Catherine keeps it in the family

Hollywood beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones could doubtlessly have called upon the services of any of the film world’s top movers and shakers.

Yet the Welsh, Oscar-winning actress has reportedly chosen her brother David to co-produce her new movie.

Zeta-Jones is currently developing a film based on the stage play Getting And Spending.

And, according to Daily Variety, she has placed her trust in her sibling, who also runs her production company Milkwood, to help her get the project on to the big screen.

The actress is far from the only celebrity to place her career in the trustworthy hands of her nearest and dearest.

Paula Radcliffe, who stormed to victory in last weekend’s London Marathon, is managed and coached by her husband Gary Lough.

The godfather of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne, relies on his wife, Sharon, to manage his career, while the boxer Naseem Hamed employs his brother as his manager.

Professor Mark Griffiths, psychologist at Nottingham Trent University and an expert on fame and celebrity, says having family members as agents and managers offers some hugely attractive advantages for stars.

He argues: “Who better to protect your income and interests then your mother or father or brother or sister? They are someone you can trust and, at the end of the day, they won’t rip you off.”

The psychologist says famous people often want to share their wealth with their family: “If you’re rich and famous you want to help someone in your family, to give the leg up the ladder and indulge in a bit of nepotism. They want to share their success with their relatives.”

And he says it’s wrong to assume they won’t do as good a job as an experienced manager or agent.

Gennaro Castaldo, a music expert and spokesman for HMV, says it makes sense for family to manage “oddball” or difficult stars like Ozzy Osbourne, who has flourished under the guidance of his wife.

“Osbourne probably isn’t the easiest person to manage or deal with so Sharon is probably one of the few people to know how to work him,” says Castaldo.

“She knows every part of his personality so as long as she’s commercially aware then it makes sense for her to do that.”

Castaldo adds that the family members of a stellar celebrity also share a unique insight into how the fame game works. He points out that legendary crooner Tom Jones is now managed by his son Mark because he has grown up and learnt about the business from his famous father.

“As children grow up around it [showbusiness] they observe a great deal about the commercial environment. They see close up how things work and understand their father’s demands and traits so it may be that they’re the ideal manager or agent for them.”

Sometimes family or partners are the only people who can match and appreciate the commitment of an aspiring star.

Gary Lough’s gruelling training sessions and high expectations of his wife Paula Radcliffe have been credited with pushing her from also-ran to world beater.

But their relationship came under intense scrutiny when Lough berated an exhausted Radcliffe after a disappointing finish in the European Championships in front of millions of TV viewers.

Radcliffe insists, though, that Lough’s commitment and desire for her to succeed help rather than hinder her in her drive to succeed.

Although family partnerships obviously work for these stars, Griffiths says there can sometimes be a downside to such intense relationships.

Problems, he explains, can arise if celebrities fail to realise it is impossible to divide their personal and working relationships.

“Family members can’t divorce the two relationships. They want to be objective but there will always be a point when this will come into play – they are inextricably linked,” he says.

And he adds that the rich and famous who employ family members are potentially risking damaging their relationships with them if the business partnership breaks-up or sours.

Mariah Carey, for instance, split with her husband and record label manager, Tommy Mottola, after the strains of their working relationship allegedly spilled over into their private life.

Brothers in bands like the Kinks, the Beach Boys and most infamously Oasis have, he also points out, had stormy relationships as the strain and tensions of sibling rivalries played out in front of the bemused fascination of the public.

More dangers lurk, he says, if the star becomes a business enterprise for their family.

The self styled King of Pop Michael Jackson along with his brothers endured a difficult relationship with their father, Joe, whose tyrannical style of management propelled the Jackson Five to the top of the charts. Michael Jackson claimed his father beat his sons for getting dance movements wrong and made them rehearse relentlessly.

The psychologist says: “The Jacksons’ mother and father started off with their best interests at heart but it became a business and they were all pushed to the limit.

“When you get to that multi-million status you probably need people who are divorced from you emotionally.”