Naomi Watts recalls Hollywood rejection and praises husband's menopause support
Naomi Watts opened up about her difficult early career and her current menopause activism during a masterclass at the Zurich Film Festival, per The Hollywood Reporter.
She described a decade of fruitless auditions in Los Angeles before landing her breakout role in David Lynch's 'Mulholland Drive' at age 31. Watts said she became "so locked up" and felt worthless, with her agent at one point telling her, "Honey, you're too intense. You're freaking people out." Watts recalled responding that she was desperate and months behind on rent, constantly reshaping herself to fit casting demands.
She credited Lynch with seeing past the "weirdness" she had built up and unlocking her real performance. Watts also shared an emotional memory from the Cannes premiere, where the song "Morning Has Broken" played on the car radio. It was the song from her father's funeral when she was seven, and co-star Justin Theroux helped her compose herself before walking the red carpet.
Turning to more recent topics, Watts discussed founding her menopause wellness brand, Stripes Beauty. She said she entered menopause early with no guidance, and a conversation with her now-husband, Billy Crudup, encouraged her. "He was encouraging of it," she said, adding that she decided to own her story. She praised Crudup's support for her activism, calling it "so sweet and sexy."
