British actress Naomi Ellen Watts, born on September 28, 1968, moved to Australia with her family in her youth. She made her debut in the film industry in Australia itself in the romance drama For Love Alone (1986). Subsequently, she appeared in three other television series, namely Hey Dad..! (1990), Brides of Christ (1991), and Home and Away (1991). She then appeared in the film Flirting in 1991.
She gradually moved to the United States, where she struggled to make her mark as an actress in the initial phase of her career. Desperate for work, Watts took up several roles in small-scale films until she received an offer to be a part of David Lynch’s psychological thriller “Mulholland Drive” in the year 2001. This became the opportunity of a lifetime for the aspiring actress. Her role in the film won her great praise, and this is where her rise to international stardom and fame began.
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She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2003 for her portrayal of a grieving, helpless mother in Alejandro González Iárritu’s movie 21 Grams. She also played the pivotal role of a tormented journalist in the horror remake titled The Ring in 2002. Her roles in ventures like I Heart Huckabees (2004), King Kong (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), and The International (2009) were also both praiseworthy and noteworthy. She now became a household name, and her prominence in the industry was quite monumental.
Early Life
Naomi was born in Shoreham, Kent, England, to Myfanwy (Miv) Edwards, an antiques dealer and costume and set designer, and Peter Watts, a road manager and sound engineer who had previously worked with Pink Floyd. Her maternal grandfather was of Welsh origin.
When she was just four years old, her parents separated. Right after the tragic divorce, her brother, Ben Watts, moved numerous times, with their mother, across South East England. As for her father, he stopped working with Pink Floyd in the year 1974 and got remarried in 1976. In August of 1976, unfortunately, it seemed like he had overdosed on heroin and was found dead in his flat in Notting Hill.
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When asked about her roots in England, she says that she considers herself to be British and that she has some very fond and happy memories of the UK. She had spent the 14 years of her life in England and Wales and did not wish to leave. Even during her time in Australia, she went back to England quite frequently. However, the actress equally cherishes her bond with Australia, saying that she considers herself to be quite connected to the country. She continued to explain that some of her most powerful memories are of Australia and that whenever someone asks her where her home is, she always tells them that it is indeed Australia.
Personal Life
The actress shortly converted to Buddhism after being attracted by the religion and gaining an interest in the same during the filming of her project titled The Painted Veil (2006). She soon became a strong proponent of Transcendental Meditation.
Her romantic relations with Australian actor Heath Ledger lasted from August 2002 to May 2004. Watts began dating the American actor Liev Schreiber in the year 2005. The couple welcomed their first child, a son, who they named Alexander ‘Sasha’ Pete, in the year 2007. Their second son, Samuel Kai, was born in the following year, in 2008.
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On September 26, 2016, Watts and Schreiber decided to go their separate ways after 11 years of being together. She then dated American actor Billy Crudup in the year 2017. They quickly grew fond of each other after meeting on the set of their joint venture, a Netflix drama series titled Gypsy. They got married on June 9, 2023, in a low-key, simple, and humble ceremony in New York, where the actress currently resides.
A minor football team in Malltraeth, Anglesey, Wales, called Glantraeth F.C. appointed Watts as its honorary president in 2016. Her grandparents’ property, where she spent time as a child, is close to the club.
Naomi Watts Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of close to $16 million, making her one of the richest actors in all of Hollywood. Her $16 million empire can be credited to her most prominent works, including Gross Misconduct, A House Divided, St. Vincent, Mulholland Drive, and, most importantly, King Kong.
The actress is under the management of Jason Weinberg and has worked with some of the biggest names in the film industry, including Jane Fonda & Georgie Eisdell.