View source for Naomi Watts

{{short description|British actress (born 1968)}}
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{{Good article}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Naomi Watts
| image              = Naomi Watts at the 2024 New York Film Festival 2 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Watts in 2024
| birth_name         = Naomi Ellen Watts
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1968|9|28}}
| birth_place        = [[Shoreham, Kent]], England
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|film producer}}
| years_active       = 1986–present
| works              = [[Naomi Watts filmography|Full list]]
| partner            = [[Heath Ledger]] (2002–2004)<br/>[[Liev Schreiber]] (2005–2016)
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Billy Crudup]]|2023}}
| children           = 2, including [[Kai Schreiber]]
| father             = [[Peter Watts (road manager)|Peter Watts]]
| relatives          = [[Ben Watts]] (brother)
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Naomi Watts|Full list]]
}}
'''Naomi Ellen Watts''' (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress.<!--Please discuss on the talk page before changing this.--><ref>{{cite interview |first = Naomi |last =Watts |interviewer-last=Pringle | interviewer-first=Gill |title=Naomi Watts on 'While We're Young', her roots and being a mum |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/naomi-watts-on-while-were-young-her-roots-and-being-a-mum-10144541.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/naomi-watts-on-while-were-young-her-roots-and-being-a-mum-10144541.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |quote=If Australians often claim Watts for their own, then she is equally affectionate of her British birthplace, experiencing her formative years in the UK before moving to Australia, aged 14. 'Look, it's the million dollar question I just cannot answer... The truth is that I've spent more time in America out of all three countries. I spent the first 14 years in England, just under 10 in Australia and then the rest in America. I've still got only one passport and that's British and my mum still lives between there and Australia. I feel very much a part of both countries.' |work=[[The Independent]] |date=30 March 2015 |access-date=30 April 2015}}</ref> Known for [[Naomi Watts filmography|her work]] predominantly in [[independent films]] with dark or tragic themes,<ref>{{cite news |last=Lamont |first=Tom |title=Naomi Watts: 'My soul was being destroyed' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jul/15/naomi-watts-wasnt-soul-destroyed-gypsy |work=The Guardian |date=15 July 2017 |access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> she has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Naomi Watts|various accolades]], including nominations for two [[Academy Awards]], a [[Primetime Emmy Award]], and two [[Golden Globe Awards]].

After her family moved to Australia, Watts made her film debut there in the drama ''[[For Love Alone]]'' (1986). She appeared in three television series, ''[[Hey Dad..!]]'' (1990), ''[[Brides of Christ]]'' (1991), and ''[[Home and Away]]'' (1991), and the film ''[[Flirting (film)|Flirting]]'' (1991). Ten years later, Watts moved to the United States, where she initially struggled as an actress. After appearing in a number of small-scale productions, she received the [[breakthrough role]] of an aspiring actress in [[David Lynch]]'s mystery film ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]'' (2001), which brought her to international attention.

Watts played a tormented journalist in the horror remake ''[[The Ring (2002 film)|The Ring]]'' (2002). For playing a grief-stricken mother in [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s ''[[21 Grams]]'' (2003) and [[María Belón|Maria Bennett]] in the disaster film ''[[The Impossible (2012 film)|The Impossible]]'' (2012), she received nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]. Watts' other notable film credits include starring roles in ''[[I Heart Huckabees]]'' (2004), ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' (2005), ''[[Eastern Promises]]'' (2007), ''[[The International (2009 film)|The International]]'' (2009), ''[[Birdman (film)|Birdman]]'' (2014), ''[[St. Vincent (film)|St. Vincent]]'' (2014), ''[[While We're Young (film)|While We're Young]]'' (2015), ''[[The Glass Castle (2017 film)|The Glass Castle]]'' (2017), and ''[[Luce (film)|Luce]]'' (2019). She also appeared in the [[The Divergent Series|''Divergent'' franchise]] (2015–2016).

Watts ventured into television with the third season of Lynch's mystery series ''[[Twin Peaks (season 3)|Twin Peaks]]'' (2017) and the biographical miniseries ''[[The Loudest Voice]]'' (2019). She then starred in the [[Netflix]] thriller series ''[[The Watcher (2022 TV series)|The Watcher]]'' (2022), the [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] anthology series ''[[Feud: Capote vs. The Swans]]'' (2024) and the [[Hulu]] legal drama series ''[[All's Fair (2025 TV series)|All's Fair]]'' (2025–present) . For her portrayal of [[Babe Paley]] in the latter, she received a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]].

Her advocacy includes ambassadorships in the [[Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS]] and [[Pantene]]'s [[Pantene Beautiful Lengths|Beautiful Lengths]]. Separated from actor [[Liev Schreiber]], with whom she shares two children, Watts married actor [[Billy Crudup]] in 2023.<ref name="yahoo.com">{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2023 |title=Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup Are Married: 'Hitched' |first=Kaitlin |last=Reilly |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/naomi-watts-marries-billy-crudup-214031265.html |access-date=June 10, 2023 |website=Yahoo! Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Early life and education ==
Naomi Ellen Watts was born on 28 September 1968, in [[Shoreham, Kent]], England.<ref name=contemporary /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3671818/Naomi-Watts-on-Funny-Games.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3671818/Naomi-Watts-on-Funny-Games.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Naomi Watts on Funny Games |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Sheila |last=Johnston |date=15 March 2008 |access-date=19 April 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She is the daughter of Myfanwy (Miv) Edwards (née Roberts), an antiques dealer and [[Costume design|costume]] and [[Scenic design|set designer]],<ref name=contemporary>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FORkAAAAMAAJ&q=antiques+dealer+costume |title=Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television: A Biographical Guide Featuring Performers, Directors, Writers, Producers, Designers, Managers, Choreographers, Technicians, Composers, Executives, Dancers |publisher=Gale/Cengage Learning |year=2005 |page=340 |isbn=978-0-7876-9037-3}}</ref> and [[Peter Watts (road manager)|Peter Watts]] (1946–1976), a [[road manager]] and [[audio engineer]] who worked with [[Pink Floyd]].<ref name="Sams, Christine">{{cite news |last=Sams |first=Christine |url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/22/1077384633676.html|title=How Naomi told her mum about Oscar|access-date=15 December 2008 |date=23 February 2004 |work=[[The Sun-Herald]]}}</ref><ref name=tca>Stated on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'', 2003.</ref> Watts's maternal grandfather was Welsh.<ref name="smh">{{cite web |title=How Naomi told her mum about Oscar – SpecialsEntFilmOscars2004 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/22/1077384633676.html?from=storyrhs |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=23 February 2004 |access-date=30 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="themorningbulletin">{{cite web |title=Naomi Watts on 'While We're Young', her roots and being a mum |url=http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/naomi-watts-while-were-young-her-roots-and-being-m/2592146/ |publisher=themorningbulletin.com.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530122708/http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/naomi-watts-while-were-young-her-roots-and-being-m/2592146/|archive-date=30 May 2015}}</ref> Watts's parents divorced when she was four years old.<ref name=tca/><ref>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Scott |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811083211/https://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2003/11/23/naomi_watts/|archive-date=11 August 2011|title=A role filled with rage and anguish reveals the fearless side of an actress who respects the power of emotion |url=https://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2003/11/23/naomi_watts/|work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=23 November 2003 |access-date=5 July 2011}}</ref> After the divorce, their mother moved several times with Watts and her older brother [[Ben Watts|Ben]] within [[South East England]].<ref name=mymotto/> Their father Peter Watts left Pink Floyd in 1974 and remarried in 1976. In August 1976, when Watts was nearly eight years old, he was found dead in a flat in [[Notting Hill]], London, of an apparent heroin overdose.<ref name="Talk Talk">{{cite web|url=http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/naomi-watts/biography/157|title=Naomi Watts Biography|work=TalkTalk|publisher=Tiscali UK Limited trading|access-date=5 July 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516055536/http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/naomi-watts/biography/157| archive-date=16 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="Numb">{{Cite book| publisher = Di Capo Press| isbn = 978-0-306-81752-6| page = [https://archive.org/details/comfortablynumbi00mark/page/213 213]| last = Blake| first = Mark| title = Comfortably Numb - The Inside Story of Pink Floyd| year = 2008| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/comfortablynumbi00mark/page/213}}</ref> Following his death, Watts's mother moved the family to Llanfawr Farm in [[Llangefni]] and [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyll]], towns on the island of [[Anglesey]] in [[North Wales]], to live with her parents, Nikki and Hugh Roberts.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/WwYAuvBcQ1Y Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150309041121/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwYAuvBcQ1Y Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwYAuvBcQ1Y |title=Naomi Watts' Unpronounceable Town Name |via=YouTube |date=6 March 2015 |access-date=7 March 2015 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.moviefone.com/2015/03/06/best-of-late-night-tv-chris-hemsworths-musical-beers/ |title=Best of Late Night TV: Chris Hemsworth's Musical Beers and Naomi Watts' Crazy Hometown (VIDEO) |publisher=Moviefone |date=6 March 2015 |access-date=7 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307103200/http://news.moviefone.com/2015/03/06/best-of-late-night-tv-chris-hemsworths-musical-beers/ |archive-date=7 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During this period of three years, Watts attended a [[Welsh medium education|Welsh medium school]], [[Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni]].<ref name="Talk Talk"/>

