Catherine Zeta-Jones shares a laugh on set with her co-stars as she heads back to work after spell in mental facility

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:53 AM on 21st April 2011

Just a week has passed since she revealed she was being treated for bipolar disorder.

But it was showbusiness as usual for Catherine Zeta-Jones when she returned to work yesterday.

And the actress certainly appeared happy to be back on a film set as shooting began on Playing the Field in Louisiana.

Back to work: A smiling Catherine Zeta-Jones looked at ease on the set of Playing The Field with Uma Thurman and Dennis Quaid

She was pictured laughing and smiling in between takes with co-stars Dennis Quaid and Uma Thurman as they waited for shots to be set up.

The trio lounged on stands next to a playing field where the film’s star Gerard Butler was busy showing off his football skills.

Catherine had her hair in large rollers to ensure it didn’t go flat in the heat, and she and Uma kept cool with hand-held fans.

Laughs on set: Catherine, with her hair in rollers, and Uma kept cool between takes as they shared a giggle with Dennis

The 41-year-old looked elegant and glamorous in a charcoal grey silk top and linen trousers, and she leapt up enthusiastically and cheered Gerard on when the cameras started rolling.

Her appearance on the film set came after she went public with her diagnosis to help other sufferers.

And Zeta-Jones is hoping her admission will encourage others with the condition to seek treatment.

She told People magazine: ‘There is no shame in seeking help.

Go team! The actress, who looked stylish in a charcoal silk shirt and cream trousers, got into character with the cameras rolling as she cheered on co-star Gerard Butler

‘This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them,’ she adds in a statement. ‘If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it.’

In early April, the star checked into Silver Hill Hospital, a mental health facility in Connecticut, where she spent five days receiving treatment for bipolar II disorder.

She sought help after struggling to cope with the trauma of husband Michael Douglas’s battle with throat cancer.

Yes coach: Butler plays a former professional athlete who coaches his son’s soccer team

Smiles: The actress looked happy to be back on set

And yesterday, it looked like the treatment had helped, as the actress felt able to get back to work on the set of her new movie.

She looked relaxed in a pair of black trousers and a silky sleeveless top, with her hair pulled up in an elegant chignon.

Her husband, meanwhile, was seen walking eight-year-old daughter Carys to school in New York. 

The couple also have a son, Dylan, ten. 

Battle: Michael Douglas, who took his daughter Carys to school today, is recovering from throat cancer

Treatment: Catherine is said to have checked in to the Silver Hill mental health hospital in Connecticut in early April

A close friend of the couple tells People that Catherine realised she needed help as she prepared to shoot Playing The Field.

‘The simple things would just seem overwhelming, like going out to dinner,’ says the friend.

‘There was just a little piece of her chipped away. It was hard to watch because I knew how hard she was trying.’

Bipolar II disorder is a mental illness which is marked by prolonged periods of depression alternating with episodes of mild mania.