Yahoo Finance Naomi Watts Celebrates Mulholland Dr. 's 20th Anniversary: 'The Film Changed My Career'
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It's been 20 years since the premiere of Mulholland Dr. and Naomi Watts is celebrating the film that made her a star.
The two-time Oscar nominee, 52, posted a throwback photo on Instagram of her, costar Laura Elena Harring and director David Lynch at the premiere of their iconic mystery/thriller at the 54th Cannes Film Festival.
"Just seconds before this moment, I was wiping tears away. I had just heard Cat Stevens' song 'Morning Has Broken' as our car was pulling up—it's the song that played at my father's funeral. I had a lump in my throat—it felt like something special was happening," Watts wrote in the caption.
She continued, " A certain synchronicity. I could feel my Dad with me, chuckling with pride. @justintheroux squeezed my hand as we stepped onto the red carpet. This film changed my career. David Lynch changed my life. I'm forever grateful x"
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Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
Mulholland Dr. is a neo-noir mystery thriller centering on Rita (Harring) who is left amnesiac after a car crash in a dream-like Los Angeles. She's found by Betty (Watts), an aspiring actress from the Midwest, who tries to help her solve the mystery of her true identity. Justin Theroux, Ann Miller and Mark Pellegrino also star.
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In 2017, the The Impossible actress told The Guardian about her difficult journey in Hollywood, calling herself "unhireable" early in her career. She even admitted that she almost turned down the audition for Betty even though Lynch sought her out for the lead.
"The last time I'd flown to LA for an audition, the guy had his eyes closed," Watts recalled. "I'd decided I was never going to do it again, never rearrange my plans or spend a single dime."
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After her breakout role in the thriller, Watts saw her career excel and began to choose roles she felt "connected" to after Lynch helped her mine her talent.
"I wasn't getting parts. I was giving myself away. My soul was being destroyed. I was never able to walk in a room and own it by being me," she said. "David [Lynch] changed that. It was having someone actually make eye contact, ask questions he was truly interested in, take the time to unveil some layers."
