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Earlier this month, Naomi Watts opened up to Entertainment Weekly and shared thoughts about being in her 30's in Hollywood:
"I was told, ‘You better get a lot done because it’s all over at 40 when you become unf**kable.’ And I’m like, ‘What? What does that mean exactly?’"
"Then you think about it, and you go, ‘Oh, right. When you are no longer reproductive, when those organs are no longer functioning, you are not sexy, so, therefore, you are not hirable.’ That just made me so mad."
More recently, The Watcher actor - now 54 - sat down with InStyle to discuss her new menopausal skincare and wellness line Stripes and elaborated on Hollywood expectations.
"My career didn’t really start until my early 30s; that was when Mulholland Drive came out."
"At that time, I was also being told that your career would be over around your 40s. That didn’t make any sense to me."
Watts continued, again revealing the statement she made to EW:
"Someone said to me, ‘Well it’s when you become unf**kable.’ I was so put off and struck by that statement."
"I guessed that meant when you can no longer produce children, but so then what? Oh, I get it, the older women play the villain or the mad, crazy lady."
Watts also expressed her disappointment of the double-standard in her field when it comes to men and women aging.
"We as society look at men as they age and think they get more attractive."
"They get wiser, more powerful, and more desirable, and no man is talking to another man really about how they wish they could look better."
"They may talk about their aches and pains, but there’s no real pressure. It just feels like an unfair playing field, and I wish the conversation wasn’t there at all."
InStyle and Watt's recently shared Watt's cover to their Instagram accounts with the caption:
"After being told her career would be ‘over’ by forty, 54-year-old actress #NaomiWatts is booked and busy. She stars in two psychological thrillers this fall — @netflix’s #TheWatcher and @primevideo’s #GoodnightMommy — and adds beauty founder to her resume with @iam_stripes, her brand and resource hub for people in menopause, launching today."
"'We've always been reduced to being crazy old crones, and there is a point in time during perimenopause that you do feel like you're losing yourself,' @naomiwatts says. 'I would like to see more information about how you do get yourself back.'"
Fellow platform users took the opportunity to comment on Watts' undeniable beauty at any age and also on the fact that talent and skill is not measured by age. Watts is as talented now - if not more so - than she ever has been.
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
@instylemagazine/Instagram; @naomiwatts/Instagram
In a previous Instagram post, Watts shared:
"I think it’s time to see women in this phase of life or this age group be well represented. We’ve been under-served in media, stories and marketing far too long."
She finished the post:
"Let’s conquer the stigma and address the secrecy and shame we’ve felt and help create a healthier foundation for future generations. Getting older is a privilege and a time for us to feel proud of our cumulative experiences — to feel empowered, unapologetically so."
"I think being part of a change-maker generation is exciting. No more walking through this alone."
We couldn't agree more and are grateful that Watts chose to share her craft beyond the age of 40.