Zeta-Jones' breakout was 'pure good fortune'
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- Pip Burley, producer of ITV's The Darling Buds of May, said Catherine Zeta-Jones' breakout role came down to "pure good fortune" after he spotted "a beautiful girl" in a yellow dress in reception at the Yorkshire Television offices in Bloomsbury, where she was only auditioning for a separate light entertainment programme.
- Burley had first noticed Swansea-born Zeta-Jones as a second understudy on the musical 42nd Street, telling BBC Radio Wales: "We were struck with her."
- After three finalists auditioned, the casting director told the group to "make your mind up," prompting Burley to interrupt: "hang about, there was a girl down in reception, dark hair and yellow dress."
- Danny DeVito, alongside Bob Hoskins and Phil Collins, was considered for the role of Pop Larkin, with producers drawn to actors with "shortish, cheeky, funny" qualities.
- Co-star David Jason reportedly told the cast: "she won't be with us for long, she'll be off to Hollywood before you know it," according to Burley.
- Burley, who also composed the show's theme song, said Darling Buds was easier to write than to cast, with Mariette proving especially hard because "lots of young actresses just didn't excite us."
Why it matters: Burley's account reframes one of British TV's most serendipitous casting stories — Zeta-Jones wasn't even on the casting list and had to be tracked down in reception before winning the room over on the spot. It also reveals that Danny DeVito, Bob Hoskins, and Phil Collins were nearly considered for Pop Larkin, showing how close the beloved series came to a drastically different cast.
