'IT'S TAKEN ME BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS'

Catherine Zeta-Jones on parenthood, stepping back into the limelight and why she and husband Michael Douglas make sure their children are well aware of the pitfalls of stardom

They've been notably absent from the red carpet in recent years, but Hollywood royalty Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas stepped back into the spotlight last month when they attended the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.

Catherine's dazzling return with her husband by her side signals a fresh start for the actress, who's back on the big screen this year after a nine-year absence.

The Chicago star has joined Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega, her co-star in the Netflix series Wednesday, in the all-star cast of The Gallerist, a dark comedy centred around an art gallery owner who, driven by desperation, hatches a scheme to sell a dead man at the famed Art Basel Miami Beach art fair.

Catherine, 55, who was still a child when she first appeared on the West End stage in Annie and Bugsy Malone, was in reflective mood in Jeddah, talking about the couple's decision to raise their children - Dylan Michael, 24, and Carys Zeta, 21 - far from the glare of celebrity.

"I don't want to make Hollywood sound like a big bad wolf place. It's not at all - and it's been very, very generous to me and my family.