Catherine Zeta-Jones has said she had an ego check after moving to America in the 1990s.

The Swansea-born star had become a household name in the UK, but Hollywood quickly provided a reality check for the rising star and she was even asked by casting agents if she had any acting experience.

It was during her stint on CBS mini-series Titanic that she was seen by Steven Spielberg who suggested she go for a role in The Mask of Zorro which he was producing.

"Five days later I got the job, and three days after that, I was down there starting my sword-fighting lessons," she said.

Zeta-Jones had become a star in the UK thanks to her breakout role in The Darling Buds of May that originally aired from 1991 to 1993.

But when she touched down in California, she was no longer recognised by the public and had a six-month visa to "give America a shot".

But Zeta-Jones told Business Insider it was "good" for her to have her ego knocked down a bit.

It was only when the Spielberg saw the Titanic series that she was given a major opportunity.

"I was shipped down to Mexico to screen test with Antonio Banderas," she said.

She credits it as her breakthrough into A-list territory and it was rumoured that she beat actors such as Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez to the part.

Zeta-Jones went on to work with Sean Connery in Entrapment which cemented her stardom, and she refers to the late James Bond actor as a "dear force of nature".

"I just never wanted to stop acting with him, because we were such good buddies," she said.

"He was so incredibly protective of me, like a daughter he never had, and he said that to me."

Zeta-Jones is currently starring in Kill Jackie, a revenge thriller based on the 2018 novel The Price You Pay by Nick Harkaway.

She stars as the titular Jackie Price, a Welsh high-end art dealer with a shady past in the drug trade who discovers a hit has been put out on her.

In September, Zeta-Jones made headlines for revealing that it was the first time she had used her Swansea accent for a role.

After decades of working on accents including English, American and Scottish she said the opportunity to speak in her native accent was both "liberating and cathartic".

As well as returning to her Welsh roots, the series' ultra-violent scenes have been a blast for Zeta-Jones, who relished the chance to go off the rails.

"I love this character," she said.

"I wanted the audience to come along on this ride with me and root for her. In all the craziness."