Naomi Watts: David Lynch Unlocked My True Self

For years, actress Naomi Watts experienced intense career difficulties, admitting to feeling "worthless" during a decade-long struggle before meeting director David Lynch.

Watts described an overwhelming pressure in Hollywood to constantly reshape herself, leading her to feel either an "extreme" or "diluted" version of her true self.

She revealed that it took a "genius like David Lynch" to see past her built-up persona and allow her authentic self to emerge, a pivotal moment in her career.

This realization came after receiving the Golden Eye Award at the Zurich Film Festival, where she reflected on these challenging "dry spells" early in her career.

Her breakthrough role in Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" significantly impacted her career and continues to resonate with audiences today.

Watts also credited Nicole Kidman for encouraging her, stating, "All it takes is one thing, one thing could change everything." Lynch's direction proved this to be true.

Following "Mulholland Drive," Watts took on roles in "The Ring" and "21 Grams," noting that themes of grief and identity often appear in her work, stemming from her childhood experiences of frequent moves.

More recently, her role in "The Housewife" explored complex female characters, even those with "unlikeable" flaws.

Watts emphasized the power of vulnerability, a lesson she learned over time, and wished she had embraced being herself and cared less about pleasing others earlier in her career.

She also spoke openly about her early menopause, advocating for owning such experiences and founding Stripes Beauty, a brand focused on perimenopause and menopause.

Watts described a supportive conversation with her now-husband, Billy Crudup, about her menopause journey, which helped her feel "safer than I ever felt."