Ladies First Podcast with Laura Brown Episode 5: Naomi Watts on Tenacity
About Ladies First with Laura Brown
We love to honor women who show up and get the job done, so now we're going to talk about it — and to the ladies doing the work. Hosted by InStyle's editor in chief Laura Brown, Ladies First with Laura Brown will feature guests like Michelle Pfeiffer, Emily Ratajkowski, Cynthia Erivo, Naomi Watts, La La Anthony, Ellen Pompeo, Storm Reid, and more. One thing these ladies all have in common (other than being total badasses)? They're all trailblazers who were the first to accomplish something in their field — whether that be earning the highest salary for an actress on TV or landing the first cover of People's "Most Beautiful" issue.
Tune in every week to hear Brown and her special guests discuss current events, politics, some fashion, and, most importantly, the major firsts in their lives.
Naomi Watts on Tenacity: Episode 5: December 29, 2020
Ben Watts
The two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts is known for her work in films like Mulholland Drive, The Ring, 21 Grams, I Heart Huckabees, and The Impossible. But the British-born Australian star hasn't always been a leading lady. Actually, prior to her success in acting, Watts was actually on a fast-track for a career in fashion. She went on to spend a good 10 years auditioning and paying her dues in bit roles before finding bigger success in acting. Watt and longtime pal Laura Brown, editor-in-chief of Instyle Magazine talk all about her fruitful career, life during Covid, fashion , and the less-glamorous days of dues-paying.
"When I was about 20, I was in the fashion industry. I was working for a magazine called Follow Me as a fashion assistant. I went into my office and called a meeting with my boss and said, 'I'm going to quit because I want to be an actress.' And he was like, 'Okay,'" she remembered with a laugh. "He went, 'Isn't that sweet?' He said, 'You can do that on your weekends. You can have a hobby. That's fine. Don't be silly.'"
The actress also opened up about just how grueling — physically and mentally — the auditioning process was.
"It was a long, long haul of trying to get hired," she said. "And that meant several auditions a day across town, learning your lines on the way, changing outfits on the way. There were plenty of times I felt like, 'Oh, I've got to throw in the towel here.' I did pack my bags several times thinking, 'This is it, I'm calling it a day, I'm going home.' But just in the nick of time, something would come through that would just incentivize me just a tiny bit more."
Listen to the full episode and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This episode of Ladies First with Laura Brown is sponsored by Neutrogena.
