Seeing Michael Douglas' Daughter Carys Today Made Us Gasp

Mar 22, 2021

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have gone through a lot of ups and downs. Their lives have changed a great deal since they moved between the U.S. and Bermuda with their children Dylan Douglas and Carys Zeta-Douglas. Overcoming the pressure of being the daughter of a Hollywood actor and granddaughter of Kirk Douglas, another famous celebrity, it is commendable to see Carys carving out a niche for herself. Although she isn't necessarily interested in acting, Carys is following other passions of her interest — ones that are more than achievable given the notable fame of her parents and her late grandfather. Like her mother — noted style icon and actress — Carys seems to have an interest and eye for fashion and even has had the opportunity to pursue it!

Carys' mother Catherine aspired to be an actress from a young age. Despite her family's humble background, Catherine made it to Hollywood and became a breakthrough actress in the '90s and early 2000s. Carys' father, Michael, is also a prominent actor and producer in Hollywood, with his father, Kirk, being a classic Hollywood staple in the acting industry. Carys' parents got married in New York on Nov. 11, 2000, after Michael officially got divorced from his previous wife, Diandra Luke. Catherine and Michael share more than just an affinity for acting; they also share a birthday on Sept. 25, 25 years apart. Between the legacy of her parents and grandfather, the couple's daughter Carys certainly has the prospects to fulfill all of her wildest dreams.

On Sept. 25, 1944, Michael was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Hollywood actors Diana and Kirk Douglas. His parents got divorced when he was 6 years old, and Michael only saw his father during the holidays.

As a child, Michael went to the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and later on attended the Choate School, an elite private academy. Michael developed an interest in show business at a very young age. He spent a lot of time with his father Kirk on film sets over the summers, and even as a teenager, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and become an actor. Michael requested that his dad find him some suitable acting roles, too.

Being a protective father, Kirk didn't want either of his sons to get entangled in the stressful world of the film industry, but Michael had made up his mind and was unstoppable. Michael turned down the offer to study at Yale University and instead moved to California and enrolled himself at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"I grew up on the East Coast and was going to go to an Ivy League School, but at the last minute I decided to be a hippy," he said. "It was the protest movements on the war, peace movements were going on at our university. It was a fantastic time."

While in California, he continued to persuade his father Kirk of that one opportunity that could open the doors of Hollywood for him. Finally, he bagged his first acting assignment in 1966.

After he obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1968, Michael moved to New York City to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor. He received his training at the American Place Theatre and the Neighborhood Playhouse. During this period he landed some roles as a lead actor and also performed in off-Broadway productions.

Even before his first feat as a feature film artist, Michael played a small role in the television series "The F.B.I." His work impressed the producer Quinn Martin who offered Michael his breakthrough role in the new cop series "The Streets of San Francisco." The program first aired in 1972 on prime time and became one of ABC's highest-rated series, ensuring Michael three Emmy Award Nominations for his performance. He was also the director for two episodes in the series, giving him an insight into his future stint in showbiz.

In 1975, Michael went on to produce the classic "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," a movie that is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. The film won five Academy Awards, including the Best Picture Award for Michael himself. By now Michael was one the most sought-after producers and directors. His next production "The China Syndrome" (1979), where he starred opposite Jane Fonda, won even more Academy Award nominations and was lauded as one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review.

Michael emerged as one of the leading Hollywood stars following his portrayals of Gordon Gecko in "Wall Street" (1987), William Foster in "Falling Down" (1993) and Nicholas van Orton in "The Game" (1997).

This was the time when he met the love of his life, Catherine. He had become her admirer even before they met.

She caught his eye when he watched a screening of her then-upcoming movie "The Mask of Zorro." "I'm watching this movie, and I go, 'Wow, who is this girl? She's incredible,'" Michael recalled. 

The two Hollywood biggies finally met in 1996 at the Deauville Film Festival.

"I had been told Michael Douglas wanted to meet me," Catherine recalled in a 2001 television interview with Larry King. "I was a little nervous because I didn't quite know what he wanted to meet me about."

Michael knew that he'd just found his soulmate. But what he said next could have ended in a complete disaster. "I said to her after about half an hour, 'You know, I'm going to be the father of your children,'" Michael recalled on "The Jonathan Ross Show," as quoted by E! News. "It sounded good, and she said, 'You know, I've heard a lot about you and I've seen a lot about you, and I think it's time I say goodnight.'"

The couple dated for about nine months and then started thinking about their future together. 

"He certainly didn't want me as an ex-girlfriend on his list, and I certainly didn't want 'Michael Douglas' as an ex-boyfriend on my list," she said. "We looked at each other one day and said, 'We're having a lot of fun together.'"

Michael and Catherine have a 25-year age difference, which might be why their relationship was soon all over the media.

But they didn't seem to care about what the world said; their love for each other was strong. On Dec. 31, 1999, Michael proposed to Catherine at his home in Aspen, Colorado.

