Naomi Watts biography, net worth, age, husband, billy crudup, kids, awards 2025

Naomi Watts biography

This actress possesses an ethereal beauty that seems almost otherworldly. Despite considering herself an ugly duckling in childhood, she's now universally praised as one of the world's most beautiful women. While she's received numerous industry awards and nominations, perhaps her greatest achievement is the overwhelming love and support of fans worldwide. Her name is Naomi Watts. Net worth: $35 million.

Early life and childhood

Naomi Ellen Watts was born on September 28, 1969, in the village of Shoreham, Kent, England. When she was barely 4 and her younger brother Ben just 2, their parents Peter Watts and Miv Edwards (née Roberts) divorced. Peter was one of Pink Floyd's managers—the band that mesmerized the world with their legendary music—and tragically died of a drug overdose four years after the divorce.

Miv—an antique dealer, designer, and artistic soul—performed in amateur theaters while pursuing tumultuous relationships. Her antique hunting and trading was more hobby than career, leaving her unable to provide everything her children desperately needed. For several years, the family moved around Britain, trying to survive on her mother's modest income.

According to the actress herself, they were no strangers to hunger, with baked beans as their typical meal. Young Naomi lacked pretty dresses and fancy clothes; her female classmates kept their distance and never accepted her as an equal.

Surprisingly enough, Naomi has a ton of great memories from her childhood. In interviews, she fondly recalls spending time with her brother, climbing trees and playing with toy soldiers alongside the neighborhood boys.

Naomi Watts with her mother and younger brother

It's hard to imagine how Naomi's future might have unfolded without her grandparents, who stepped in to help the struggling family. Miv and the children moved over to Wales and settled with the rest of the Roberts relatives. Watts had to learn Welsh from scratch—quite a challenge for a girl who only spoke English. This linguistic adaptability would later serve her well as she traveled the world, mastering accents and dialects that would prove invaluable to her acting career.

In 1978 Miv married for a second time and the whole family moved to Suffolk. There, young Naomi decided to pursue acting; watching her mother perform on stage and seeing the 1980 musical drama Fame, she realized her calling to conquer the big screen.

Finding her calling

In 1982, Miv relocated to Australia. After graduating from school, Watts enrolled in acting courses. Her mother also settled in well, landing a job as a TV stylist before transitioning to costume designer on the soap opera Return to Eden. During this time, Naomi attended acting school and went to countless auditions (meeting her best friend Nicole Kidman in the process) and even secured a small role in For Love Alone.

Most actresses would've been thrilled by their first movie roles, but Naomi had other plans. After finishing school and earning some money on the side, she signed a modeling contract and moved to work in Japan. However, she quickly realized it didn't feel right and her heart wasn't in it. Naomi couldn't wait for her year-long contract to end, and when it finally did, she returned home feeling completely lost and discouraged. To make ends meet, she started working for a glossy magazine, writing about celebrity lives and fashion trends. Disillusioned with the modeling business, Naomi felt disconnected from her peers' pursuit of education or marriage and decided to return to acting.

Naomi Watts in TV commercial

The actress appeared in several Australian films, gaining much-needed on-set experience and meeting other up-and-coming actresses, establishing friendships that would last for years to come. In 1991 Naomi was cast in drama movies Flirting and Brides of Christ, where she met Nicole Kidman. Watts turned down all offers for other TV series, keeping her sights set on a different career path. She moved to Hollywood with a dream to become a true movie star.

Start of the career

The Hollywood Hills have seen countless stories where young actors land life-changing roles by chance and wake up famous overnight. That's exactly what happened with Naomi, but not immediately.

Naomi Watts had to work really hard on her path to success. She had to take small and bland roles that couldn't possibly translate all her talent to the screen. At that time, she was already 25 years old – practically ancient by Dream Factory standards.

Naomi Watts had to work really hard on her path to success

From 1993 to 1998, the actress appeared in multiple films including Matinee, Wide Sargasso Sea, Under the Lighthouse Dancing, Ghostbusters, Dangerous Beauty, and many others. She got to work with many established Hollywood actors like John Goodman, Jack Thompson, and Rufus Sewell. According to critics, the actress – clearly too old for beginner status – was overshadowed by her co-stars, and nobody believed in her potential for success.

Smiles of fortune

According to Zooboola.com, in 1998 the thirty-year-old actress was offered a role in a new project by legendary David Lynch, which was allegedly supposed to be a TV series.

Naomi Watts recalled that she was looking really bad during the casting. She was nervous and sleep-deprived, but but that didn't stop Lynch from spotting great dramatic talent behind her tired appearance, disappointment, and anger.

Neo-noir mystery thriller Mulholland Drive wasn't destined to become a series—it was released as a full-fledged movie instead and secured the highest awards and nominations possible in the film industry. Watts's portrayal of Betty was a true breakthrough; it helped her unveil her potential as an actress, demonstrate her star abilities, and brought her first taste of popularity. Mysterious, sensual, and phantasmagoric, Mulholland Drive is considered to be the best Lynch movie ever and is cemented among the 500 greatest films in cinema history.

Mulholland Drive - Trailer

In 2000, following the success of Mulholland Drive, the actress appeared in the British BBC drama film The Wyvern Mystery. She joined the established cast of Iain Glen and Sir Derek Jacobi, who was granted the title by Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Many critics predicted the actress would be forgotten as quickly as she appeared, claiming her success was nothing more than random luck. However, her performance in Ellie Parker and The Ring silenced all ill-wishers and once again filled actress' trophy case with industry awards.

