Naomi Watts Quotes

I don't think of myself as a terribly confident person. But I have a survival mechanism that was instilled in me by my mother.

We're so afraid of death in our culture, but I think if we understand it better, then we'll appreciate the life we have more.

Whatever is said about roles drying up, I intend to keep working. Certainly now the roles couldn't be more interesting - playing mothers, divorcees. I think it's going to be exciting to play a mother of teenagers. The longer your life, the deeper it gets.

There's a set of rules out there somewhere that says it all ends by 40. I hope to be able to defy that because I truly love my work.

Pain is such an important thing in life. I think that as an artist you have to experience suffering.

I want collaboration, but if they don't have a plan or their vision isn't clear, it's nerve-wracking. So, someone that's very sure of the vision is what you want, most of all.

I felt I grew up when I was about 28. I feel pretty much the same. I get reminded when I look in mirrors that I am not. Hopefully, you keep growing and keep planning things as you go along.

When I had dark hair I definitely felt that I was more anonymous.

If we could just trust the moment that we're in and live it in the way that you best can embrace it, it would be much better for all of us.

I think I have better taste now than I did then.

You won't find me in a romantic comedy. Those movies don't speak to me. People don't come to talk to me about those scripts, because they probably think I'm this dark, twisted, miserable person.

I always love being in the company of women. It's all about good conversation and great wine.

I was never completely destitute. I think I borrowed money once off a friend, but I've always been quite careful with my money, having come from not much of it.

It's unusual to spend even three full hours away from my newborn baby, it's like a piece of my body is back in the hotel room, and it does feel strange. But I love my work, though, it's not just a job for me, punching in my time card. I've always loved what I do, it's what makes me happy and I figure if I'm happy I'll be a good Mum too.

I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it and getting to the place of peace of choosing not to be a parent, there would have still been some struggle in between. I'm not a man but I don't think it would occupy their minds as much.

Liev cares about a lot things. Israel is one of them. We had the good fortune of going there a couple of years ago. To share that experience with him was a great pleasure.

It'll take me a lot longer to read a script if there's no director attached.

At seventeen most people get their ears pierced or get a tattoo or something slightly taboo. That is what I love about Rodrigo Garcia, he's not conventional. He's someone who sees people in extraordinary ways, and forgives them for being such.

On set is where I feel comfortable. The red carpet stuff, talking about the film, explaining your own life, it doesn't come naturally. It's all necessary stuff I suppose but it's not my strength.

I had gotten to a place where I truly believed everything I was called: 'not sexy,' 'not funny,' 'too intense,' desperate.' All those labels they gave me, I took them because there wasn't a trace of my true self left.

Never say never - and I certainly don't judge anyone who does it. But most of the characters I play are going through some kind of emotional turmoil, so my job requires me to have expression. If my face was froze, what right do I have to play that part? All the women who haven't done anything to their faces are still able to play great roles. And some of the ones who have done something have messed it up - they look freakish. Anyway, for me it's about playing women with rich lives - and the longer the life, the deeper the wrinkles.

If I have to produce movies, direct movies, whatever to change the way Hollywood treats older women, I'll do it. If I have to bend the rules, I will. If I have to break them, I will.

There's a lot of skeletons in my closet, but I know what they're wearing. I'm not gonna act all ashamed of it.

There was a time I was very much blaming the way I felt on L.A, that it was a vacuum of creativity, of humor or anything organic, and I was really angry at the place. But then today I feel completely different - I love L.A.!

That's one of the lucky things about getting the success later on. I know how I want to dress, I know what kind of house I want to live in, I just know more about myself, and that's true about the roles I want to play and what parts of myself I want to express. You're just more in touch with yourself.

My mum put me in drama classes when I was about 14. I'd been going on about it for some time, so maybe it was a way to shut me up.

I think film is a director's medium and the good filmmakers that I like tell the darker stories. Therefore, I'm always inclined to follow people like David Cronenberg.

My spirit had been broken a bit over the years by my having to work on films I didn't love. Hollywood's a surreal place, and it really is an assault on your spirit.

I think in my 20s I was just all about having fun.

It's always nerve-racking to take off your clothes on film. But doing it with a woman felt safer than with a man. You know you can say, 'Don't grab me there: That's where my cellulite is'!

Oh, I'm definitely a wild child.

Some movies are the kind you take home with you at the end of the day, and some, you can let go.

We had met with Ben Stiller here in LA when I was shooting The Ring and he was doing Meet The Fockers and we have friends in common. But we didn't know each other well. He's fantastic and we really had a great time on this and we were both laughing at where we were at, this other couple, and how it was mirroring what we were going through as well. It was clever writing in that way.

Since I had children I have taken huge amounts of time off. In a way it's a really good thing, in this show business especially, to have lots of private time, having lots of time to be in the world to observe people and read and take care of my kids helps me to come back into work with a thrill.

Directors are our teachers, and I'm always craving to work with a great director. They're pretty much the first thing that interests me about a project.

I've always loved to dance and keep fit but more recently I feel like I cannot keep up any longer and my back starts to hurt. And I get angry and then I have to really learn to forgive myself and go: you know what, you're nearly twice the age of some of the people in this room, give yourself a break.

We're all the same, we all think its better somewhere else; its better being older if you're younger - or its better being younger when we're older.

Nicole was always there with her door open, her arms open, her ears open - just what you need.

I love the energy and the knowledge. I barely know how to use this thing [mobile phone]. I get by.

Noah Baumbach writing is really wonderful. I think the way he plays out each character with a unique voice is really impressive, and rhythmically his dialogue works.

I feel like I've been hit by a car every night, that's how I feel emotionally after The Race show. But it is a complete dream come true. For me growing up in New York all I ever wanted to do was Broadway.

I'm a tomboy now. I always wanted to fit in with my brother's group, so I climbed trees and played with lead soldiers. But I'm a woman's woman. I never understood women who don't have woman friends.

In your 20s - and these are generalizations of course - I feel like I didn't care about as many things or as many people, or even myself, as much. There's more recklessness and more ruthlessness; you're not as considerate of how things land with other people I think.

I've done a few remakes now, as you know. And my philosophy is, you see the original film once, and that's it. You have to do whatever you can to shut it out, because you don't want your performance to be tainted. You don't want to fall into the trap of comparisons, basically.

You have to make peace with yourself. The key is to find the harmony in what you have.

I go to a dance class myself called BBS - Body By Simone - its little mini dance routines and I am often the oldest person in the room although I forget that. I'm fairly fit.

I like complicated women. I like women with strength and contradictions.

I think whether you've got children or not you're just more aware of others as you get out of your 20s.