In The Impossible, Naomi Watts plays a woman who struggles to keep her child safe in the wake of a tsunami. Not the least of which because her character was based on a real person, she said that the experience taught her a lot about the idea that parents must be fearless in their responsibilties, no matter what challenge they face.
“Allegedly that’s true,” she told Celebuzz when asked about how unafraid she is to do anything needed for her kids. “I still can’t quite believe that. I think I’m terrible in a crisis.”
“But that really inspired me in this story,” she explained. “It’s clear, she becomes this powerful and courageous woman, although she never wants to be thought of as that.”
Since her breakthrough performance in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, Watts has been one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actresses. Although she’s received just one Oscar nomination – for 2004’s 21 Grams – she’s received widespread recognition for her roles in King Kong, Eastern Promises and many other movies.
But Watts says that it never gets easier to hear her work being heaped with praise, even when she’s proud of it. When asked how she feels about the Oscar talk surrounding The Impossible, she answered simply: “Full of angst.”
“I try not to think about it,” Watts said. “But it’s hard not to think about it because people bring it up – and it’s flattering of course. But I’ve been down this road a couple of times, and it gets you all nervous, so it’s best not to think about it.”
The Impossible opens in theaters nationwide on December 21. Watch the film’s theatrical trailer below.
