Naomi Watts names every director she’s desperate to work with
Naomi Watts is someone you know’s favourite actor. She may not be the most famous star in the world or have the longest string of box office hits, but the success she has had has had a massive impact on her fanbase. From cult classics to blockbusters to intricate combinations of both, her filmography is as diverse as it is fascinating.
Across her career, Watts has worked with some of the greatest directors of all time. Her best-known collaborator was the late, great David Lynch, for whom she acted as something as a muse. She was chosen by Peter Jackson as the modern incarnation of Fay Wray for his version of King Kong, Alejandro González Iñárritu directed her to an Oscar nomination in 21 Grams, and she joined forces with another silver-haired David with a penchant for the spooky when she made Eastern Promises with David Cronenberg. She clearly has a type.
As impressive as this list is, it clearly isn’t enough for the Bri. During an interview with Vanity Fair, Watts was asked about some of the famous filmmakers she had on her bucket list. At first, she was only able to come up with three names, but they were good ones; Yorgos Lanthimos; Alexander Payne; and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Of the names listed, the first one stands out the most. Lanthimos’ name often comes up in discussions about Lynch’s successor, with his movies straddling the line between artsy weirdness and commercial appeal. He has been able to channel the dreamlike elements that made Lynch’s work so compelling through films like Dogtooth, Kinds of Kindness, and Poor Things. His movies often incorporate elements of psychosexuality, much the same as his American counterpart. He also seems to have found his own female icon in the form of Emma Stone, who has appeared in four of his movies. Maybe there isn’t any room for Watts in his life, but it would be fascinating if there were.
This question clearly got Watts thinking, as over the next 24 hours, she listed even more names she was looking to work with. She included three women in this list; Emerald Fennell (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman); Sarah Polley (Women Talking, Away From Her), and Greta Gerwig (Ladybird, Barbie). Directing is still a male-dominated profession, so it’s great to see a high profile female actor throw her support behind her fellow women in the industry.
Then there are the remaining men on her list. Given her impact on the horror genre – she starred in the Hollywood remake of The Ring – it’s no surprise to see Jordan Peele’s name come up, given his monumental stature in the genre’s modern discourse. Her relationship with Iñárritu clearly inspired a love of Spanish-language filmmakers, as both Pedro Almodóvar and Pablo Larraín get a mention. Finally, there’s Todd Haynes and Jonathan Glazer. I can’t think of a good enough connection to Watts for these two, but they’re both great, so it’s fine.
As it stands, Watts’ next project is The Housewife, the feature film debut of Ben Shirinian. There’s plenty of time for her to tick off the names on that list. They’d all be fools not to accept her offer.