She later said of her time in Wales: "We took Welsh lessons in a school in the middle of nowhere while everyone else was taking English. Wherever we moved, I would adapt and pick up the regional accent. It's obviously significant now, me being an actress. Anyway, there was quite a lot of sadness in my childhood, but no lack of love."<ref name=bbcprofile>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/halloffame/showbiz/naomiwatts.shtml|title=Naomi Watts|work=BBC North West Wales|publisher=BBC|date=November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207172543/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/halloffame/showbiz/naomiwatts.shtml|archive-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> In 1978, her mother remarried<ref name="bbc2003">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/09/15/naomi_watts_le_divorce_interview.shtml|title=Naomi Watts|publisher=BBC|access-date=14 March 2013}}</ref> and moved with her children to [[Suffolk]]. (She and her second husband later divorced.)<ref name="bbc2003"/> There Watts attended [[Thomas Mills High School]].<ref name=mymotto>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/oct/19/londonfilmfestival2007.londonfilmfestival|title=Work begets work: that is my motto|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 October 2007|first=Emma|last=Brockes|access-date=15 April 2013}}</ref> Watts has said that she wanted to become an actress after seeing her mother performing on stage and from the time she watched the 1980 film ''[[Fame (1980 film)|Fame]]''.<ref name=tca/><ref name=people>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/naomi_watts|title=Naomi Watts|work=People|access-date=5 July 2011}}</ref> In 1982, when Watts was 14, the family moved to [[Sydney, Australia]].<ref name=tca/><ref name=biochannel>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/naomi-watts.html|title=Naomi Watts Biography|work=The Biography Channel UK|publisher=A&E Television Networks|access-date=5 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104172344/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/naomi-watts.html|archive-date=4 January 2014}}</ref> Her mother Myfanwy established a career in the burgeoning film business, first working as a stylist for television commercials. She turned to costume design, and worked for the soap opera ''[[Return to Eden]]''. Watts briefly cameoed as a model in two episodes.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> Watts was enrolled by her mother in acting lessons in Sydney. She auditioned for numerous television advertisements, where she met and befriended the young actress [[Nicole Kidman]].<ref name="Talk Talk"/> In Australia, Watts attended [[Mosman High School]] and [[North Sydney Girls High School]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/lower-north-shores-top-aussie-legends/|title=Lower North Shore's top Aussie legends|date=21 January 2010|access-date=5 July 2011|work=The Mosman Daily|publisher=News Community Media}}</ref> She did not graduate from school. After leaving school she worked as a papergirl, a [[negative cutter]], and managed a Delicacies store in Sydney's affluent [[North Shore (Sydney)|North Shore]].<ref name="Talk Talk"/>

At the age of 18, Watts decided to become a model. She signed with a models agency that sent her to Japan, but after several failed auditions, she returned to Sydney.<ref name=tca/> She began to work in advertising for a department store. ''Follow Me'' magazine hired her as an assistant fashion editor.<ref name=tca/><ref name="Talk Talk"/> A casual invitation to participate in a drama workshop inspired Watts to quit her job and pursue acting.<ref name="Talk Talk"/><ref name=interviewmag>{{cite web|url=http://www.lynchnet.com/mdrive/wattsint.html|title=For Anyone who Ever Needed a reminder of what can happen when you hold onto your dreams – here she is|access-date=31 August 2010|last=Sischy|first=Ingrid|date=December 2003|publisher=Brandt Publications}}</ref> Despite her years in Australia, Watts considers herself firmly British in regards to her nationality. She has said that: "I consider myself British and have very happy memories of the UK. I spent the first 14 years of my life in England and Wales and never wanted to leave. When I was in Australia I went back to England a lot."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2011/07/warning-naomi-watts-is-secretly-british|title=Warning: Naomi Watts Is&nbsp;... Secretly British|first=MacKenzie|last=Wilson|access-date=28 July 2014|date=5 July 2011|publisher=BBC America}}</ref>

==Career==
===Early roles and struggling career (1986–2000)===
Watts's career began in television, where she made brief appearances in commercials.<ref name=biochannel/> She made her film debut in ''[[For Love Alone]]'' (1986). It was set in the 1930s and based on [[Christina Stead]]'s 1945 best-selling novel of the same name.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/18132/For-Love-Alone/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105012444/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/18132/For-Love-Alone/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 January 2008|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author-first1=Hal|author-last1=Erickson|title=For Love Alone (1986) Overview|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2008|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> In 1990 she appeared in two episodes of the [[List of Hey Dad..! episodes#Season 4 (1990-1991)|fourth season]] of the Australian sitcom ''[[Hey Dad..!]]''. At the 1989 premiere of her friend Nicole Kidman's film ''[[Dead Calm (film)|Dead Calm]]'', Watts met [[John Duigan]], who invited her to take a supporting role in his 1991 indie film ''[[Flirting (film)|Flirting]]''.<ref name=biochannel/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iofilm.co.uk/feats/interviews/n/naomi_watts_divorce.shtml |title=Naomi enjoys her shot|publisher=Iofilm.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> The film received critical acclaim and was featured on American critic [[Roger Ebert]]'s list of the 10 best films of 1992.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19921231/COMMENTARY/40308026/1023|first=Roger|last=Ebert|title=The Best 10 Movies of 1992|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=31 December 1992|access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=5 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105174530/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19921231%2FCOMMENTARY%2F40308026%2F1023|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also in 1991, she took the part of Frances Heffernan, a girl who struggles to find friends at a Catholic school in Sydney,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australiantelevision.net/brides-of-christ/episodes.html|title=Brides of Christ: episode guide|work=Australian Television Information Archive's Official Site|publisher=Australian Television Information Archive|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> in the mini-series ''[[Brides of Christ]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=721188|title=Brides of Christ description on Australian Broadcasting Corporation's shop|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401034613/http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=721188|archive-date=1 April 2011}}</ref> She also had a recurring role in the soap opera ''[[Home and Away]]'' as the handicapped [[Julie Gibson (Home and Away)|Julie Gibson]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kent|first=Melissa|work=The Age |location=Australia|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/cast-and-fans-of-home-and-away-well-on-the-way-to-belonging-foreverand-ever/2009/02/07/1233423560588.html|title=Cast and fans of Home and Away well on the way to belonging forever and ever|date=8 February 2009|access-date=28 August 2011}}</ref> Watts was offered a role in the drama series ''[[A Country Practice]]'' but turned it down, not wanting to "get stuck on a soap for two or three years". She later said that decision was "naïve".<ref name=biochannel/><ref name=interviewmag/>

Watts took a year off to travel, visiting Los Angeles and being introduced to agents through Kidman.<ref name=mymotto/><ref name="Talk Talk"/> Encouraged, Watts decided to move to the United States, to pursue her career further. In 1993, she had a small role in the [[John Goodman]] film ''[[Matinee (1993 film)|Matinee]]''. She returned to Australia temporarily to star in three Australian films: another of Duigan's pictures, ''[[Wide Sargasso Sea (1993 film)|Wide Sargasso Sea]]''; and the drama ''[[The Custodian]]''. She had her first leading role in the film ''[[Gross Misconduct (film)|Gross Misconduct]]'', as a student who accuses one of her teachers (played by [[Jimmy Smits]]) of raping her.<ref name=biochannel/> Watts returned to Los Angeles and the US for good but had difficulty finding agents, producers and directors willing to hire her.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> She never worked outside the film industry, but had some tight times in which she was unable to pay the rent on time and lost her medical insurance.<ref name="Talk Talk"/><ref name=bloomer/>

{{blockquote|At first, everything was fantastic and doors were opened to me. But some people who I met through Nicole [Kidman], who had been all over me, had difficulty remembering my name when we next met. There were a lot of promises, but nothing actually came off. I ran out of money and became quite lonely, but Nic gave me company and encouragement to carry on.<ref name=sundaytimes>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidlynch.de/wattssunday.html|title=Film: Naomi Watts interview|work=The Sunday Times|first=Garth|last=Pearce|date=6 January 2002|access-date=14 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328140104/http://www.davidlynch.de/wattssunday.html|archive-date=28 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

{{blockquote|When I came to America there was so much promise of good stuff and I thought, I've got it made here. I'm going to kick ass. Then I went back to Australia and did one or two more jobs. When I returned to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], all those people who'd been so encouraging before weren't interested. You take all their flattery seriously when you don't know any better. I basically had to start all over again. I get offered some things without auditioning today, but back then they wouldn't even fax me the pages of a script because it was too much of an inconvenience. I had to drive for hours into [[San Fernando Valley|the Valley]] to pick up three bits of paper for some horrendous piece of shit, then go back the next day and line up for two hours to meet the casting director who would barely give me eye contact. It was humiliating.<br>{{endash}}Watts on her early struggles<ref name=interviewmag/>}}

After nine auditions, she won a supporting role of "Jet Girl" in the futuristic film ''[[Tank Girl (film)|Tank Girl]]'' (1995).<ref name=tca/> The film met mixed reviews and flopped at the box office. It has since become something of a cult classic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tank_girl/|title=Tank Girl (1995) on Rotten Tomatoes|work=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster, Inc|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> Throughout the rest of the decade, Watts took mostly supporting roles in films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/naomi-watts/bio/167538|title=Naomi Watts: Biography|work=TV Guide|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> Occasionally she considered leaving the business, but: "there were always little bites. Whenever I felt I was at the end of my rope, something would come up. Something bad. But for me it was 'work begets work'; that was my motto."<ref name=mymotto/><ref name=bloomer>{{cite news|url=http://www.backstage.com/news/late-bloomer_4/|title=Late Bloomer|publisher=Backstage.com|date=24 November 2003 |first=Cassie |last=Carpenter |access-date=15 April 2013}}</ref> In 1996, she starred alongside [[Joe Mantegna]], [[Kelly Lynch]] and [[J. T. Walsh]] in [[George Hickenlooper]]'s action-thriller ''Persons Unknown''; alongside [[James Earl Jones]], [[Kevin Kilner]] and [[Ellen Burstyn]] in the period drama ''Timepiece''; in ''Bermuda Triangle'', a TV pilot that was not picked up for a full series, where she played a former documentary filmmaker who disappears in the [[Bermuda Triangle]];<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.eofftv.com/kim_newman_archive/b/bermuda_triangle_1996_review.htm|title=Bermuda Triangle (1996)|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of fantastic Film and television|publisher=Kim Newman|access-date=28 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324092645/http://www.eofftv.com/kim_newman_archive/b/bermuda_triangle_1996_review.htm|archive-date=24 March 2012}}</ref> She had the lead role in ''[[Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering]]'', in which children in a small town become possessed under the command of a wrongfully murdered [[child preacher]].<ref name=tca/>

