Pause and the difficult years early in her acting career, when she was told she was “too intense” and “freaking people out.”
Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, where she received the Golden Eye Award, Watts reflected on the 10 years she spent building her acting career before meeting filmmaker David Lynch.
“It was a grind. That 10 years before I met David, I became so locked up, and I felt worthless. My agent pulled me aside, and she said: ‘We need to have a heart-to-heart. Honey, you are too intense. You are freaking people out.’ I went: ‘Yeah, no shit.’ I was desperate! I was behind on my rent; I was getting evicted. I didn’t know what to bring to this room,” she recalled.
Watts said the resilience she developed from moving often as a child helped her through those difficult years.
“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.”
Watts credits Lynch for career breakthrough
The actress said meeting Lynch in her late 20s changed the course of her career.
“And then, mercifully, I met David Lynch in my late 20s, and he changed my career.”
Her role in Mulholland Drive became a breakthrough and earned her widespread praise.
“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.”
Watts also recalled advice from Nicole Kidman during her early career.
“She said: ‘All it takes is one thing, one thing could change everything. That didn’t make sense to me for a very long time. Until David Lynch, and then it became very real.”
After Mulholland Drive, Watts starred in The Ring and later earned acclaim for 21 Grams.
Watts opens up about menopause
Away from her acting career, Watts spoke about her experience with menopause and how discussing it helped her feel less ashamed.
“Menopause became a huge topic of conversation, because I went through it early on in my life and had no clue what was happening with my body. Once I talked about it with my partner, who is now my husband [actor Billy Crudup], and he was supportive, I went: ‘How about I just own the story?’ 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 also recalled a difficult moment when she was trying to cope with her symptoms.
“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!’”
Crudup responded: “Hold on. It’s great that you are taking care of yourself. Why are you ashamed?”
Watts later 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.”
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