Catherine Zeta-Jones: Michael Douglas is 'ultimate nepo baby'

Catherine Zeta-Jones has branded husband Michael Douglas "the ultimate nepo baby".

The couple's children, Dylan, 26, and Carys, 23, are both keen to follow in their parents' acting footsteps and the 56-year-old actress has doubled down on her insistence that the tag is unfair, arguing the Wall Street actor has more than made a name for himself outside of the shadow of his father, late Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Catherine said: "If it was any other industry whether it be finance or business, or if you're a lawyer, or I know all my grown-up surgeon doctor friends have kids going into that industry, and they don't get labelled.

"I think, more importantly, I'm married to the ultimate nepo baby. My husband was the son of Kirk Douglas, the son of Spartacus, you know? And he's done pretty good on his own.

"And so I think it's unfortunate that with the intense scrutiny young people have, not just my kids or celebrity kids, just generally, they get slaughtered by AI images of perfection, or this and that. They don't need another tag, I think it's very unfortunate."

When it was pointed out that many people think the children of celebrities have advantages and access that other aspiring actors don't have, the Chicago star insisted the situation was "quite opposite".

She argued: "No, no, no quite opposite. First of all, they have so much to prove.

"That 'Oh! It's in your genes, it's in your blood.' It's like, 'No, actually I have a true passion and love of the craft.' "

The Wednesday actress has repeatedly argued the 'nepo baby' tag brings added pressure and unfair expectations.

She told the Sunday Times Culture magazine earlier this month: "My daughter wanted to be Amal Clooney for a while. But you have to go with your dreams, your passion.

"It’s hard for them to forge a way forward on their own. This horrific phrase ‘nepo baby’ is horrible because these kids didn’t ask to be born into this, they’re finding their own way in life. But they love it, and they’re good.

"Otherwise, Michael and I would be the first to go, ‘You know what? Maybe law school looks really good.’ "