Catherine Zeta-Jones Reveals the Surprising Career Path She’d Choose If She Wasn’t an Actor 

The star sits down with her ‘Wednesday’ costar Jenna Ortega to discuss her passions outside of acting and the new season of the Netflix hit.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is opening up about her talents beyond acting.

In an interview for PEOPLE, Zeta-Jones’ Wednesday costar Jenna Ortega asks her what profession she’d want to have if she wasn’t an actor.

“I think it would be in architecture and interior design my beautiful Jenna,” says Zeta-Jones, 55.

“I have to say it’s a passion, and I am thinking about doing an online course to get a degree in it.”.

Upon hearing that, Ortega, 22, says she needs “help” with decorating her own space.

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in ‘Wednesday’.

“If you walked into my place, it looks like nobody lives there,” she says.

“There’s just books all over the floor.”.

Zeta-Jones is up for the challenge.

“Give me dimensions, give me some aesthetics!” she says.

“I’ll send you some great ideas. I love doing that — especially with other people’s money.”.

Since the first half of the long-awaited second season of Wednesday premiered on Netflix on Aug. 6, fans have been buzzing about the stars’ return to the Addams Family universe, with Zeta-Jones back as matriarch Morticia and Ortega as her sharp-witted teenage daughter Wednesday.

Joonas Suotamo as Lurch, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Isaac Ordonez aș Pugsley Addams, Thing, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams in ‘Wednesday’ season 2.

During the interview, Ortega asks how Zeta-Jones made her Morticia different from other Morticias.

“Well, I respect everyone who has come before me because they’ve all had such wonderful attributes,” Zeta-Jones says.

“Getting into the shoes of a role like Morticia is like doing Lady Macbeth.

Thousands of great actresses played Lady Macbeth through centuries, but Judi Dench did it different.

Judi Dench did it her way.

So I feel honored that I’m in such a great line.”.

“I think a note that rings true in my ears that [series creator Tim Burton] gave me, and I’m sure all of us, was just to keep our characters rooted in realism,” she continues.

“You can push the caricature of it all as long as it’s rooted in truth.

When I think of Wednesday season 1, I think of Jenna’s dance and her playing the cello.”.

Ortega notes that “the cello has been the most difficult thing of the entire show.”.

Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones at the ‘Wednesday’ season 2 premiere on July 30, 2025 in London.
At one point during the interview, Zeta-Jones asks Ortega if she’s given her any advice that’s stuck with her.

“Not to blow smoke or anything, but I feel like I take everything that you say very seriously, whether it be a joke or about the business and work,” Ortega says.

“I respect you.

I respect your history and film.

I have immense passion for you.

I feel like you don’t take yourself too seriously, but you take your craft immensely seriously.

You’ve got a really good balance and understanding of what it means to operate in this industry, and I think I would like to be like you in that sense.”.

Zeta-Jones — who has daughter Carys, 22, and son Dylan, 25, with husband Michael Douglas — says she and Ortega share a lot of similarities.

“I feel like I am part of you and you are part of me in a lovely way,” Zeta-Jones says.

“First of all, I think we have a drive and an appreciation for what we do as a craft as opposed to celebrities at large.

We have a sense of humor we both pick up on.

I sometimes look at younger images of myself, and we do look similar.

Even Carys said you can see a lot of Jenna in the photographs.”.

Ortega says “that’s the greatest gift of my life, if that’s in any way, shape or form true.”.

The first half of season 2 of Wednesday is streaming on Netflix now. The second half of the season premieres Sept. 3.