Naomi Watts Receives Golden Eye Award at Zurich Film Festival

Overcoming Early Rejections and Industry Pressure

Watts described the ten-year period before she met director David Lynch as an exhausting grind that left her feeling locked up and worthless. During those early years, an agent pulled her aside to deliver a blunt assessment of her auditions.

We need to have a heart to heart. Honey, you are too intense. You are freaking people out.

Naomi Watts’ agent

Behind on her rent and facing eviction, Watts said she constantly reshaped herself to read the room, trying out roles she believed casting directors wanted. She noted that she would attempt to be funny if told she wasn’t funny, or sexy if told she wasn’t sexy, which ultimately left her feeling like either an extreme or diluted version of herself.

The Breakthrough With David Lynch

Watts credited her childhood of frequent relocation with building the resilience needed to survive the industry’s dry spells. In her late 20s, she met David Lynch, a collaboration she credits with completely altering her career trajectory. “Mulholland Drive” provided her with a transformative role that continues to resonate on best-of film lists. Nicole Kidman offered encouragement during those difficult years, telling Watts that all it took was one project to change everything. Watts recalled the intense emotions of the Cannes Film Festival premiere for “Mulholland Drive,” where she rode in a car with Justin Theroux while Cat Stevens’ “Morning Has Broken”—the song played at her late father’s funeral—suddenly played on the radio.

Managing Blockbusters and Critical Acclaim

Shortly after the success of “Mulholland Drive,” Watts fought with her agents over starring in the horror film “The Ring,” initially resisting a Hollywood blockbuster right after achieving critical acclaim. She later earned critical raves for her intense work in “21 Grams.” Watts noted that grief and identity remain central themes in her filmography, driven largely by her transient childhood experiences. That exploration of hidden identity continues in her recent work in Ben Shirinian’s 1960s-set film “The Housewife,” where she portrays a woman hiding a traumatic post-war past beneath a picture-perfect exterior. Concluding her Zurich masterclass, Watts reflected on her personal growth regarding self-doubt.

Vulnerability is a superpower. It has taken me a long time to know that, and own that. I wish I’d learn earlier on to be more myself and [care] less about pleasing people.

Naomi Watts