Star roles

From 2002 onwards the popularity of Naomi Watts only grew; her photos adorned the front pages of numerous magazines, with editors of popular TV shows fighting to book Naomi to appear on their channels.

The actress wasn't dazzled with all the sudden success and continued to work really hard, appearing in nine movies over the span of one year. Two most important of them were British black comedy film Plots with a View, where Naomi teamed up with Brenda Blethyn and Alfred Molina as well as Australian western Ned Kelly starring Heath Ledger along with marvelous Geoffrey Rush.

Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger in Ned Kelly

2003 brought Naomi a role in American drama film 21 Grams that got her nominated for Academy Award; she partnered up with magnificent Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

In 2005 Naomi starred in two groundbreaking movies. She appeared as a painter Lila in haunting and visceral Stay along with actors like Ewan McGregor and Ryan Gosling. She also portrayed Ann, the love interest of giant ape, in King Kong, a remake of legendary Hollywood blockbuster.

Her work in 2006 drama movie The Painted Veil once again established her status as an incredibly talented and versatile actress; in the film, she was accompanied by Edward Norton and Liev Schreiber. The dramatic story of love and duty, slowly and passionately uncovered against a landscape that emanates apathy and despair, quickly became a favorite among millions of viewers.

The Painted Veil - Trailer

The next several years were marked by the overwhelming success of J. Edgar and Dream House, and in 2013 Naomi portrayed Princess Diana, in the biographical drama about the last two years of her life. Watts' outstanding performance was highly praised by the critics but the movie overall was considered a massive flop and received negative reviews.

Naomi Watts as Princess Diana in 2013 Diana movie

Naomi fans were pleasantly surprised to see their idol appear in scandalous comedy anthology Movie 43, joining the cast of the best Hollywood has to offer including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Kate Winslet.

Her collaboration with Matt Dillon in the American drama Sunlight Jr., released in late 2013, and her performance in Adoration alongside Robin Wright and rising Australian star Xavier Samuel, proved once again to be major triumphs for the actress.

Between 2013 and 2017, Naomi starred in over 10 films, immersing herself in every role and delighting millions of fans with her versatile acting talent. Alejandro G. Iñárritu's comedy-drama Birdman, starring Watts, was undoubtedly 2015's standout film and earned a well-deserved Academy Award.

Birdman - Trailer

Her performances in Demolition alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and in Shut In with Oliver Platt represent some of Naomi Watts' most outstanding work during that period.

In 2017, the actress appeared in Destin Cretton's biographical drama The Glass Castle, joining Woody Harrelson and Brie Larson in the cast. Naomi Watts also starred in the Netflix series Gypsy, portraying a psychotherapist struggling with various obsessions during what wasn't the best period of her life, but certainly the most compelling.

Personal life

A demanding work schedule and her drive to build a lasting Hollywood career always took priority over romantic relationships, though she did have affairs with stars like Daniel Kirby and Heath Ledger. The actress later clarified that none of these relationships were serious.

At 36, she'd almost accepted that her career would consume her entirely, leaving no room for family, so she threw herself even deeper into work and spent more time on sets. That changed when she met Liev Schreiber on the set of The Painted Veil. Their connection quickly blossomed into love, leading to the birth of their son Sasha two years later, followed by their second son Sam a year after that.

The couple got together in 2005, but by 2007, their relationship was already showing cracks. For the next 11 years, Liev and Naomi lived together raising their children, but they argued constantly. Liev, clearly less successful and popular than Watts, became angry and irritable, taking his frustration and jealousy out on the family. The couple officially separated in 2016.

In 2017, the actress was rumored to be dating 63-year-old widower Liam Neeson. Though the pair were frequently spotted together, both denied being in a relationship during interviews. The speculation proved unfounded—Naomi and Liam are simply good friends.

In 2018 Naomi Watts was spotted together with another star actor Billy Crudup.

The actress is a dedicated vegetarian. She not only doesn't eat meat but also actively campaigns for animal rights and doesn't wear fur or leather clothing.

Naomi Watts now

The actress is at the peak of her career and continues landing major film roles. 2019 brought two new Naomi Watts releases. It was the drama Luce, in which she played the role of Amy Edgar, and the sci-fi action thriller Boss Level, in which Watts appeared as Gemma Wells. Watts also has two more 2019 releases: the animated musical Larrikins and period drama Ophelia, where she plays Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.

Meanwhile, Watts has two more projects slated for 2020 release. Fans can look forward to "Once Upon a Time in Staten Island" and "Penguin Bloom" hitting theaters in 2020.

Naomi Watts: latest news and articles

Kim Kardashian has become a brilliant lawyer - in her own series
14 May 2025

William Brown

Watts is cute, of course, but as an actress, to put it mildly, so-so. Well, okay, but I learned about life, interesting :)

2021-05-09 08:56:00
Wanda Paul

Actress of various melodramas, which I don`t really watch...

2021-04-26 15:12:42
James Baker

Naomi Watts is interesting, of course :)) But as I understand it, she doesn`t have many big roles, like the movie The Impossible.

2021-03-28 23:59:18
Shirley Smith

I liked the film Adoration with her, which reminded me of my youth.

2021-03-03 21:13:22
Janet Parks

I watched The Impossible with her. I liked it very much as an actress, though I saw few films with her.

2021-02-14 15:39:50

Photos: Naomi Watts