8 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Catherine Zeta-Jones

Congratulations are in order for Catherine Zeta Jones, who just announced some pretty exciting news on Instagram.

The 51-year-old actress shared a fun video of herself modeling a gray sweatsuit and wrote, "It's finally here! I am so excited to announce my latest projects for @casazetajones—Activewear and Vegan Sneakers! Both of these collections are perfect for my ladies who want elegant comfort and versatility without sacrificing style. I hope you all love these collections as much as I have loved creating them! From my Casa to yours."

Fans wasted no time in showing their support for the actress, although a stellar new clothing collection is just one of many accomplishments that Zeta-Jones has under her belt. Of course, the actress has appeared in a number of popular films and won countless accolades, including an Oscar for her performance in Chicago. But there's quite a bit that we never knew about the famous star until now. Read on for eight surprising facts about Catherine Zeta-Jones.

It looks like we've got Zeta-Jones's parents to thank for her impressive acting and dancing background. According to The Independent, her mother and father won £100,000 ($140,000) at a bingo competition, and they used their winnings to send her to dance and ballet lessons. Thanks to Zeta-Jones's enthusiasm and growing potential, they also decided to send her off to acting school, which marked the beginning of her decades-long career.

Speaking of her career beginnings, Zeta-Jones left school at just 15 to star in a West End production and pursue acting full time. The Welsh actor told The New Yorker, "It was what I wanted to do. As much as I love my country—and nobody loves my country as much as me, you know how patriotic I am—I knew I couldn’t do what I needed to do there. And my parents said that to my headmaster when I left school, at 15, to go and do a touring production to get my Equity card. I kept saying, 'I’ll come back to school, I promise. But if I can get my Equity card, it’s like the golden ticket in Willy Wonka.'”

While discussing how she met her husband, Michael Douglas, the Entrapment star revealed that he wasted no time in confessing his true intentions when they first met. She told The New Yorker, "He said he was going to be the father of my children. And I went, 'All right. I’ve read a lot about you. I’ve seen a lot about you. I heard a lot about you. Good night.'"

She continued, "I went to bed and got up at 5 a.m. I went to London, changed planes, went to Aberdeen, got on a ferry across to the Isle of Mull. And there was a big bouquet of flowers saying 'I’m sorry if I scared you. Love, Michael Douglas.' He always says whoever was the florist who got those flowers to the Isle of Mull saved his life. I will say if somebody says they’re going to father your children when you’ve just met them, it is a little scary." Agreed, but good to know that Zeta-Jones gave him a second chance.

Yep, 12 hours. In honor of their 17-year anniversary in 2017, Zeta-Jones shared a wedding photo on Instagram and revealed that the ceremony was a "12-hour fantastic party." She wrote, "17 years ago today, I said ‘I do’ to my best friend and father of our two and a half month old son. Thought it could never get better than that day, but it did. Happy anniversary darling, Michael. With you, in my life, and Dylan and Carys, every day could be a twelve hour fantastic party at the Plaza in New York. Love you."

As it turns out, one of Zeta Jones's biggest beauty secrets was inspired by the late actress. While chatting with Woman & Home, she said, "I feel better when I have a bit of definition on my eyes, and even better when I have a lot. As a child, I was obsessed with Elizabeth Taylor’s smoky eyeliner, butterfly eyelashes and violet eyes. I do wonder if Elizabeth Taylor hadn’t married a Welshman, would I have ever fallen in love with black kohl eyeliner?"

The Chicago star also revealed that she got to meet Taylor while working on the Annie musical in London. She said, "I asked her if she would take off her sunglasses so I could see her eyes. She graciously replied, with a smile: 'Oh sweetheart, it’s too early in the morning for that.' She kissed her hand and placed it on my head. That was enough for me. I felt like I had been ordained."

During her 2016 interview on The Graham Norton Show, the actress discussed one of the hobbies that she shares with her husband and said, "I'm pretty good. I can kick his a** in golf."

Zeta-Jones also noted that she spices things up by adding an interesting rule whenever she plays against guys (including her husband). She added, "If he can't get his ball over the ladies' tee, he has to take his pants off." Very interesting...

In case you ever wondered how the famous actress got her name, it was inspired by both her maternal grandmother, Catherine Fair, and her paternal grandmother, Zeta Jones, according to The Independent.