In 1997, she starred in the Australian ensemble romantic drama ''[[Under the Lighthouse Dancing]]'' starring [[Jack Thompson (actor)|Jack Thompson]] and [[Jacqueline McKenzie]]. She also played the lead role in the short-lived television series ''[[Sleepwalkers (TV series)|Sleepwalkers]]''.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> In 1998, she starred alongside [[Neil Patrick Harris]] and [[Debbie Reynolds]] in the TV film ''[[The Christmas Wish (film)|The Christmas Wish]]'', played the supporting role of Giulia De Lezze in ''[[Dangerous Beauty]]'',<ref name=biochannel/> and provided some voice work for ''[[Babe: Pig in the City]]''.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> She said in an interview in 2012, "That really should not be on my résumé! I think that was early on in the day, when I was trying to beef up my résumé. I came in and did a couple days' work of voiceovers and we had to suck on [helium] and then do a little mouse voice. But I was one in a hundred, so I'm sure you would never be able to identify my voice. I probably couldn't either!"<ref name=weirdest>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/12/naomi-watts-on-the-impossible-controversy.html|title=Naomi Watts on The Impossible and Her Weirdest Film Credit|publisher=Vulture.com|first=Kyle|last=Buchanan|date=19 December 2012|access-date=14 March 2013}}</ref>

In 1999, she played Alice in the romantic comedy ''[[Strange Planet]]'' and the Texan student [[Holly Maddux]] in ''[[The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer]]''. This was based on the true effort to capture [[Ira Einhorn]], who was charged with Maddux's murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/strange-planet-v181000|title=Strange Planet (1999)|work=AllRovi|access-date=28 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718191443/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/strange-planet-v181000|archive-date=18 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-hunt-for-the-unicorn-killer-v180100|title=The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)|work=AllRovi|access-date=28 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724203706/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-hunt-for-the-unicorn-killer-v180100|archive-date=24 July 2012}}</ref> In 2000, while [[David Lynch]] was developing the rejected pilot of ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]'' as a feature film, Watts starred alongside [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Jack Davenport]] and [[Iain Glen]] in the [[BBC]] TV film ''[[The Wyvern Mystery]]'', an adaptation of the novel of the same name by [[Sheridan Le Fanu]]. It was broadcast in March of that year.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> She had some near misses for roles in her early career: she was considered for significant roles in such films as 1997's ''[[The Postman (film)|The Postman]]'' and ''[[The Devil's Advocate (1997 film)|The Devil's Advocate]]''; all eventually went to other actresses.<ref name="misses">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2006-Ra-Z/Watts-Naomi.html|title=Naomi Watts: Biography|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of World Biography|publisher=Advameg, Inc.|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2002 Watts recalled her early career in an interview. She had lost a role she wanted in ''[[Meet the Parents]]'' in 2000. She said, "It is a tough town. I think my spirit has taken a beating. The most painful thing has been the endless auditions. Knowing that you have something to offer, but not being able to show it, is so frustrating. As an unknown, you get treated badly. I auditioned and waited for things I did not have any belief in, but I needed the work and had to accept horrendous pieces of shit."<ref name=sundaytimes/> Watts studied the [[Meisner Technique]]. She referred to this again in a 2012 interview. Watts said, "I came to New York and auditioned at least five times for ''Meet the Parents''. I think the director liked me but the studio didn't. I heard every piece of feedback you could imagine, and in this case, it was 'not sexy enough'."<ref name=dailybeast>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/21/naomi-watts-on-the-impossible-personal-tragedy-and-playing-princess-diana.html|title=Naomi Watts on 'The Impossible,' Personal Tragedy, and Playing Princess Diana|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=21 December 2012|access-date=14 March 2013|last1=Stern|first1=Marlow}}</ref>

===Rise to prominence (2001–2002)===
[[File:Naomi Watts és David Lynch--.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Watts with director [[David Lynch]] at the [[2001 Cannes Film Festival]]]]

In 1999, director [[David Lynch]] began casting for his psychological thriller ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]''. He interviewed Watts after looking at her headshot,<ref name=dailybeast/> without having seen any of her previous work,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Twin Piques|first=Anna|last=David|date=November 2001|journal=[[Première (magazine)|Première]]|pages=80–81|volume=15|issue=3}}</ref> and offered her the lead role.<ref name=dailybeast/> Lynch later said about his selection of Watts, "I saw someone that I felt had a tremendous talent, and I saw someone who had a beautiful soul, an intelligence—possibilities for a lot of different roles, so it was a beautiful full package."<ref>{{cite news|title=It's a Road She Knows Well; 'Mulholland Dr.' star Naomi Watts has lived the Hollywood metaphor behind the fabled highway|first=Scarlet|last=Cheng|date=12 October 2001|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-12-ca-56239-story.html|access-date=7 July 2011|page=20}}</ref> Conceived as a pilot for a television series, Lynch shot a large portion of the film in February 1999, planning to keep it open-ended for a potential series. However, the pilot was rejected. Watts recalled thinking at the time, "just my dumb luck, that I'm in the only David Lynch programme that never sees the light of day."<ref name=mymotto/> Lynch filmed an ending for the work in October 2000, turning it into a feature film, which was picked up for distribution. ''Mulholland Drive'', also starring [[Laura Harring]] and [[Justin Theroux]], premiered at the 2001 [[Cannes Film Festival]] to high critical acclaim and marked Watts's breakthrough. Reviewing her performance, Peter Bradshaw of ''[[The Guardian]]'' stated that "Watts's face metamorphoses miraculously from fresh-faced beauty to a frenzied, teary scowl of ugliness.";<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/jan/04/1 |first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |title=''Mulholland Drive'' review|work=The Guardian|date=4 January 2002|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> [[Emanuel Levy]] wrote, "...&nbsp;Watts, in a brilliant performance, a young, wide-eyed and grotesquely cheerful blonde, full of high hopes to make it big in Hollywood."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emanuellevy.com/review/mulholland-drive-3/|first=Emanuel|last=Levy|title=Mulholland Drive review by Emanuel Levy|work=Emanuel Levy|date=28 March 2006 |publisher=Emanuel Levy's Official Site|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> The film and Watts received numerous awards and nominations, including the [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress]] and a nomination for the [[American Film Institute]] Award for Best Actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mulholland-dr-v246240 |title=Mulholland Dr. (2001) Awards |work=AllRovi |access-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701113344/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mulholland-dr-v246240 |archive-date=1 July 2011 }}</ref> The surrealist film explored the story of aspiring actress Betty Elms, played by Watts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/23/1027332361018.html|first=Red|last=Symons|title=Man in spirit-led, Mulholland-riddle miracle!|work=The Age|date=6 July 2002|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref>

Also in 2001, Watts starred in two short films, ''Never Date an Actress'' and ''[[Ellie Parker]]'', and the horror film ''[[Down (film)|The Shaft]]'', director [[Dick Maas]]'s remake of his 1983 film ''[[De Lift]]''.<ref name="Talk Talk"/> In 2002, she starred in one of the biggest box office hits of that year,<ref name="Talk Talk"/> ''[[The Ring (2002 film)|The Ring]]'', the English-language remake of the [[J-Horror|Japanese horror film]] ''[[Ring (film)|Ring]]''. Directed by [[Gore Verbinski]], the film, which also starred [[Martin Henderson]] and [[Brian Cox (actor)|Brian Cox]], received favourable reviews and grossed around US$129&nbsp;million domestically (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|129|2002|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ring.htm|title=The Ring at Box Office Mojo|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> Watts portrayed [[Rachel Keller]], a journalist investigating the strange deaths of her niece and other teenagers after they watched a mysterious videotape and received a phone call announcing their deaths in seven days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ring/|title=The Ring (2002)|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> Her performance was praised by critics, including Paul Clinton of ''[[CNN.com]]'', who said that she "is excellent in this leading role, which proves that her stellar performance in ''Mulholland Drive'' was not a fluke. She strikes a perfect balance between skepticism and the slow realisation of the truth in regard to the deadly power of the videotape."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/18/review.the.ring/index.html|title=Review: 'The Ring' gets under your skin|work=CNN|first=Paul|last=Clinton|access-date=8 December 2010|date=18 October 2002}}</ref> In the same year, she also starred in ''[[Rabbits (film)|Rabbits]]'', a series of short films directed by David Lynch; alongside several other famous British actors in the black comedy ''[[Plots with a View]]''; and with [[Tim Daly]] in ''[[The Outsider (2002 film)|The Outsider]]'', a western.

===Established actress (2003–2007)===
In 2003, Watts took the part of Julia Cook in [[Gregor Jordan]]'s Australian film ''[[Ned Kelly (2003 film)|Ned Kelly]]'', opposite [[Heath Ledger]], [[Orlando Bloom]] and [[Geoffrey Rush]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/ned-kelly-v283385|title=Ned Kelly (2003)|work=AllRovi|access-date=7 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719112415/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/ned-kelly-v283385|archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> She also starred in the [[Merchant Ivory Productions|Merchant-Ivory]] film ''[[Le Divorce]]''. She portrayed Roxeanne de Persand, a poet who is pregnant and abandoned by her husband Charles-Henri de Persand. Roxeanne and her sister Isabel (played by [[Kate Hudson]]) dispute the ownership of a painting by [[Georges de La Tour]] with the family of Charles-Henri's lover. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a "C" rating and lamented Watts's performance: "I'm disappointed to report that Hudson and Watts have no chemistry as sisters, perhaps because Watts never seems like the expatriate artiste she's supposed to be playing".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gleiberman|first = Owen |title = Le Divorce | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]]| date = 5 August 2003 | url = https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,472427,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121008160948/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,472427,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 8 October 2012 |access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref>

