Naomi Watts said on Tuesday that she almost quit acting before David Lynch cast her in Mulholland Drive.

Watts said "the chips were down" and she was "desperate" for work after "10 years into flunking auditions" in Hollywood before Lynch agreed to work with her.

On the same day as the news of his passing, Watts paid tribute to Lynch — whose cause of death was not given, but who had revealed in September 2024 that he was battling emphysema as a result of smoking throughout his life — sharing that her “heart is broken.”

Naomi Watts revealed on “Live With Kelly and Mark” (via Entertainment Weekly) that she nearly quit acting before she met the late David Lynch, who cast her as the lead in 2001’s “Mulholland Drive.” The film’s critical acclaim and global success turned Watts into a star after “10 years” of “flunking auditions.

With the passing of beloved director David Lynch, many of the actors he worked with – along with countless staunch admirers – have shared emotional tributes and testaments to his legacy.

“My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave…” began Mulholland Drive star Naomi Watts on Instagram about the death of that movie’s filmmaker David Lynch. “The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful,” she wrote.

Naomi Watts wouldn’t be a Hollywood star if it weren’t for David Lynch.Naomi Watts nearly left the acting world before a pivotal meeting with the late director changed her

Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, Isabella Rossellini and other collaborators of David Lynch mourned the filmmaker's death on social media.

Actor Naomi Watts shares how filmmaker David Lynch gave her a career-changing opportunity, just when she was ready to quit acting.