David Lynch, who died on Jan. 16, directed Naomi Watts in her breakout movie ‘Mulholland Drive’ Naomi Watts is mourning the loss of her Mulholland Drive director David Lynch. The legendary filmmaker died at the age of 78,

Before starring in the 2001 film directed by Lynch, Watts had starred in 1995’s Tank Girl and 1996’s Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering. Watts noted that due to the lack of big opportunities, she had “planned on going home multiple times” and then got a call from Lynch.

Naomi Watts said on Tuesday that she almost quit acting before David Lynch cast her in Mulholland Drive.

With the passing of beloved director David Lynch, many of the actors he worked with – along with countless staunch admirers – have shared emotional tributes and testaments to his legacy.

“My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave…” began Mulholland Drive star Naomi Watts on Instagram about the death of that movie’s filmmaker David Lynch. “The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful,” she wrote.

David Lynch revolutionized cinema — and now, Hollywood is paying tribute to the legendary auteur, who died Thursday at the age of 78.

The visionary "Twin Peaks" filmmaker is remembered as a complete original and built up quite the list of collaborators since 1984's "Dune."

David, I remain forever changed, and forever your Kale. Thank you for everything.” Naomi Watts starred in Lynch’s 2001 “Mulholland Drive,” which began as an aborted television pilot, only to be retooled into a feature film, one of the director’s ...

Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Harring, Questlove, and more shared tributes following the death of one of Hollywood’s most relentlessly experimental filmmakers

Oscar-winning director and Happy Days star Ron Howard paid tribute to Lynch on social media, writing: “#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.”

Naomi Watts is remembering her friend and former collaborator David Lynch after his death at age 78. "My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave," Watts, 56, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 16. "The world will not be the same without him.

When the question came to my mind as to how I would write an obituary for David Lynch, I found myself struggling with it.