Her performance opposite [[Sean Penn]] and [[Benicio del Toro]] in [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s psychological drama ''[[21 Grams]]'' (2003) earned Watts numerous award nominations, including her first nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]], the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]] and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/2000-present/76nominees.html |title=Nominees & Winners for the 76th Academy Awards |work=Academy Awards- Official Site |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727154929/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/2000-present/76nominees.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref> In the story, told in a non-linear manner, she portrayed Cristina Peck, a grief-stricken widow  living a suburban life after her husband and two children were killed by Jack Jordan (Benicio del Toro). She became involved in a relationship with Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), an academic mathematician who was critically ill. She has said of the nomination, "It's far beyond what I ever dreamed for – that would have been too far fetched".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/11/1076388374177.html|title=Watts bath to fame|work=The Age |first=Paul|last=Clinton|access-date=7 July 2011|date=11 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/21-grams-v290208|title=21 Grams (2003) Awards|work=AllRovi|access-date=7 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603085706/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/21-grams-v290208|archive-date=3 June 2011}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' praised her: "Because Ms. Watts reinvents herself with each performance, it's easy to forget how brilliant she is. She has a boldness that comes from a lack of overemphasis, something actresses sometimes do to keep up with Mr. Penn".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02EEDB153EF93BA25753C1A9659C8B63|first=Elvis|last=Mitchell|title=21 Grams (2003) movie review|work=The New York Times|date=18 October 2003|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> The ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote: "Watts is riveting, but she's much better in scenes of extreme emotion than in those requiring subtlety."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/reviews/movies/21GRAMS.DTL|first=Carla|last=Meyer|title=Gloomy '21 Grams' for weighty souls|work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=26 November 2003|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Naomi Watts (6800617073).jpg|alt=|thumb|309x309px|Watts in Sydney in 2012]]
In 2004, Watts starred alongside [[Mark Ruffalo]] in the independent film ''[[We Don't Live Here Anymore]]'',<ref name="Talk Talk"/> based on short stories by [[Andre Dubus]]. It explores the crises of two married couples who are friends and struggling in their lives.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/287908/We-Don-t-Live-Here-Anymore/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929043856/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/287908/We-Don-t-Live-Here-Anymore/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2007|title=We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004)|access-date=7 July 2011|first=A. O.|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author-link=A. O. Scott|date=2007|last=Scott}}</ref> She reunited with Sean Penn in ''[[The Assassination of Richard Nixon]]'', playing the wife of the would-be presidential assassin [[Samuel Byck]] (Penn).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-assassination-of-richard-nixon-v304506|title=The Assassination of Richard Nixon|work=AllRovi|access-date=7 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027221436/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-assassination-of-richard-nixon-v304506|archive-date=27 October 2011}}</ref> She teamed up with [[Jude Law]] and [[Dustin Hoffman]] in [[David O. Russell]]'s ensemble comedy ''[[I Heart Huckabees]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/heart-huckabees/cast/137660|title=I Heart Huckabees: Cast & Details|work=TV Guide|access-date=7 July 2011|archive-date=23 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223192911/http://movies.tvguide.com/heart-huckabees/cast/137660|url-status=dead}}</ref> She headlined and produced the semi-autobiographical drama ''[[Ellie Parker]]'' (2005), which depicted the struggle of an Australian actress in Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/ellie-parker-v318905|title=Ellie Parker Synopsis|work=AllRovie|access-date=7 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730014257/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/ellie-parker-v318905|archive-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> The film began as a short film that was screened at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in 2001. Over the next four years, it was expanded into a feature-length production. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] praised Watts's performance: "The character is played by Watts with courage, fearless observation and a gift for timing that is so uncanny it can make points all by itself."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/REVIEWS/51205003/1023|title=Ellie Parker|date=16 December 2005|first=Roger|last=Ebert|work=Chicago-Sun Times|access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref>

Watts starred in the sequel to ''The Ring'', ''[[The Ring Two]]'' (2005), which, despite a negative critical response,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ring_two/|title=The Ring Two (2005)|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> made more than US$161&nbsp;million worldwide gross (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|161|2005|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ring2.htm|title=The Ring Two|work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> In 2005, Watts also headlined the [[King Kong (2005 film)|remake]] of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' as Ann Darrow. She was the first choice for the role, portrayed by [[Fay Wray]] in the original film, and no other actors were considered.<ref name=beg>{{cite book | author = [[Brian Sibley]] | title = Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey | publisher = [[HarperCollins]] | pages = 526–542 | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-0-00-717558-1 | location = London}}</ref> In preparation for her role, Watts met with Wray,<ref name=fi>{{cite news|author-first1=Ian |author-last1=Spelling |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue452/interview.html |title=Peter Jackson proves with King Kong that the director, not the beast, is the true eighth wonder of the world |work=[[Science Fiction Weekly]] |date=December 2005 |access-date=1 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619091002/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue452/interview.html |archive-date=19 June 2006 }}</ref> who was to make a cameo appearance and say the final line of dialogue. Wray died at the age of 96 during pre-production.<ref name=Ray>{{cite book | author = Paul A. Woods | title = Peter Jackson: From Gore to Mordor | publisher = Plexus Books | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-85965-356-5 | pages = 176–187 | chapter = Kong Cometh! | location = London}}</ref> ''King Kong'' proved to be Watts's most commercially successful film yet. Helmed by director [[Peter Jackson]], who had made ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'', the film won high praise and grossed US$550&nbsp;million worldwide (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|550|2005|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=kingkong05.htm|title=King Kong BoxOffice|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb|access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=naomiwatts.htm|title=Naomi Watts BoxOffice|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb|access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref> The ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' praised Watts's  performance: "The third act becomes a star-crossed, "[[Beauty and the Beast]]" parable far more operatic and tragic than anything the original filmmakers could have imagined, exquisitely pantomimed by Watts with a poignancy and passion that rates Oscar consideration."<ref>{{cite news|title=A bigger, better 'Kong'|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/A-bigger-better-Kong-1189771.php|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=7 August 2011|date=13 December 2005|first=William|last=Arnold}}</ref> Watts reprised her role as Darrow in the [[King Kong (2005 video game)|video game adaptation]] of ''King Kong'',<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/king-kong-cast-bananas-for-game/1100-6140029/ King Kong cast bananas for game] Retrieved 17 May 2019.</ref> for which her voice performance garnered her significant praise. She was nominated for a [[Spike Video Game Awards#2005 Awards|Spike Video Game Award]] for Best Performance by a Female. Watts and the game's other cast members also won an award for Best Cast.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/peter-jacksons-king-kong-the-official-game-of-the-/1900-6140324/ | title=Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie Review }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/peter-jacksons-king-kong-review/10262 | title=Peter Jackson's King Kong PC Review &#124; GameWatcher }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/spike-tv-announces-award-nominees-presenters|title=Spike TV Announces Award Nominees, Presenters|last=Carless|first=Simon|date=25 October 2005|website=[[Gamasutra]]|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/spike-tv-video-game-awards-2005-winners-announced/|title=Spike TV Video Game Awards 2005 Winners Announced|last=DeMott|first=Rick|date=22 November 2005|publisher=[[Animation World Network]]|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> Her other 2005 film release was [[Marc Forster]]'s psychological thriller ''[[Stay (2005 film)|Stay]]'', alongside [[Ewan McGregor]], [[Ryan Gosling]] and [[Bob Hoskins]].<ref name="Talk Talk"/>

At this point in her career, Watts said the following:

{{blockquote|You'd better know why you're here as an actor&nbsp;... I'm here to work out my shit, what my problems are and know who I am, so by cracking open these characters perhaps that shines a light on it a little bit better&nbsp;... I know myself. I mean, of course I know myself better but the journey and search continue because hopefully we're evolving and growing all the time.<ref name=Girl.com.au>{{cite web |url=http://www.girl.com.au/naomi-watts-king-kong-interview.htm |title=Naomi Watts – King Kong Interview |publisher=girl.com.au |last=Fischer|first=Paul |access-date=2 July 2015}}</ref>
}}

In the romantic drama ''[[The Painted Veil (2006 film)|The Painted Veil]]'' (2006), based on the novel of the same name by Somerset Maugham, Watts played the daughter of a lawyer and his wife. She is under pressure to marry and chooses a physician  (Edward Norton) known as a [[bacteriologist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-painted-veil-v323785|title=The Painted Veil|work=AllRovie|publisher=Rovi Corporation|access-date=7 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118202342/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/the-painted-veil-v323785|archive-date=18 January 2012}}</ref> She is not prepared when her husband goes to Hong Kong, then a British colony, for work and then forces her to mainland China to a region suffering a cholera epidemic. Comparing her portrayal with [[Greta Garbo]]'s in the original movie adapted from the same novel, the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' wrote, "Watts makes the role work on her own terms–her Kitty is more desperate, more foolish, more miserable and more driven... and her spiritual journey is greater.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/29/DDG4MN9CKF1.DTL&type=movies|title=Will you marry me? And live unhappily ever after in China?|first=Mick|last=LaSalle|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=29 December 2006|access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref> Watts also provided the voice of a small role, Suzie Rabbit, in David Lynch's [[psychological thriller]] ''[[Inland Empire (film)|Inland Empire]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/inland-empire-v326849 |title=Inland Empire |work=AllRovie |access-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627113340/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/inland-empire-v326849 |archive-date=27 June 2011 }}</ref> In the same year, she was announced as the new face of the jewelers [[David Yurman]] and completed a photoshoot that was featured in the 2007 [[Pirelli Calendar]].<ref name="people" />

In [[David Cronenberg]]'s ''[[Eastern Promises]]'' (2007), Watts portrays a Russian-British midwife, opposite [[Viggo Mortensen]]. She delivers the baby of a drug-addicted 14-year old prostitute.<ref name=Eastern>{{cite web|url=http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/eastern-promises-film-review-20671.html|title=Eastern Promises|work=View London|first=Matthew|last=Turner|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> In its review, ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' magazine observed that she "brings a wounded radiance to the overcurious midwife Anna. Though it's a bit of a one-note role, it's a note she's long specialised in, a kind of flustered moral aggrievement".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2007/09/eastern_promises.html|title=David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises reviewed.|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=13 September 2007|author-first1=Dana|author-last1=Stevens}}</ref> ''Eastern Promises'' grossed US$56&nbsp;million worldwide, (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|56|2005|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=easternpromises.htm|title=Eastern Promises|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb|access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Eastern-Promises|title=Eastern Promises|publisher=The-numbers.com|access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref> Also that year she was a producer and starred in [[Michael Haneke]]'s ''[[Funny Games (2007 film)|Funny Games]]'' (2007). She played a mother who, with her family, is held hostage by a pair of sociopathic teenagers. It was a remake of [[Funny Games (1997 film)|Haneke's 1997 film of the same name]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/827/827704p3.html|title=Top 10 Films at the London Film Festival|last=Tilly|first=Chris|date=17 October 2007|work=IGN UK|access-date=25 January 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040623/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/827/827704p3.html|archive-date=25 October 2007}}</ref> According to the UK's ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', the director said that he agreed to make the film on condition that he be allowed to cast Watts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3672273/Film-review-Funny-Games.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3672273/Film-review-Funny-Games.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Film review: Funny Games|author-first1=Sukhdev |author-last1=Sandhu|date=4 April 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/eastern-promises-naomi-watts-interview|title=Eastern Promises – Naomi Watts interview|publisher=IndieLondon|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125172852/http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/eastern-promises-naomi-watts-interview|archive-date=25 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_14320.html|title=Naomi Watts Interview, Funny Games|publisher=MoviesOnline}}</ref> The film was largely unnoticed by critics and audiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1175174-funny_games/|title=Funny Games|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|date=14 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2136311297/|title=Funny Games (2008)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> ''[[Newsweek]]'' said that Watts "hurls herself into her physically demanding role with heroic conviction".<ref>{{cite web|last=Ansen|first=David|url=http://www.newsweek.com/rottweiler-now-english-83715|title=A Rottweiler, Now in English|work=Newsweek|date=15 March 2008}}</ref>

