Naomi Watts Believes Standards Have Changed for Older Women in the Industry: ‘Look at the Emmys Last Week… That’s Heartening to See’ — SkimNews
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- Naomi Watts received the Donostia Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival (Sept. 18–26), where she said the industry has changed for women over 50, citing Emmy nominees Rhea Seehorn ("Pluribus"), Jean Smart ("Hacks"), and Allison Janney ("The Diplomat")
- Watts referenced Sarah Paulson's recent Variety interview about the lack of film offers after "The People v. O.J. Simpson," saying "things have changed" and calling this year's Emmys "heartening to see"
- Watts recalled being warned early in her career that "it all finishes at the age of 40," before landing "Mulholland Drive" with David Lynch at 31 — a role she called "the role of a lifetime" that "really launched me"
- Watts is promoting "The Housewife," Ben Shirinian's feature debut set in 1964, in which she plays the wife of a suspected Nazi officer hiding in New York; she called the role her "villain era"
- Watts drew parallels between the film's WWII setting and current global conflicts, saying "we must be vigilant, we must pay attention, and not let that happen again"
- Watts, who identified as "proud to be a part of the LGBTQ community," said "minorities are being attacked right now, and it's frightful and unacceptable," vowing to keep supporting representation on screen
Why it matters: Watts entering the industry at 31 after being told careers end at 40 — and now in her late 50s accepting one of European cinema's top honors — is a concrete instance of the shift she describes. The Emmys slate she cites, with Seehorn, Smart, and Janney all over 50, anchors her argument in this year's actual outcomes rather than abstraction.
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