Naomi Watts mourns the loss Mulholland Drive director David Lynch.
The legendary director died at the age of 78, his family announced on Thursday, January 16.
In a tribute on her Instagram, Watts, 56, reflected on her relationship with Lynch on and off screen.
“My heart is broken. My friend Dave… The world won’t be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful,” the British-Australian actress wrote in the description. The post consisted of two photos of her and Lynch — one showing her kissing his lipstick-stained cheek — and behind-the-scenes footage of the director urging Watts to slap him.
“Put me on the map,” her caption continued. “A world I’ve been trying to break into for over ten years, failing auditions left and right. I was finally sitting in front of a curious man, bathed in light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease.”
Naomi Watts (left) and David Lynch filming ‘Mulholland Drive’.
Universal/Everett
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Lynch’s “wisdom, humor and love gave me a special sense of self-belief that I had never had before,” she added. “David invited everyone to peek into that world through his exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers around the world. I just can’t believe he’s gone. I’m in pieces, but forever grateful for our friendship.”
Watts has repeatedly credited Lynch for her success as a movie star in the past. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of her film breakthrough Mulholland Drive In 2021, she wrote: “This movie changed my career. David Lynch changed my life. I am forever grateful.”
Director and star reunited for the 2006 experimental film The Inner Realmwhich used footage of Watts from Lynch’s 2002 online project rabbits. The two-time Oscar nominee also starred in the revival of Lynch’s hit series Twin Peaksplaying Janey-E Jones in a 10-episode series in 2017.
Watts recalled in a 2017 interview The Guardian a time when she “wasn’t getting roles” in Hollywood. “I gave myself away. My soul was destroyed. I could never walk into a room and own it by being me,” she said. “David [Lynch] changed that. It was someone really making eye contact, asking questions that really interested them, taking the time to reveal some layers.”
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Lynch is survived by four children.
Many of the four-time Oscar nominee’s co-workers spoke out about his loss on social media Thursday, including Twin Peaks and Dune star Kyle MacLachlan.
“While the world has lost an extraordinary artist, I have lost a dear friend who envisioned a future for me and allowed me to travel to worlds I could never have imagined myself,” MacLachlan wrote of his longtime collaborator in a post on Instagram.
Watts’ recent projects include Netflix’s An observer and Friend starring Bill Murray. Her work at FX Feud: Capote vs. Swans earned Watts nominations at the Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and the upcoming Critics Choice Awards.
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Source: HIS Education