===Biographical and independent films (2009–2014)===
After a short hiatus from acting following the birth of her two children, Watts returned to acting in 2009, starring alongside [[Clive Owen]] in the political action thriller ''[[The International (2009 film)|The International]]'', in which she played a [[Manhattan]] assistant district attorney who partners with an [[Interpol]] agent to take down a [[merchant bank]].<ref name="naomifilm">{{Cite news|first=Kit |last=Borys |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i47021a7b93e54966cb8af7e263c109c8 |title=Watts has passport for Col's 'Int'l' |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=13 July 2007 |access-date=8 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715164550/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i47021a7b93e54966cb8af7e263c109c8 |archive-date=15 July 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The production was a moderate commercial success,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/international/|title=The International (2009)|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> grossing over US$60&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|60|2009|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}) worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=international.htm|title=The International|work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> She next appeared in the drama ''[[Mother and Child (2009 film)|Mother and Child]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/mother-and-child-2-1200476120/|website=Variety|title=Review: 'Mother and Child'|first=Todd|last=McCarthy|date=16 September 2009|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> portraying the role of a lawyer who never knew her biological mother.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mother and Child – Cast and Crew|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mother-and-child-v499195|work=Allrovie|publisher=Rovie Corporation|access-date=8 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129035518/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mother-and-child-v499195 |archive-date=29 November 2011}}</ref> ''ViewLondon'' found her to be "terrific as [her character], delivering a powerful performance that [...] isn't afraid to be unsympathetic".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/mother-and-child-film-review-44349.html|title=Mother and Child Review|access-date=27 September 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826114906/http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/mother-and-child-film-review-44349.html|archive-date=26 August 2016|work=View London|author-first1=Matthew|author-last1=Turner|year=2012}}</ref> She was nominated for the [[Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] award at the [[Australian Film Institute Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.org.au/AFI_Award_Winners_and_Nominees/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?ContentID=11996&Section=AFI_Award_Winners_and_Nominees|title=2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards Nominees & Winners|work=AFI Awards|publisher=Australian Film Institute|access-date=8 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613074712/http://www.afi.org.au/AFI_Award_Winners_and_Nominees/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?ContentID=11996&Section=AFI_Award_Winners_and_Nominees|archive-date=13 June 2011}}</ref> and for the [[Independent Spirit Award]] for [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female|Best Supporting Female]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mother-and-child-v499195|title=Mother and Child – Awards|work=Allrovie|publisher=Rovie Corporation|access-date=8 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129035518/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/mother-and-child-v499195|archive-date=29 November 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Naomi Watts.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Watts at the [[Deauville American Film Festival]] in 2011]]
Her next film, the [[Woody Allen]]-directed [[dramedy]] ''[[You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger]]'', opened at the [[2010 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11019455/year/2010.html |title=Cannes Film Festival – Selection List |publisher=Le Festival International du Film de Cannes |access-date=8 October 2010 |archive-date=11 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211071958/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11019455/year/2010.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and saw her portray Sally, a woman who has a troubled marriage with author Roy (played by [[Josh Brolin]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/you-will-meet-a-tall-dark-stranger|title=You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=8 October 2010}}</ref> It made over US$26&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|26|2010|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=talldarkstranger.htm|title=You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> Her portrayal of [[Valerie Plame]] in the biographical thriller ''[[Fair Game (2010 film)|Fair Game]]'' followed,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11022739/year/2010.html|title=Fair Game|publisher=Le Festival International du Film de Cannes|access-date=8 December 2010|archive-date=11 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211071602/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11022739/year/2010.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and marked the third pairing of Watts with Sean Penn after ''21 Grams'' and ''The Assassination of Richard Nixon''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/sean-penn-in-talks-for-plame-game-1118000481/|first=Michael|last=Fleming |title=Sean Penn in talks for Plame 'Game' |work=Variety|date=23 February 2009 |access-date=30 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/reviews/theatrical/2010-05-fair-game?q=fair+game|title=A taut retelling of the scandal that exposed Valerie Plame|work=Box Office magazine|publisher=Box Office Media|date=22 May 2010|access-date=8 August 2011|first=Pete|last=Hammond|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921025527/http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/reviews/theatrical/2010-05-fair-game?q=fair+game|archive-date=21 September 2011}}</ref> The film earned Watts a [[Satellite Award]] nomination for [[Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actress]].<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/11/winters_bone_tops_independent_spirit_award_nominations.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123174719/http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/11/winters_bone_tops_independent_spirit_award_nominations.php|archive-date=23 January 2011|title='Winter's Bone' Tops Indie Spirit Award Noms |work=Warner Bros.|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> In 2011, she appeared with [[Daniel Craig]] and [[Rachel Weisz]] in [[Jim Sheridan]]'s psychological horror film ''[[Dream House (2011 film)|Dream House]]'', as the neighbour of a murdered family,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/dream-house-trailer-starring-daniel-craig-and-naomi-watts|title=Dream House Trailer Starring Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=20 July 2011|access-date=8 August 2011|archive-date=21 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921192608/http://www.movieweb.com/news/dream-house-trailer-starring-daniel-craig-and-naomi-watts|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dream_house_2011/|title=Dream House|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> and with [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] in [[Clint Eastwood]]'s biographical drama ''[[J. Edgar]]'', playing secretary [[Helen Gandy]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS53343025320110803|title='J. Edgar' Slips into Theaters Nov. 9 With Limited Bow|date=3 August 2011|first=Joshua|last=Weinstein|work=The Wrap News, Inc|access-date=8 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/11/box-office-j-edgar-immortals-jack-jill.html|title=Movie Projector: 'Immortals' poised to conquer box office|author-first1=Amy|author-last1=Kaufman|work=Los Angeles Times|date=10 November 2011}}</ref> While ''Dream House'' flopped,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3282&p=.htm|title=Weekend Report: 'Dolphin Tale' Leaps Into Lead – Box Office Mojo|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> ''J. Edgar'' had a more favorable reception.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3277489665/|title=J. Edgar (2011)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

Watts starred in ''[[The Impossible (2012 film)|The Impossible]]'' (2012), a disaster drama based on the true story of [[María Belón]] and her family's experience of the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|2004 Indian Ocean tsunami]]; she played the lead role, with her name changed to Maria Bennett. The film was a critical darling, had the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film in Spain,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/by-year/2012/?area=ES|title=Spanish Box Office Weekends For 2012|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> and made US$180.2 million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|180|2012|r=1}}}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}) globally.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Impossible | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121219/REVIEWS/121219990/1023 | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=19 December 2012 | access-date=10 March 2013 | archive-date=3 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303131446/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121219/REVIEWS/121219990/1023 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Deborah Young of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' stated that "Watts packs a huge charge of emotion as the battered, ever-weakening Maria whose tears of pain and fear never appear fake or idealised,"<ref name="Young">{{cite web |author-last1=Young|author-first1= Deborah |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/impossible-naomi-watts-ewan-mcgregor-369260 |title=The Impossible: Toronto Review |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=10 September 2012 |access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> while Justin Chang of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine remarked that she "has few equals at conveying physical and emotional extremis, something she again demonstrates in a mostly bedridden role."<ref name="Chang">{{cite web 
|author-last1=Chang|author-first1= Justin |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117948281?refcatid=31 |title=The Impossible |work=Variety |publisher=Reed Elsevier Properties Inc |date=10 September 2012 |access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> Damon Wise of ''The Guardian'' felt that "Watts is both brave and vulnerable, and her scenes with the young Lucas&nbsp;[...] are among the film's best."<ref name="Wise">{{cite news |author-last1=Wise|author-first1= Damon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/sep/12/impossible-review |title=The Impossible |newspaper=The Guardian |date=12 September 2012 |access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> Watts earned nominations for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]] and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]], in addition to her second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web |title=Naomi Watts|work=[[Allmovie]] |url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/naomi-watts-p75056/awards |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>

In ''[[Adore (film)|Adore]]'' (2013), Watts starred with [[Robin Wright]] as two childhood friends who fall in love with each other's sons. On the film, critics concluded that Watts and Wright "give it their all, but they can't quite make ''Adore'''s trashy, absurd plot believable".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/adore_2013/|title=Adore|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=6 September 2013}}</ref> She obtained the [[Film Critics Circle of Australia|FCCA Award]] for Best Actress in 2014 for her role. The anthology comedy ''[[Movie 43]]'' (2013) featured Watts as a devoted mother, alongside Liev Schreiber.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmofilia.com/movie-43-tv-spot-no3-130141/|title=MOVIE 43 TV Spot No3 – FilmoFilia|first=Aleksandar|last=Popovic|date=27 December 2012 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> ''Movie 43'' was universally panned by critics, with [[Richard Roeper]] calling it "the ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' of awful".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/movie-43-2013|title=Movie 43 Movie Review & Film Summary (2013) – Roger Ebert|first=Richard|last=Roeper|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

