Naomi Watts has spent decades learning to stop caring what anyone thinks of her. Now she wants everyone else to talk about it too. Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, the actress opened up about the early years of her career, the shame of menopause, and the one man who turned her worst moment into a turning point.
Her remarks came during a masterclass at the festival, where she received the Golden Eye Award. She spoke about the struggle to become a star, the roles that shaped her, and the self-doubt that still follows her. What emerged was a portrait of an actor who finally learned to trust herself — and who hopes her openness helps other women feel less alone.
The Agent Who Told Her She Freaked People Out
Watts remembered the moment her career nearly collapsed. She was told directly that she was too intense, that she was “freaking people out.” Her response was blunt.
“Yeah, no shit,” she said. “I was desperate! I was behind on my rent; I was getting evicted. I didn’t know what to bring to this room.”
The industry told her she wasn’t funny enough, that she wasn’t sexy enough. She reshaped herself to fit what she believed they wanted. Either she became an extreme version of herself or a diluted one.
“It took a genius like David Lynch to see beyond all that weirdness I built up, undo it and get to the real me,” she said.
David Lynch Changed Everything
Lynch saw past the act she had constructed. Watts met him in her late 20s, and the partnership changed her career. “Mulholland Drive” became her breakout film.
“That film gave me the most incredible role that affected people. To this day they still watch it. It’s still on these ‘bests’ lists. I’m just very, very proud to be a part of that film,” she said.
The role gave her critical acclaim. It also opened doors she never expected. Right after “Mulholland Drive,” she starred in “The Ring,” the horror classic that woke up the genre.
“I tried to say ‘no.’ There’s no certainty to anything you do, ever,” she said. “My agents were excited about this. I said: ‘Wait. I just got this critical acclaim, so I want to instantly go into a Hollywood blockbuster-y movie?!’ I fought with my agent at the time. I didn’t know it was going to be a massive hit!”
Identity and Grief Drive Her Choices
If there is a theme in Watts’ work, she says it is grief. “It’s why I do what I do: I’m trying to figure out the meaning of my life,” she explained.
Another theme is identity. She credits her childhood, moving from place to place, for shaping that interest. “I was always on the outskirts of the group, trying to find my way in,” she said.
Her recent role in Ben Shirinian’s “The Housewife” speaks to both threads. Set in the 1960s, the film stars her as a seemingly perfect housewife hiding a terrible post-war past.
“I never played a character like this, even though I look for flawed women and I’m not afraid of unlikeable. But this was extreme,” she said. “I knew what I was stepping into. I knew it was going to be a daunting, haunting understanding. A character like that comes to you at night, in your dreams.”
Vulnerability Is a Superpower
Watts admitted it took her a long time to stop focusing on other people’s opinions. She said vulnerability is a superpower, but she did not always know that.
“I wish I’d learn earlier on to be more myself and [care] less about pleasing people. Some people are born with that level of confidence – I was never that person,” she said.
She still has self-doubt, but she no longer pretends it isn’t real. “I try to see it as a gift. It’s more effective than just bullshitting your way through it all,” she said.
That shift came from experience. She found her footing by staying true to why she loved acting in the first place.
“You also have to know why you love it. Are you in it for the right reasons? My goal wasn’t just to be famous. I loved disappearing into these characters. I really cared and continued to investigate. I still do. There’s always more to learn,” she said.
Menopause Became a Conversation Starter
Watts opened up about menopause at the festival, calling it a “huge topic of conversation.” She went through it early in her life and had no idea what was happening to her body.
Once she talked about it with her partner, Billy Crudup, now her husband, she decided to own the story. “How about I just own the story?” she asked. “I’m in on the joke, although it’s not actually a joke. Why do we just suffer, instead of getting some normalcy? Just own it.”
She recalled the moment she first showed him her estrogen patch. She was crying in the bathroom, trying to scratch it off.
“I was crying in the bathroom, trying to scratch off my estrogen patch. I told him what was going on, so nervous, and I thought: ‘He’s not gonna want to be with me anymore!’ He said: ‘Hold on. It’s great that you are taking care of yourself. Why are you ashamed?’ It was so sweet… And sexy. I felt safer than I ever felt,” she said.
That conversation led to action. Watts founded Stripes Beauty, a brand designed for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.
“Men have to be curious and compassionate. And our job, ladies, is to share the story,” she said.
| Role | Theme | Career Turning Point |
|---|---|---|
| “Mulholland Drive” | Identity, Grief | Breakthrough film |
| “The Ring” | Horror, Blockbuster | First major hit after acclaim |
| “21 Grams” | Intensity, Irritability | Praised for her performance |
| “The Housewife” | Flawed identity | Current role |
Key Facts Box
- Golden Eye Award: Received at Zurich Film Festival
- Breakthrough film: “Mulholland Drive”
- Horror classic: “The Ring”
- Recent film: “The Housewife” (Ben Shirinian)
- Brand: Stripes Beauty
- Partner: Billy Crudup
Watts has spent her career reshaping herself to fit others’ expectations. Now she is reshaping the conversation around menopause itself. She wants women to stop suffering in silence and start owning their stories.
That honesty, she believes, is the gift.
Source material: “Naomi Watts Talks Menopause – ‘I Was Crying in the Bathroom, Trying to Scratch Off My Estrogen Patch’ – Recalls Being Told She ‘Freaked People Out’ Early in Her Career: ‘Yeah, No Shit. I Was Desperate, Behind on My Rent and Getting Evicted’,” Variety.
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