zeta- Jones, Los Angeles is hell on earth.

The Swansea-born Oscar winner has made it clear her glittering career is far from the most important thing in her life.

And in an amazingly frank interview with iconic women’s magazine Cosmopolitan, she said: "If I had to lose something from my life, it would be my career."

Talking of her loathing of Los Angeles, America’s second biggest city, she said: "I hate LA with a passion. I felt that way even when I was single and knocking on doors trying to get a job. We (Catherine and Hollywood legend husband Michael Douglas) go there, work hard, have our meetings, then get the hell out again.

"I don’t know how people live there, especially with kids."

The Entrapment star moved to LA in the early 1990s to pursue a career in the movies, after achieving – but rather more low key – stardom in The Darling Buds of May.

She now lives in Bermuda, where she says she loves the slower pace of life.

She said: "I live in Bermuda, which I love because my kids (Dylan, seven, and Carys, five) are away from all the hoopla that goes on in the film industry.

"They go to school and they’re just regular kids. Except my son went to his first drama lesson recently and said to his teacher, ‘Don’t worry, I’m a really good actor – it’s in my genes!’ I was like, ‘Oh, great!’"

But the actress revealed that living abroad has not dulled her love of her home nation – which drives her support for good causes here.

Zeta-Jones, a good friend of the Longfields Disable Adults Centre in West Cross, Swansea, which she has visited many times, spoke of her support for the Children’s Hospital for Wales, the first phase of which she opened in 2005.

She said: "I was horrified when I found out that Wales was the only European country without a designated children’s hospital.

"So I’ve spent the past nine years fund-raising for The Children’s Hospital for Wales (base dat the University Hospital of Wales).

"It’s very close to my heart – I like to give something back to Wales and I miss my family and friends there.

"We still have a lot more campaigning to do, but at least now kids can have the best treatment and care. It makes me so proud."

Having carved out a highly successful career in the US – as well as a high-profile marriage – Zeta Jones is never far from the headlines.

But she says she is increasingly perplexed by what she reads about herself in the media.

She added: "I read odd things about myself all the time.

"The latest was that I put caviar in my hair. Who would be dumb enough to do that? It would be in my stomach, not on my head, thank you very much!

"And as for brushing my teeth with strawberries – wouldn’t that just give you red stains on your teeth? I don’t know where this stuff comes from."

But the Mask of Zorro actress admitted that one truthful report was about her love of shoes, particularly the red leather sole numbers made by Christian Louboutin of Paris.

She said: "I have so many pairs of shoes it’s ridiculous. Michael often takes me in to my closet and says, ‘Could you explain to me why you have all these shoes?’ "It’s really because I travel a lot – and I have certain outfits that only go with certain shoes.

"That’s my excuse, anyway! I just love Christian Louboutin’s."

Christian’s creations

Catherine Zeta is not the only celebrity to confess a love of Christian Louboutin shoes.

Stars including Angelina Jolie to Mariah Carey are also fans of the Parisian designer’s creations.

Many now choose his shoes which have a distinctive red leather sole as their red carpet accessories.

In filming her new action movie Wanted, Angelina Jolie actually wore a pair of beige round-toed Louboutins from her personal collection. Kylie Minogue wore Christian Louboutin shoes in her Two Hearts video, the distinctive soles plainly visible when she dances on a piano.

And troubled star Britney Spears has been spotted wearing Louboutin shoes.

(c) 2008 Western Mail. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.