In [[Laurie Collyer]]'s independent drama ''[[Sunlight Jr.]]'' (2013), Watts starred with [[Matt Dillon]] as a struggling working-class couple.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sunlight-jr-tribeca-review-443635|title=Sunlight Jr.: Tribeca Review|author-first1=Frank |author-last1=Scheck|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 April 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribecafilm.com/stories/5-norman-reedus-performances-sunlight-jr-the-walking-dead|title=5 Norman Reedus Performances You Need to Seek Out – Tribeca|access-date=27 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822011518/https://tribecafilm.com/stories/5-norman-reedus-performances-sunlight-jr-the-walking-dead|archive-date=22 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/urbanite-1.812039/movie-review-sunlight-jr-3-stars-1.6437713 |title=Movie review: 'Sunlight Jr.' – 3 stars |last=Levin |first=Robert |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141201234719/http://www.newsday.com/urbanite-1.812039/movie-review-sunlight-jr-3-stars-1.6437713 |archive-date=1 December 2014 |date=14 November 2013 }}</ref> The ''San Francisco Chronicle'', praising Watts and Dillon, wrote in its review for the film that they are "formidable actors at the top of their game here [...] exhibiting a remarkable chemistry".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Sunlight-Jr-review-Love-in-dismal-surroundings-4983883.php|title='Sunlight Jr.' review: Love in dismal surroundings|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=14 November 2013}}</ref> Watts portrayed the title role in [[Oliver Hirschbiegel]]'s ''[[Diana (2013 film)|Diana]]'' (her final film released in 2013),<ref name=allmovie/> a biographical drama about the last two years of the life of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]. Released amid much controversy given its subject, the film was a critical flop.<ref>{{cite news |title=Diana film slammed by British press |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-23985665 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=6 September 2013 |access-date=28 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Diana |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diana_2013/ |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |date=1 November 2013}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] found the film to be a "dull, pointless" production and remarked that while Watts did a "decent job encapsulating the look and feel of Diana", her portrayal was "a two-dimensional recreation".<ref>{{cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=Diana – Reelviews Movie Reviews |url=http://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/diana |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

[[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s dark comedy ''[[Birdman (film)|Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)]]'' (2014) featured Watts as the actress of a play mounted by a faded Hollywood actor (played by [[Michael Keaton]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/naomi-watts-trades-oscarbait-for-a-lighter-career-20141030-11dzto.html.|title=Naomi Watts trades Oscar-bait for a lighter career|author-first1=Steven|author-last1=Zeitchik|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=30 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/10/birdman-venice-film-festival-opening-night|title=Birdman to hatch on opening night of Venice film festival|first=Xan|last=Brooks|date=10 July 2014|access-date=27 September 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3926&p=.htm |title=Weekend Report: 'Fury' Topples 'Gone Girl,' 'Birdman' Soars in Limited Release – Box Office Mojo |publisher=Box Office Mojo |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/birdman_2014/?search=birdman|title=Birdman|date=17 October 2014|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> The film was the subject of widespread acclaim,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Birdman-review-Inarritu-s-fine-showbiz-5842625.php|title='Birdman' review: Inarritu's fine showbiz satire of ex-superhero|newspaper=Sfgate |access-date=27 September 2016|date=23 October 2014 |last1=LaSalle |first1= Mick }}</ref> and won four awards at the [[87th Academy Awards]] including Best Picture;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/oscar-winners-2015-academy-award-winner-list-1201439020/|title=Oscar Winners 2015: Complete List|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=23 February 2015|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Watts and the other cast members earned the [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] for [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-sag-awards-2015-birdman-wins-cast-motion-picture-story.html|title=SAG Awards 2015: 'Birdman' wins for cast in a motion picture|work=Los Angeles Times|date=26 January 2015 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Her other two awaiting projects were screened at the [[2014 Toronto International Film Festival]]. The dramedy ''[[St. Vincent (film)|St. Vincent]]'' starred Watts as a Russian prostitute. She learned the accent by spending time with Russian women in a [[West Village]] spa during a six-week period.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/naomi-watts-on-preparing-for-st-vincent-with-bill-murray-and-melissa-mccarthy|title=Naomi Watts on how she conquered fear of working with Bill Murray|date=20 October 2014|work=CBS News|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> ''Los Angeles Times'' reported a dividing reaction towards her performance, asserting that her part "put off some critics with its outrageousness", but "earned plenty of plaudits too".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-naomi-watts-comedies-demolition-st-vincent-birdman-20141029-story.html#page=1|title=Naomi Watts chooses comedic roles to lighten up her career|date=29 October 2014|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Watts earned a nomination for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role]]. In ''[[While We're Young (film)|While We're Young]]'', Watts starred with [[Ben Stiller]] as a New York City-based married couple who begin hanging out with a couple in their 20s. That film was an [[arthouse]] success and Watts received praise for her on-screen chemistry with Stiller.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/were-young-toronto-review-730802|title='While We're Young': Toronto Review|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=6 September 2014 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/toronto-film-festival-while-were-young-1201299916/|title=Toronto Film Review: 'While We're Young'|first=Peter|last=Debruge|date=7 September 2014|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/movies/review-in-while-were-young-a-coupling-of-gen-x-and-y.html|title=Review: In 'While We're Young,' a Coupling of Gen X and Y|date=27 March 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=27 September 2016|last1=Scott|first1=A. O.}}</ref>

===Film and television work (2015–present)===
[[File:Naomi Watts Cannes 2015 2.jpg|thumb|upright|left| Watts at the [[2015 Cannes Film Festival]]]]

Watts played rebel leader [[List of The Divergent trilogy characters#Evelyn Johnson-Eaton|Evelyn Johnson-Eaton]] in ''[[The Divergent Series: Insurgent|Insurgent]]'' (2015), the second film in ''[[The Divergent Series]]'', which is based on [[Veronica Roth]]'s best-selling [[Divergent (novel)|young adult novel of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jessica Derschowitz|title=Naomi Watts joins cast of "Divergent" sequels "Insurgent," "Allegiant"|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/naomi-watts-joins-cast-of-divergent-sequels-insurgent-allegiant/|work=CBS News|access-date=30 June 2014|date=4 June 2014}}</ref> Despite mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing US$274.5&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref name="BOOM">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=insurgent.htm |title=The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teen.com/2015/03/18/movies/insurgent-movie-bad-reviews/|title=33 Horrible Insurgent Reviews That'll Piss Fans the Eff Off|access-date=20 March 2015|date=18 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827003628/http://www.teen.com/2015/03/18/movies/insurgent-movie-bad-reviews/|archive-date=27 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Watts reprised her role in the series's third instalment, ''[[The Divergent Series: Allegiant|Allegiant]]'', released on 18 March 2016, to negative reviews and lackluster box office sales.<ref name=Variety>{{cite web|first1=Marc |last1=Graser |first2=Tatiana |last2=Siegel |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/naomi-watts-set-for-birds-remake-2-1117974282/|title=Naomi Watts set for 'Birds' remake|work=Variety|date=18 October 2007|access-date=21 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://downriversundaytimes.com/2014/08/04/celebrity-extra-262/|title=Celebrity Extra|last=Elavsky|first=Cindy|publisher=[[King Features]]|date=4 August 2014}}</ref>

Watts starred in [[Gus Van Sant]]'s mystery drama ''[[The Sea of Trees]]'', opposite [[Matthew McConaughey]], as the wife of an American man who attempts suicide in [[Mount Fuji]]'s "[[Suicide Forest]]". The film premiered at the [[2015 Cannes Film Festival]] where it competed for the [[Palme d'Or]], but was heavily panned by both critics and audiences, who reportedly booed and laughed during its screening.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gus Van Sant's 'Sea of Trees' Booed at Cannes Premiere|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/gus-van-sants-sea-of-trees-booed-at-cannes-premiere-1201497795/|access-date=15 May 2015|work=Variety|date=15 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reinstein|first1=Mara|title=Matthew McConaughey's Film The Sea of Trees Booed, Laughed at During Cannes Film Festival|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/matthew-mcconaugheys-the-sea-of-trees-booed-at-cannes-film-festival-2015165|work=Us Weekly|access-date=15 May 2015|date=15 May 2015}}</ref> Critic Richard Mowe stated the audience reaction should "give the film's creative team pause for reflection about exactly where they went so badly awry."<ref name="The Sea of Trees 2015 Review">{{cite web|last1=Mowe|first1=Richard|title=The Sea of Trees (2015) Review|url=http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-sea-of-trees-2015-film-review-by-richard-mowe|publisher=eyeforefilm.co.uk|access-date=15 May 2015|date=15 May 2015}}</ref> Justin Chang of ''Variety'' also criticised the film, but commended Watts's performance for being "solidly moving and sometimes awesomely passive-aggressive."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chang|first1=Justin|title=Cannes Film Review: 'The Sea of Trees'|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/the-sea-of-trees-review-matthew-mcconaughey-cannes-1201495483/|work=Variety|access-date=15 May 2015|date=15 May 2015}}</ref> ''The Sea of Trees'' did not find an audience in theaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3279848961/|title=The Sea of Trees|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

Like ''St. Vincent'' and ''While We're Young'' the previous year, Watts starred in two films—''[[Demolition (2015 film)|Demolition]]'' and ''[[Three Generations]]''— which screened at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]], in 2015. In ''Demolition'', directed by [[Jean-Marc Vallée]] and opposite [[Jake Gyllenhaal]], Watts played a customer service representative and the interest of a grieving [[investment banker]] (Gyllenhaal).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/demolition_2016/|title=Demolition|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl92112385/|title=Demolition (2016) – Box Office Mojo|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> ''The Wrap'' felt that she "empathetically captures [her] harried single mom" role as she played "both the wit and the sadness with grace".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/demolition-review-jake-gyllenhaal/|title='Demolition' Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Grapples With Delayed Grief in Dark Dramedy|date=8 April 2016}}</ref> In ''Three Generations'', directed by [[Gaby Dellal]], she appeared with [[Susan Sarandon]] and [[Elle Fanning]] as the mother of a young transgender man (Fanning). Pulled from the schedule days before its intended initial release,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/about-ray-susan-sarandon-elle-fanning-transgender-film-release-date-change-1201528419/|title='About Ray' Pushed From This Weekend's Release Schedule By TWC|first=Anita | last= Busch | first2=Anthony|last2=D'Alessandro|date=15 September 2015}}</ref> the film subsequently opened on selected theatres in May 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/weinstein-finally-puts-transgender-teen-drama-three-generations-back-schedule-973463|title=Weinstein Co. Finally Puts Transgender Teen Drama 'Three Generations' Back on Schedule (Exclusive)|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|date=13 February 2017|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

