Naomi Watts nearly quit acting before she met the late David Lynch, who cast her in the lead role in 2001’s Mulholland Drive, on “Live with Kelly and Mark” (via Entertainment Weekly) It has become clear that it has become. The film’s critical acclaim and worldwide success made Watts an instant star after a “decade” of “failed auditions.” Mr. Lynch passed away on January 15th at the age of 78.
“If I hadn’t met David Lynch, I wouldn’t have stayed[in Hollywood],” Watts said. “The chips were down and it’s been 10 years since I failed the audition and nothing happened…I was literally alienating people. I was just thinking, ‘I need a job!’ It was making them uncomfortable. I need a job! ”
Things got so bad for Watts that “my agent at the time said, ‘You’re too intense. You’re making people uncomfortable,'” the Oscar nominee recalled. “Yes, I need a job. I’m desperate, I have to work. I’ve been meaning to go home many times.”
“Long story short, David Lynch brought me in, but the casting was completely different,” she continued. “He sat me down and just looked me in the eye and asked questions. And mostly I thought, ‘How can I get this out of your way?’ How can I do this?” Can you speed it up? (Because) I’m definitely wrong, because I just did that programming: I’m not interesting, I’m not sexy, I’m too old, I’m this, I’m that. . And he saw me and was able to lift that surface.”
Watts and Lynch would later reunite for projects such as Rabbits and Twin Peaks: The Return, in which he co-starred with the director’s other muses, including Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern. After news of Lynch’s death broke online, Watts posted an emotional eulogy on Instagram, telling fans that “the world will not be the same without him.”
“His creative guidance was truly powerful,” Watts wrote. “A world I had been trying to break into for over a decade, failing auditions. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man who made me laugh, shining a light, speaking the language of another era. , I reassured him. How could he “see” me when I was hiding so well and even lost myself?!”
“Every moment we were together felt like it was filled with a presence I’ve rarely seen or known,” Watts continued about their time together. “Probably, yes, he seemed to be living in an altered world, so I feel very lucky that I was able to be a small part of it. He invites everyone to take a glimpse into his world through his exquisite storytelling, which has inspired generations of filmmakers around the world.”
Watts concluded: “I can’t believe he’s gone. I’m falling apart, but forever grateful for our friendship.”
The actor is currently hitting the press in support of his new book, Dare I Say It. After Lynch cast Watts in Mulholland Drive, Hollywood finally cast him in major roles in projects such as The Ring and 21 Grams.