"I don't take any of this for granted," Catherine told People during their wedding. "When I look at Michael, I run around like a little girl. I can't believe I came into his life and he came into mine."

In August 2000, the pair welcomed their first child, Dylan. Dylan was Catherine's first child and Michael's second. His first son was Cameron, who was born in 1978 to his then-wife Diana Luker.

In 2003 Catherine and Michael were blessed with their second child – daughter Carys. Their marriage, like any other, has also been through a lot of obstacles, but in the end, their love beat all the odds.

In 2010, while speaking to The Guardian, Michael opened up about how the values he wants to pass on to his children and just how proud he is of them all. 

"Neither of us is overwhelmed with worry about which school or college they are going to be going to," said Douglas. "We just want them to be good citizens of the planet. They're not spoiled or obnoxious. They're well-mannered, confident, pretty worldly. My son deals with Dyslexia to a degree – it runs in the family and my brother has it. He goes to a special school. We're old-fashioned parents, they've got British nannies and we get nice compliments from people. Our children make us proud."

Carys was born to her mother Catherine and father Michael on April 3, 2003. She lived in Bermuda with her parents and younger brother, Dylan, until 2009, before the family settled down in rural New York State in 2016. Because the family has always been away from the hustle-and-bustle of Hollywood, Carys even admitted once that she didn't even know her father was an actor.

Carys told Town & Country magazine in an interview,

"I thought my dad was a pancake maker. I didn't know he was an actor. Honestly."

Despite Carys not knowing her father's profession for quite some time, the famous parenting pair made a point of making sure that Carys knows that she is living an extraordinary life. In 2017, she attended Fashion Week for the first time. The following year, Carys went to New York a second time and enjoyed the fashion shows and parties all over again, including those of Michael Kors and even Dolce & Gabbana. She was probably thrilled to be able to attend the event for the second year in a row, even though she was only a teenager.

Carys told Town & Country in her interview,

"Fashion has been so important in my life, because my mom is like a fashion icon to me. I’m always looking through her closet.” 

Carys even has her own favorite item from her mom Catherine's closet,

“She has this one thing, and it’s absolutely crazy. It’s this pink kimonoey coat, but it has this fur and these fringes. It’s just so cool.”

Carys' love for fashion was on display in June 2020 when Catherine posted a stunning photo of her daughter to Instagram. In the photo — which Catherine captioned with the short sentence "My girl, in the garden." — we see Carys standing in front of an ocean or lake backdrop while wearing a flowing yellow dress.

Almost immediately after Catherine posted the photo, her more than 3 million followers started to chime in, noting the resemblance between Carys and her mother.

"I honestly (thought) that was you @catherinezetajones — spitting image and just as beautiful! Thank you for sharing," one enthusiastic fan commented.

“Beautiful like her mother 😍,” another follower added.

Michael, Cary’s dad, shouldn’t feel left out, however. Other users commented on how the 17-year-old also inherited some traits from her father.

"She has her dad's eyes. She's gorgeous," one user wrote.

This isn’t the first time that fans of the Zeta-Jones and Douglas clans have commented on Cary’s family resemblance. In the summer of 2019, Vanity Fair Spain put Carys and her mother on the cover of the magazine, prompting similar comments.

This fashion-forward duo are often spotted together in public with amazing looks, too. For example, there’s the time Catherine brought Carys to a Dolce & Gabbana event in New York City back in 2018. And who could forget the mother-daughter pair’s appearance at Michael Kors Collection Spring 2018 Runway Show in 2017.

In any case, one thing is clear: these two women know how to look good! After all, Cary’s mother runs her own makeup company.

The 54-year-old actress launched the brand, Casa Zeta-Jones, back in the summer of 2020. And in Feb. 2021, the actress turned beauty icon featured her makeup collection during a live digital event for her fans.

"I'm looking forward to showing the beauty products I've been creating," Catherine told People. "I'm also looking forward to speaking with everyone live and hearing their thoughts, and what they're looking for in beauty products. We're always creating something new and innovative."

Catherine caught up with the magazine ahead of the event, speaking to her and her daughter’s relationship to makeup, her daily routine and all things beauty-related.

“(My daughter and I) do each other's makeup! It's really fun to try different looks with all these new products,” Catherine told the publication.

“Carys is a natural artist. She had taken to makeup like a pro,” she added. “She's been around it all her life. She knows how to contour the eye subtly without it looking over the top, and has a great eye for color.”

For fashionistas who can't get enough of Carys' beauty and style, the 17-year-old has an active Instagram account where she posts plenty of wonderful fit pics. For example, Carys posted a Fendi advertisement that features both herself and her mother modeling a tasteful ensemble of the brand's clothes against the backdrop of what looks like a European city.

Although Carys isn't necessarily acting like her parents, she certainly has an eye for fashion — and with the support from her two famous parents, she will certainly go far!

Isn't Carys so pretty? What do you think of Michael Douglas' daughter? Be sure to let us know your thoughts — and pass this on to other fans of the Douglas and Zeta-Jones family!