Naomi Watts remembers being told that her acting career would be over by the time she turned 40.
Now 56, she just received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Babe Paley in Capote vs. the Swan. In March, she will star in the film “The Friend,” based on the National Book Award-winning novel by Sigrid Nuñez. And her first book, “Dare I Say It,'' which goes on sale Tuesday, details her experience navigating early menopause at age 36.
“It was shocking to me that half the population was being told to run through an inevitable period in their lives,” Watts said of the stigma and silence surrounding perimenopause and menopause. She eventually threw herself into the “lock, stock and barrel” conversation, explaining that she was “tired of keeping secrets for so long.”
In a video call from Los Angeles, a brief moment between the glamor of the Golden Globes and the devastation of the fire, Watts spoke about his love of pickleball, his admiration for David Bowie, and his belief that peppermint tea and milk don't go together. Ta. mix.
These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
pickleball
I'm obsessed with pickleball. When you say you love pickleball, everyone seems to think you're an old man's hobby, but I've seen people in their 20s in New York get into pickleball. .
game
During the Christmas holidays, I played a lot of cards and Bananagrams. We also play a game called Snatch, which is like an aggressive version of Bananagrams. I'm pretty competitive, but only when I'm playing games. I think it's because I have an older brother and we compete to win. I'm also part of a Wordle chain where whoever won the previous day gets to choose the word. I do it every day and have only missed it a few times here and there since I started. My stats are very impressive.
“Emilia Perez”
I saw this Jacques Audiard movie and loved it. It's very innovative and wild, with so many ideas and visuals going on at once. I had also seen his old movie Rust and Bone starring Marion Cotillard and loved it as well. All the actors in “Emilia Perez” are really great, and Zoe Saldaña was honored at the recent Globe Awards. It's just a great piece of filmmaking.
properly brewed tea
I drink all day. I love strong black teas like Builder's Tea and PG Tips. However, you need to create it correctly. We have to educate Americans how to make it. Must be taken with milk. When you order tea at a restaurant or on a plane, it's all a mistake to receive hot water and a bag together. That won't work. Pour boiling water over the bag. Then sometimes you order tea with milk and they get confused and bring you peppermint tea with milk and you think, “This is poison!”
Le Pavillon de la Reine
I love everything about Paris. I love the romance, I love the walks, I love the restaurants. I like staying at a place called Le Pavillon de la Reine. It's a boutique hotel with a fireplace, so it's nice in the winter.
cooking
One of my favorite things to do is eat at home with friends and have great food and great conversation. I often roast, so I have lots of roasted chicken and vegetables. My mother is a good cook, so I learned a lot from her. She's not a recipe person, she's a trial and error person. Training is required in that regard. I didn't learn to be a good cook until I had kids.
keep moisturized
During this dry winter, I've been using a lot of Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion to keep my skin moisturized as my feet have been really cracked. I apply lotion before going to bed at night and it is very effective.
dog
I've had dogs since I was born, but I can't understand people who don't like dogs. I don't really understand cat people, and I always support dog people. I like cats. I'm just allergic to them. However, if you have a cat, you might as well get a dog. Because at least cats are nice to you.
Rep. Sarah McBride
I'm a big fan of her work as an activist and politician. What she's doing is amazing. I'm impressed with how she handles everything with grace, despite the fact that she's constantly being attacked for the wrong reasons. She's committed to fighting LGBTQ discrimination, which I think is very important.
david bowie
The first album I bought was “Hunky Dory,'' and all of those songs were great. In my nostalgic brain, “change'' is the biggest and best thing. It's very interesting to think about what he's doing now. I wish he was still around. I really think so. If you look at the little clips and interviews of him back in the day, he really knew a lot. He was onto something.
