Image of Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts had already been a working actress for over a decade when she earned notice as a promising newcomer in David Lynch's Cannes Film Festival prizewinner Mulholland Drive (2001). Born September 28th, 1968, Watts began acting in her teens, landing her first film role in For Love Alone (1986). Watts subsequently appeared with future Hollywood headliners Nicole Kidman and Thandie Newton in John Duigan's disarming teen romance Flirting (1991). Watts's next film with Duigan, Wide Sargasso Sea (1992), was not so well received. After her first taste of Hollywood with Joe Dante's schlock movie homage Matinee (1992), Watts nabbed a starring role as Jimmy Smits's disturbed student in George Miller's little seen courtroom drama Gross Misconduct (1993). Watts then starred as Jet Girl to Lori Petty's Tank Girl (1995), but the science fiction fantasy suffered an ignominious box office fate. After a series of TV movies and thrillers, including Sleepwalkers (1997) and Children of the Corn IV (1996), Watts appeared in Marshall Herskovitz's high-toned Venetian courtesan costumer Dangerous Beauty (1998) and successful TV docudrama The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999). Watts's breakthrough finally arrived when David Lynch cast her in his ABC pilot Mulholland Drive. Though ABC canceled the project in 1999 after Lynch turned in a typically mood-drenched work, StudioCanal financed its transformation into a feature that debuted to acclaim at Cannes in 2001. A Los Angeles dreamscape akin to Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive featured Watts as the blonde half of a female duo caught in a mystery of shifting identities. Drawing attention for her not-for-network TV love scene with co-star Laura Harring, Watts also earned praise as a rising "new" actress. Though ignored for an Oscar nomination, Watts's tour-de-force dual performance earned her numerous accolades and critics' awards, igniting her career. Working steadily in the wake of Mulholland Drive, Watts scored a box-office as well as critical success a year later with The Ring (2002), the Hollywood remake of the Japanese horror blockbuster. Starring Watts as an intrepid reporter investigating the origins of a lethal videotape, The Ring overcame studio doubts to become a sleeper hit, solidifying Watts's new star status. Watts subsequently donned period dress for the Showtime western The Outsider (2002), and to co-star alongside fellow Aussie Heath Ledger in The Kelly Gang (2003). Balancing her genre work with potentially headier fare guided by notable directors, Watts also appeared with Kate Hudson, Glenn Close and Stockard Channing in the Merchant-Ivory romantic comedy Le Divorce (2003), and won a leading role opposite formidable actors Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 21 Grams (2003).


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Sep 28, 1968 In Shoreham, Kent, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
90
First Appeared:
In the movie For Love Alone 1986-05-22
Latest Project:
Movie Emmanuelle 2024-09-25
Known For
Filmography
Movie Emmanuelle Margot 2024-09-25
Movie Barbie Barbie 2023-07-19
Movie Goodnight Mommy Mother 2022-09-16
Series The Watcher Nora Brannock 2022-10-13
Movie Boss Level Jemma Wells 2021-02-19
Movie Polycephaly in D (archive footage) 2021-09-10
Movie The Desperate Hour Amy Carr 2021-09-12
Movie This Is the Night Marie Dedea 2021-09-17
Movie The Wolf Hour June Leigh 2019-01-26
Movie Ophelia Queen Gertrude / Mechtild 2019-06-28
Movie Luce Amy Edgar 2019-08-02
Movie Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal Self (archive footage) 2018-08-21
Movie Vice News Anchor (uncredited) 2018-12-25
