Naomi Watts is continuing to conquer the stigma around menopause by opening out about her own personal experience.
The British-Australian actress, 55, was asked about her struggles with menopause and if she had concerns about how it would impact her career.
Addressing the topic, Watts – whose symptoms began at just 36 – revealed some shocking statements she received in the industry.
She told The Hollywood Reporter’s Drama Actress Roundtable: ‘I started late, by Hollywood standards — I was 31 when Mulholland Drive finally launched.
‘I was also told, “It’s going to be over by 40, so work, work, work.” And then, when I was at the precipice of wanting to start a family, I was 36, I was told I was close to menopause. I went into this frantic panic, a lot of shame and fear.
Naomi Watts (pictured) is continuing to conquer the stigma around menopause by opening out about her own personal experience
Watts admitted she was initially afraid to publicly address going through menopause with the fear of her Hollywood career coming to an end.
‘I felt like if I ever dared to mention that word, I would be branded as redundant, finished, off to pasture, go to the sidelines, you’re not sexy, there’s no way you can act anymore. It’d be career suicide to bring that into the room,’ she continued.
‘But then I was like, “This makes no sense. We’re half the population. Everybody’s going to go into menopause at some point, so why shouldn’t we be talking about it?”‘
Watts added: ‘When you learn about the symptoms and how long they can go on for, why can’t we find the support? And it’s not just the physiological support you need, it’s the emotional support … So, I just went, “F**k this, let’s just talk about it.”
The British-Australian actress, 55, was asked about her struggles with menopause and if she had concerns about how it would impact her career
‘And in terms of my career, I felt like, “Well, if it spooks everyone, that’s a bummer, but hopefully it actually does the opposite”.’
Watts first experienced menopause symptoms almost 20 years ago, after trying to fall pregnant at 36.
Watts and her ex-husband Liev Schreiber ended up conceiving naturally, welcoming their first child, Sasha, now 16, in July 2007 — when Naomi was 39.
In 2008, they welcomed their second child, Kai, who’s now 15.
Watts previously spoke about her experience with menopause on Instagram and said that at the time that no one was willing to talk about it as there was such a stigma.
The King Kong star was joined alongside fellow actresses Jennifer Aniston, 55, Nicole Kidman, 56, Jodie Foster, 61, Sofia Vergara, 51, Anna Sawai, 31, and Brie Larson, 34, for The Hollywood Reporter’s Drama Actress Roundtable.
They were all brought together to discuss their TV work to drum up some early Emmy Award buzz; Foster for True Detective, Kidman for Expats, Larson for Lessons in Chemistry, Aniston for The Morning Show, Vergara for Griselda, Watts for Feud, and Sawai for Shogun.
She was speaking to the Hollywood Reporter’s Drama Actress Roundtable in a group interview with (from left) Sofia Vergara, Nicole Kidman, Jodi Foster, Jennifer Aniston, Anna Sawai and Brie Larson