Watts played Linda, the second wife of heavyweight boxer [[Chuck Wepner]] (played by Liev Schreiber) in the biographical sport drama ''[[The Bleeder]]'' (2016), revolving around the life of Wepner and his 1975 fight with [[Muhammad Ali]]. ''Variety'' wrote in its review: "Slightly out of place as the feisty bartender who gives Wepner a second chance at his downest and outest, a spirited Naomi Watts nonetheless gives proceedings her best [[Amy Adams]] in ''[[The Fighter]]''."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-bleeder-review-liev-schreiber-1201850979/|title=Film Review: 'The Bleeder'|first=Guy|last=Lodge|date=2 September 2016}}</ref> She headlined the thriller ''[[Shut In (2016 film)|Shut In]]'' (also 2016), playing a psychologist isolated with her child in a rural house during a winter storm. The film received largely negative reviews and made US$8&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shut_in|title=Shut In|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl124880385/|title=Shut In (2016) – Box Office Mojo|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr4198191621/|title=Shut In (2016) – International Box Office Results – Box Office Mojo|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Naomi Watts (36037832511) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|170px|Watts in 2017]]
Watts appeared in ''[[Twin Peaks (season 3)|Twin Peaks]]'', a limited event television series and a continuation of the [[Twin Peaks|1990 show of the same name]]. It was broadcast on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] in 2017, to critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/twin-peaks-naomi-watts-tom-sizemore-david-lynch-cast-showtime-1201694524/|title=Twin Peaks: Naomi Watts|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=1 February 2016|date=15 May 2015}}</ref> Watts starred as "a therapist who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients' lives" in the [[Netflix]] drama series ''[[Gypsy (TV series)|Gypsy]]'' (also 2017), and served as one of its executive producers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/08/billy-crudup-cast-netflix-psychological-thriller-series-gypsy-1201804855/|title=Billy Crudup To Star in Netflix Drama Series 'Gypsy'|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|date=17 August 2016|access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/04/naomi-watts-star-gypsy-netflix-series-1201739078/|title=Naomi Watts To Star in Netflix Psychological Thriller Series 'Gypsy'|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|date=18 April 2016|access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> While response was mixed, ''Gypsy'' was cancelled by Netflix after one season.<ref>{{cite web|title='Gypsy' Canceled By Netflix After 1 Season|url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/gypsy-canceled-netflix-naomi-watts-one-season-1202146744/|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|date=11 August 2017}}</ref> In ''[[The Book of Henry]]'' (2017), Watts portrayed the mother of young genius who plans save the girl next door from abuse. The film polarized critics and audiences, but ''Rolling Stone'' described her as "a plus in any movie" and found her to be "excellent" in the role.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Travers|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Travers|date=15 June 2017|title='The Book of Henry' Review: Boy Meets Girl, Ends Up in WTF Tearjerker-Thriller|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-book-of-henry-review-boy-meets-girl-ends-up-in-wtf-tearjerker-thriller-199301/|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> In her other 2017 film, ''[[The Glass Castle (2017 film)|The Glass Castle]]'' opposite [[Brie Larson]], and [[Woody Harrelson]]. An adaptation of [[Jeannette Walls]]'s best selling memoir of the same name, Watts played the nonconformist mother of the author.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl302220801/|title=The Glass Castle|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

She played Queen Gertrud in [[Ophelia (2018 film)|''Ophelia'']]. In 2019, Watts portrayed [[Gretchen Carlson]] in the Showtime miniseries ''[[The Loudest Voice]]'' based on the book ''[[The Loudest Voice in the Room]]'' about [[Roger Ailes]]'s sexual harassment of Carlson.<ref name="SeriesOrder">{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title=Russell Crowe To Star As Roger Ailes In Limited Series Greenlighted By Showtime |url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/russell-crowe-star-roger-ailes-showtime-limited-series-the-loudest-voice-in-the-room-1202416042/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=23 August 2018 |date=25 June 2018}}</ref> She next starred in the films ''[[Penguin Bloom]]'', ''[[Boss Level]]'', and ''[[This Is the Night (2021 film)|This Is the Night]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jacki-weaver-join-naomi-watts-penguin-bloom-1228355|work=The Hollywood Reporter|title=Jacki Weaver to Join Naomi Watts in 'Penguin Bloom'|access-date=15 November 2019|date=31 July 2019|last=Galuppo|first=Mia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115184123/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jacki-weaver-join-naomi-watts-penguin-bloom-1228355|archive-date=15 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/boss-level-images-frank-grillo-mel-gibson/|title=Exclusive First Images from Joe Carnahan's 'Boss Level' Find Frank Grillo Trapped in a Time Loop|date=31 January 2020|access-date=24 June 2020|last=Weintraub|first=Steve|publisher=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/naomi-watts-frank-grillo-star-blumhouse-drama-once-a-time-staten-island-1111982|work=The Hollywood Reporter|title=Naomi Watts, Frank Grillo to Star in Blumhouse Drama 'Once Upon a Time in Staten Island' (Exclusive)|last=Kit|first=Borys|date=15 May 2018|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710211936/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/naomi-watts-frank-grillo-star-blumhouse-drama-once-a-time-staten-island-1111982|archive-date=10 July 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, Watts played a lead in Netflix's ''[[The Watcher (2022 TV series)|The Watcher]]'' as Nora Brannock alongside [[Bobby Cannavale]], who played Dean Brannock. In 2024, she starred in the anthology series ''[[Feud: Capote vs. The Swans]]'' as [[Babe Paley]], for which she received a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]] nomination. In 2025, She received a [[Hollywood Walk of Fame|Hollywood star]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naomi Watts celebrated at Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony by Jack Black, Edward Norton |url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/celebrities/2025/10/14/naomi-watts-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star-photos/86688420007/ |access-date=2025-10-20 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Other work ==
Watts received an endorsement deal with [[David Yurman]] jewelry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Angel face: Naomi Watts|url=http://www.ellecanada.com/culture/celebrity/angel-face-naomi-watts|access-date=23 May 2021|website=Elle Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Naomi Watts New Face of David Yurman|url=http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/lifestyle-fashion/stylecelebs/Naomi+Watts-1407.html|access-date=23 May 2021|website=www.femalefirst.co.uk}}</ref> She served as the ambassador to [[Thierry Mugler]]'s ''Angel'' fragrance from 2008<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Arguelles|first=Kate Ahlborn and Alannah|title=Naomi Watts Earns Her Wings|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/09/angel|access-date=23 May 2021|magazine=Vanity Fair|language=en-US}}</ref> until 2011 when [[Eva Mendes]] overtook the role.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eva Mendes replaces Naomi Watts as Thierry Mugler's 'Angel' |url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8388244/Eva-Mendes-replaces-Naomi-Watts-as-Thierry-Muglers-Angel.html|access-date=23 May 2021|website=fashion.telegraph.co.uk|date=12 October 2017 }}</ref> The pair later coincidentally fronted a campaign for [[Pantene]] hair care products.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eva Mendes, Naomi Watts for Pantene|url=https://people.com/style/exclusive-behind-the-scenes-with-pantenes-new-faces-eva-mendes-and-naomi-watts/|access-date=23 May 2021 |website=People}}</ref> Watts also appeared in a campaign for [[Ann Inc.|Ann Taylor]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=Naomi Watts to Front Ann Taylor Fall 2010 Campaign |url=https://www.instyle.com/news/naomi-watts-front-ann-taylor-fall-2010-campaign |access-date=23 May 2021 |website=InStyle |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523053611/https://www.instyle.com/news/naomi-watts-front-ann-taylor-fall-2010-campaign |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was announced as a new 'face' of [[L'Oréal]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=24 October 2014 |title=Naomi Watts is the new face of L'Oréal Paris|url=http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/beauty/make-up-nails/naomi-watts-is-the-new-face-of-loreal-paris-blake-lively-eva-longoria|access-date=23 May 2021 |magazine=Harper's BAZAAR |language=en-GB}}</ref> Watts also founded the skincare company Onda Beauty in 2016<ref>{{cite web |last=Mason|first=Melissa|title=The 7 Best Skincare Clinics In Sydney For Facials & Treatments |url=https://www.elle.com.au/beauty/best-skincare-clinics-sydney-24993|access-date=23 May 2021 |website=Elle|date=18 May 2021 }}</ref> and appeared in a campaign for [[Fendi]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 March 2021 |title=Naomi Watts' New Fendi Commercial - Naomi Watts Fendi Peekaboo |url=https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fendi-naomi-watts-peekaboo|access-date=23 May 2021 |website=www.lofficielusa.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Bee |date=4 May 2021|title=Naomi Watts on the Joys of Post-Covid Beauty|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/style/skin-care-naomi-watts-on-the-joys-of-post-covid-beauty.html|access-date=23 May 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In January 2021, it was announced that Watts was an early investor in [[Thirteen Lune]], an e-commerce site focused on makeup, skincare, haircare and wellness products owned by people of color and ally brands.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Chikhoune|first1=Ryma|date=15 January 2021|title=Thirteen Lune Raises $1 Million, Invested by Sean Combs, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts|url=https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/thirteen-lune-raises-1-million-invested-sean-combs-gwyneth-paltrow-naomi-watts-1234696599/|access-date=6 January 2022|website=WWD|language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2022, Watts launched Stripes, a beauty and wellness brand focused on [[menopause]] health.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roby |first=India |date=2022-10-18 |title=Naomi Watts Launches Stripes, a Beauty and Wellness Brand Focused on Menopause Health |url=https://fashionista.com/2022/10/naomi-watts-stripes-beauty-wellness-launch-menopause |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Fashionista |language=en}}</ref> The brand was acquired by [[L Catterton]] in June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Segran |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-06-24 |title=Naomi Watts' menopause brand, Stripes Beauty, is acquired by LVMH-backed L Catterton |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91145333/naomi-watts-menopause-brand-stripes-beauty-is-back-from-bankruptcy |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Fast Company}}</ref> In October 2024, Watts was announced as an ambassador and designer for Coyuchi linen.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-31 |title=If These Sheets Are Good Enough for Naomi Watts, They're Going Straight in My Shopping Cart |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/sheets-good-enough-naomi-watts-095514390.html |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Yahoo Life |language=en-US}}</ref>