Movie Chuck Linda Wepner 2017-05-05
Movie I Am Heath Ledger Self 2017-04-23
Series FEUD Babe Paley 2017-03-05
Movie Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers Self 2017-12-05
Movie The Book of Henry Susan Carpenter 2017-06-16
Series Gypsy Jean Holloway 2017-06-30
Movie A Bloody Finger in Your Mouth Self 2017-12-05
Movie The Glass Castle Rose Mary Walls 2017-08-11
Movie Allegiant Evelyn Johnson-Eaton 2016-03-09
Movie Demolition Karen Moreno 2016-04-06
Movie Shut In Mary Portman 2016-11-11
Movie 3 Generations Maggie 2016-10-27
Movie The Sea of Trees Joan Brennan 2016-04-27
Movie Insurgent Evelyn Johnson-Eaton 2015-03-18
Movie While We're Young Cornelia Schrebnick 2015-04-03
Movie St. Vincent Daka Parimova 2014-10-09
Movie Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Lesley Truman 2014-10-17
Movie Adore Lil 2013-04-03
Movie Movie 43 Samantha (segment "Homeschooled") 2013-01-24
Movie Sunlight Jr. Melissa 2013-04-20
Movie Diana Princess Diana 2013-09-19
Movie The Impossible Maria Bennett 2012-09-09
Movie J. Edgar Helen Gandy 2011-11-09
Movie Dream House Ann Patterson 2011-09-29
Movie Woody Allen: A Documentary Self 2011-11-20
Movie Fair Game Valerie Plame 2010-05-20
Movie You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Sally 2010-09-22
Movie The International Eleanor Whitman 2009-02-03
Movie Mother and Child Elizabeth 2009-11-07
Movie Heath Ledger: A Tribute Self 2009-06-01
Movie Funny Games Ann 2008-03-14
Movie Eastern Promises Anna Ivanovna Khitrova 2007-09-14
Movie The Painted Veil Kitty Fane 2006-12-09
Movie Recreating the Eighth Wonder: The Making of 'King Kong' Self 2006-11-14
Movie Inland Empire Suzie Rabbit (voice) 2006-12-06
Movie Ellie Parker Ellie Parker 2005-01-21
Movie The Ring Two Rachel Keller 2005-03-10
Movie King Kong Ann Darrow 2005-12-12
Movie Stay Lila Culpepper 2005-09-24
Movie King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries Self 2005-12-13
Movie The Making of ‘Mulholland Drive’ Self 2004-04-05
Movie 21 Grams: In Fragments Self 2004-03-16
Movie The Assassination of Richard Nixon Marie Bicke 2004-05-17
Movie We Don't Live Here Anymore Edith Evans 2004-08-13
Movie I ♥ Huckabees Dawn Campbell 2004-09-10
Movie Ned Kelly Julia Cook 2003-03-22
Movie Le Divorce Roxeanne de Persand 2003-08-08
Movie 21 Grams Cristina Peck 2003-09-06
Movie Rabbits Suzie 2002-06-09
Movie The Ring Rachel Keller 2002-10-18
Movie Undertaking Betty Meredith Mainwaring 2002-12-04
Movie The Outsider Rebecca Yoder 2002-11-10
Movie Mulholland Drive Betty Elms / Diane Selwyn 2001-06-06
Movie Down Jennifer Evans 2001-09-06
Movie The Wyvern Mystery Alice Fairfield 2000-10-12
Movie Mulholland Dr. Betty / Diane Selwyn 1999-01-01
Movie The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer Holly Maddux 1999-05-09
Movie Strange Planet Alice 1999-10-06
Movie Dangerous Beauty Giulia De Lezze 1998-02-20
Movie Babe: Pig in the City Additional Character Voices (voice) 1998-11-25
Movie The Christmas Wish Renee 1998-12-06
Movie Under the Lighthouse Dancing Louise 1997-10-15
Series Sleepwalkers Kate Russell 1997-11-01
Movie Bermuda Triangle Amanda 1996-04-04
Movie Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering Grace Rhodes 1996-10-08
Movie Persons Unknown Molly 1996-12-27
Movie Timepiece Mary Chandler 1996-12-22
Movie Tank Girl Jet Girl 1995-03-31
Movie The Custodian Louise 1994-03-17
Movie Matinee Shopping Cart Starlet 1993-01-29
Movie Wide Sargasso Sea Fanny Grey 1993-04-16
Movie Gross Misconduct Jennifer Carter 1993-07-29
Movie Flirting Janet Odgers 1991-03-20
Series Brides of Christ Frances Heffernan 1991-09-04
Series Twin Peaks Janey-E Jones 1990-04-08
Series Hey Dad..! Belinda Lawrence 1987-02-11
Movie For Love Alone Leo's Girlfriend 1986-05-22