There has been a lot of speculation about whether Gwen Jones, the actress who played Gwen Harrison in the 2001 comedy America’s Sweethearts, is related to Catherine Zeta-Jones, the Oscar-winning star of Chicago and The Mask of Zorro. Some fans have noticed the similarity in their names, appearances, and accents, and wondered if they are sisters or cousins. However, the truth is that Gwen Jones and Catherine Zeta-Jones are not related at all. They are just two talented actresses who happen to share a common surname.
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The Origin of the Jones Name
The name Jones is very common in Wales, where both Gwen and Catherine were born and raised. According to Wikipedia, Jones is a patronymic surname derived from the given name John, meaning “son of John”. It is the most popular surname in Wales and the second most common in England.
Gwen Jones was born in Cardiff, Wales, on June 14, 1971. She is the daughter of Glynis and Gareth Jones, who were both teachers. She has a brother named Rhys, who is also an actor. She attended the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and began her career on stage and television.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was born in Swansea, Wales, on September 25, 1969. She is the daughter of Patricia and David Jones, who owned a candy factory. She has two brothers named David and Lyndon. She was named after her grandmothers, Zeta Jones (derived from the name of a ship that her great-grandfather sailed on) and Catherine Fair. She studied musical theatre at the Arts Educational Schools, London and made her breakthrough with a leading role in a 1987 production of 42nd Street.
The Rise to Fame of Gwen and Catherine
Gwen Jones made her film debut in the 1998 British comedy Shooting Fish, playing a con artist’s girlfriend. She then appeared in several other films, such as The Theory of Flight (1998), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), and Love Actually (2003). However, her most famous role was as Gwen Harrison, a spoiled movie star who cheats on her husband Eddie (John Cusack) with a Spanish actor Hector (Hank Azaria), in America’s Sweethearts. The film was a box office hit and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.
Catherine Zeta-Jones established herself in Hollywood with roles that highlighted her sex appeal, such as in the action film The Mask of Zorro (1998), opposite Antonio Banderas, and the heist film Entrapment (1999), opposite Sean Connery. She received critical acclaim for her performances as a vengeful pregnant woman in Traffic (2000) and a murderous singer in the musical Chicago (2002), winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. She also starred in high-profile films such as Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), The Terminal (2004), and No Reservations (2007).
The Personal Lives of Gwen and Catherine
Gwen Jones married actor James Purefoy in 1996, but they divorced in 2002. They have a son named Joseph, born in 1997. She then dated actor Rhys Ifans from 2001 to 2006. She has been married to actor Matthew Rhys since 2013. They have two children: a son named Sam, born in 2016, and a daughter named Matilda, born in 2018.
Catherine Zeta-Jones married actor Michael Douglas in 2000, after meeting him at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998. They have two children: a son named Dylan, born in 2000, and a daughter named Carys, born in 2003. They briefly separated in 2013 due to stress caused by Douglas’s throat cancer diagnosis and Zeta-Jones’s bipolar II disorder treatment, but they reconciled later that year.
The Conclusion
Gwen Jones and Catherine Zeta-Jones are not related by blood or marriage. They are just two successful Welsh actresses who share a common last name. They have never worked together on screen or stage, but they have both expressed admiration for each other’s work.
According to IMDb, Gwen Jones said about Catherine Zeta-Jones: “She’s amazing. She’s done so well for herself and for Wales. I’m proud of her.”
According to People magazine, Catherine Zeta-Jones said about Gwen Jones: “She’s hilarious. She’s one of the funniest actresses I’ve ever seen. I loved her in America’s Sweethearts.”
So, there you have it. The rumor that Gwen Jones is related to Catherine Zeta-Jones is false. They are just two Joneses who happen to be stars..