Watts released her first book, ''Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause'', on January 21, 2025.<ref>{{cite book | last=Watts | first=Naomi | title=Dare I Say It | publisher=Random House | publication-place=New York | date=2025-01-21 | isbn=978-0-593-72903-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Harris | first=Scarlett | title=Naomi Watts gets frank about menopause in new book that draws on her own experience | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2025-01-21 | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2025-01-21/naomi-watts-menopause-book | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Kelly | first=Mary Louise | title=Naomi Watts' new book reflects on the hidden parts of menopause | website=NPR | date=2025-01-21 | url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/21/nx-s1-5082450/naomi-watts-new-book-reflects-on-the-hidden-parts-of-menopause | access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
In 2006, Watts became a goodwill ambassador for [[Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS]], which helps raise awareness of issues relating to the disease. She has used her high profile and celebrity to bring attention to the needs of people living with this disease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/aboutunaids/unaidsgoodwillambassadors/GWA_Watts_en.pdf|title=UNAIDS goodwill ambassador Naomi Watts|work=UNAIDS|publisher=United Nations|access-date=28 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013042105/http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/aboutunaids/unaidsgoodwillambassadors/GWA_Watts_en.pdf|archive-date=13 October 2011}}</ref> Watts has featured in campaigns for fundraising, events and activities, including the 21st Annual AIDS Walk.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.acqc.org/pdf/Voices5_sum_06.pdf|title=UNAIDS goodwill ambassador Naomi Watts|work=ACQC Voices|publisher=AIDS Center of Queens County|date=Summer 2006|access-date=28 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113953/http://acqc.org/pdf/Voices5_sum_06.pdf|archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> On 1 December 2009, Watts met [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]] at a public event commemorating World AIDS Day 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.amfar.org/community/article.aspx?id=8226|title=Light for rights: World AIDS day 2009|work=The Foundation for AIDS Research|publisher=The Foundation for AIDS Research's Official Site|date=3 December 2009|access-date=28 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2011, Watts attended a charity polo match in New York City along with Australian actors [[Hugh Jackman]] and [[Isla Fisher]], which was intended to raise money to help victims of the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/hugh-jackman-isla-fisher-and-naomi-watts-attend-charity-polo-match-in-new-york/story-e6frewz0-1226070384290|first=Kate|last=McMahon|title=Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Naomi Watts attend charity polo match in New York|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=6 June 2011|access-date=28 July 2011}}</ref> In 2012, she became an ambassador for [[Pantene Beautiful Lengths|Pantene's Beautiful Lengths]], a programme that donates real-hair wigs to women with cancer. She has visited the [[St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney|St Vincent's Hospital]] in Sydney to meet some of the women the programme helps.<ref>{{cite web|last=Battenbough|first=Gemma|date=17 June 2016|title=Naomi Watts on health, fitness and motherhood|url=https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/naomi-watts-on-health-fitness-and-motherhood/news-story/406d64e3a8dda46793f9e0ae77a2c143|website=BodyandSoul.com.au|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

In 2016, Watts collaborated with [[Sportscraft]] and children's charity [[Barnardos]] to produce a range of namesake coats, with a percentage of sales going to the charity,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wallace|first=Francesca|date=29 April 2016|title=This is the most valuable beauty lesson Naomi Watts learnt from her mum|url=https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/news/this-is-the-most-valuable-beauty-lesson-naomi-watts-learnt-from-her-mum/news-story/c5d7e416f98accc66fb81753164d7351|magazine=Vogue|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> and was one of the public figures photographed by Italian photographer Fabrizio Ferri for [[Bulgari]]'s digital campaign "Raise Your Hand".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Eytan|first=Declan|date=11 July 2016|title=Naomi Watts, Meg Ryan and Other Celebrities, Raise Their Hand for Charity|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/declaneytan/2016/07/11/naomi-watts-meg-ryan-and-other-celebrities-raise-their-hand-for-charity/#4a6b52a258fa|magazine=Forbes|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> In November 2018, she hosted the Worldwide Orphans 14th Annual Gala in NYC, and teamed up with [[McDonald's]], to serve as a McHappy Day ambassador, making a special appearance and stepping behind the counter in [[Haberfield, New South Wales|Haberfield]], Sydney.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stephenson|first=Alison|date=5 November 2018|title=Naomi Watts to step behind McDonald's counter|url=https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/actress-naomi-watts-heading-to-australia-as-mchapp/3553288/|work=[[Sunshine Coast Daily]]|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber.jpg|thumb|upright|Watts with her partner [[Liev Schreiber]] in 2012]]
Watts converted to [[Buddhism]] after becoming interested in the religion during the shooting of ''The Painted Veil'' (2006), and became a strong proponent of [[Transcendental Meditation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/watts-trying-out-buddhism/|title=Watts trying out Buddhism|date=4 February 2006|work=[[The Himalayan Times]]|access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pringle |first=Gill |title=Naomi Watts on 'While We're Young', her roots and being a mum |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/naomi-watts-while-we-re-young-her-roots-and-being-mum-a116641.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/naomi-watts-while-we-re-young-her-roots-and-being-mum-a116641.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The Independent]] |date=30 March 2015 |access-date=30 April 2015}}</ref>

Watts had a relationship with Australian actor [[Heath Ledger]] from August 2002 to May 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/naomi-watts-opens-about-loss-ledger-wbna28920319 |title=Scoop: Watts opens up about loss of Ledger |website=[[Today.com]] |date=29 January 2009 |access-date=22 February 2011}}</ref> In 2005, Watts began a relationship with American actor [[Liev Schreiber]]. Their son was born in 2007, and their daughter, [[Kai Schreiber]], who is [[transgender]], was born in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quihuiz |first1=Ariana |title=Naomi Watts' 2 Children: All About Sasha and Kai |url=https://people.com/all-about-naomi-watts-kids-7567080 |access-date=30 June 2024 |work=[[People Magazine|People]] |date=28 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Naomi Watts & Liev Schreiber Have a Baby Boy |url=https://people.com/celebrity/naomi-watts-liev-schreiber-have-a-baby-boy-2/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=July 26, 2007 |access-date=February 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=23 December 2008|title=Naomi Watts Steps Out With Samuel Kai|url=https://people.com/parents/naomi-watts-steps-out-with-samuel-kai/|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410152145/https://people.com/parents/naomi-watts-steps-out-with-samuel-kai/ |archive-date=April 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Aradillas|first=Elaine|date=12 February 2009|title=Naomi Watts's Body After Baby Secret – Her Son!|url=https://people.com/health/naomi-wattss-body-after-baby-secret-her-son/|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=20 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacks |first=Hannah |date=September 5, 2024 |title=Naomi Watts Shares Snap of Daughter Kai, 15, as She Leaves for First Day of Junior Year: 'Here Comes 11th Grade' |url=https://people.com/naomi-watts-daughter-kai-15-begins-first-day-of-her-junior-year-8706930 |access-date=January 22, 2025 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref> On 26 September 2016, Watts and Schreiber announced their split after 11 years together.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nessif |first=Bruno |title=Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts Split After 11 Years Together |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/797780/liev-schreiber-and-naomi-watts-split-after-11-years-together |work=[[E! News]] |date=26 September 2016 |access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref> 

Watts began dating American actor [[Billy Crudup]] in 2017, after they met on the set of the Netflix drama series ''[[Gypsy (TV series)|Gypsy]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McKay |first=Rhys |title=What Was Naomi Watts' Relationship Like With Liev Schreiber? |url=https://www.who.com.au/naomi-watts-husband-liev-schreiber |magazine=[[Who (magazine)|Who]] |date=17 February 2020 |access-date=25 August 2020}}</ref> The couple married on June 9, 2023.<ref name="yahoo.com"/><ref>{{cite web|first1=Eileen|last1=Reslin|first2=Tamantha|last2=Ryan|date=11 June 2023|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/hook-ups-break-ups/naomi-watts-and-billy-crudup-tie-the-knot-in-new-york-city/news-story/571afe81d6297869d0d2025cac933765?amp|title=Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup Tie the Knot in New York City|website=[[News.com.au]]|accessdate=11 June 2023}}</ref> In June 2024, Watts and Crudup celebrated their nuptials in a second ceremony in Mexico, surrounded by their family.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sabba|last=Rahbar|title=Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup Have Second Wedding in Mexico |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1403358/naomi-watts-and-billy-crudup-have-second-wedding-in-mexico |website=[[E! Online]] |access-date=12 June 2024 |date=10 June 2024}}</ref>

In 2016, Watts became the honorary president of [[Glantraeth F.C.]], a small football club in [[Malltraeth]], [[Anglesey]], Wales. The club is near her grandparents' farm, where she spent time as a child.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-35473354|title=A-lister Naomi Watts links up with Anglesey football club|website=[[BBC News]]|date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

==Filmography and accolades==
{{main|Naomi Watts filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Naomi Watts|l2=awards and nominations}}

==See also==
* [[List of British actors]]
* [[List of British Academy Award nominees and winners]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite news |first=Alan |last=Siegel |date=2025-08-25 |title=The Role(s) of a Lifetime |url=https://www.theringer.com/2025/08/25/movies/naomi-watts-mulholland-drive-david-lynch-performance |access-date=2025-08-31 |magazine=The Ringer |language=en}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q132616|n=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|b=no|wikt=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|c=category:Naomi Watts}}
* {{IMDb name|0915208}}
* {{people.com}}
* [http://www.unaids.org/en/aboutunaids/unaidsambassadors/naomiwatts Naomi Watts] at [https://unaids.org UNAIDS.org]
* {{Instagram|naomiwatts|Naomi Watts}}

{{Navboxes
| title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Naomi Watts|Awards for Naomi Watts]]
| list  =
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress}}
{{Desert Palm Achievement Award}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2001–present}}
{{Montecito Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress}}
{{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress}}
{{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Actress}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century British actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century British actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Kent]]
[[Category:Actresses from Sydney]]
[[Category:British Buddhists]]
[[Category:British emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:British expatriate actresses in Australia]]
[[Category:British expatriate actresses in the United States]]
[[Category:British film actresses]]
[[Category:British film producers]]
[[Category:British stage actresses]]
[[Category:British television actresses]]
[[Category:British voice actresses]]
[[Category:British video game actresses]]
[[Category:Converts to Buddhism]]
[[Category:British HIV/AIDS activists]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:People educated at North Sydney Girls High School]]
[[Category:People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni]]
[[Category:People from Shoreham, Kent]]
[[Category:Naomi Watts]]