Naomi Watts' breakout role happened when the actress was 31 years old. She was told to work a ton back then because by 40 she would be a has-been. This made her afraid to talk about things like menopause and aging.
Namoi opened up about this at The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable in May 2024. She is no longer afraid to talk about the topic. She loves the way her story has unfolded. She has two children she shares with ex-partner Liev Schreiber and is madly in love with her husband Billy Crudup.
Naomi wanted it all, a career and a family but it was difficult to achieve because actors are not always in control of when their big break comes. "I started late by Hollywood standards — I was 31 when Mulholland Drive finally launched," she explained. "I was also told, 'It's going to be over by 40, so work, work, work.' And then, when I was at the precipice of wanting to start a family, I was 36, I was told I was close to menopause. I went into this frantic panic, a lot of shame and fear."
Naomi refused to even utter the word menopause out of fear. "I felt like if I ever dared to mention that word, I would be branded as redundant, finished, off to pasture, go to the sidelines, you're not sexy, there's no way you can act anymore," she continued. "It'd be career suicide to bring that into the room."
More from LittleThings: Naomi Watts Has Just The Perfect Reaction To Ex Liev Schreiber's Newborn Daughter
Naomi quickly came to her senses and decided not to live in the shadows. "But then I was like, 'This makes no sense. We're half the population. Everybody's going to go into menopause at some point, so why shouldn't we be talking about it?'" she explained.
She wanted to have the support of her community. "When you learn about the symptoms and how long they can go on for, why can't we find the support?" she wondered. "And it's not just the physiological support you need, it's the emotional support … So, I just went, '[expletive] this, let's just talk about it.'"
Naomi had her son Sasha when she was 39. He is now 16 years old. She had her daughter Kai at age 40. Kai is 15 years old. Naomi was able to have both kids naturally, even though it wasn't easy. Naomi and Liev work hard to be excellent and respectful co-parents.
Naomi hoped by talking about menopause she could help end the stigma surrounding it. This could then in turn help her acting career. "In terms of my career, I felt like, 'Well, if it spooks everyone, that's a bummer, but hopefully it actually does the opposite and elongates the career, because someone's got to play the old lady,'" she mused. "I think the longer the life, the richer the stories, and there's lots to examine. We need to do whatever we can to expand the female story, at every point."
Naomi now embraces doing things her own way. Even if that is perceived as being "later in life." Another way she proves this is in her relationship with husband Billy Crudup. They got married in 2023 at a New York courthouse. In June 2024, they had a second ceremony in Mexico.
Billy and Naomi first met in 2009 when they both performed in a 24-hour play festival. Years later, in 2016, sparks flew between the two on the set of Gypsy. The couple started dating in 2017. By April 2023, engagement rumors were flying around.
In a January 2024 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Naomi opened up about their "special" love. "It's never too late, right?" she gushed. "We found each other later than … yeah, late in life. And it’s really a special thing. Billy loves you guys — thank you for your kindness about that."
