Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts is an Academy Award–nominated actress known for her roles in Mulholland Drive and The Impossible. A native of Shoreham, England, Watts spent her later childhood in the United Kingdom and Australia. After briefly moving abroad to start a career in modeling, she moved to Sydney and began working at a magazine, later developing an interest in acting.

Watts began her career with roles in Australian productions, including For Love Alone (1986), before gaining international attention with David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive in 2001. The performance marked her breakthrough and led to a steady rise in Hollywood, helping her land later roles in films such as The Ring (2002), Ned Kelly (2003) and 21 Grams (2003). The latter earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

The actress went on to star in a range of projects, including King Kong (2005), The Impossible (2012), Birdman (2014), The Friend (2024) and Emmanuelle (2024). She’s also made a name for herself in television, appearing in shows like The Loudest Voice, The Watcher, All’s Fair and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, with the latter earning her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Watts was in a relationship with Heath Ledger from 2002 to 2004. The following year, she moved on with Liev Schreiber, with whom she shares children Sasha (born in 2007) and Kai (born in 2008), but they split in 2016. She later tied the knot with Billy Crudup in 2023.