Naomi Watts on Late Blooming, Bold Moves, and Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be

Summary

Podcast Summary: Making Space with Hoda Kotb

Episode: Naomi Watts on Late Blooming, Bold Moves, and Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Hoda Kotb
Guest: Naomi Watts

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Overview

In this uplifting and candid episode, Hoda Kotb sits down with acclaimed actress and entrepreneur Naomi Watts. The conversation explores Naomi’s journey as a “late bloomer,” her resilience in overcoming rejection and ageism in Hollywood, and her mission to reshape the way society talks about aging, perimenopause, and women’s empowerment. Touching on personal loss, motherhood, new projects, and starting the Stripes brand, Naomi shares insights on embracing new seasons of life and creating space for self-discovery and self-acceptance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Navigating New Seasons of Life

• Current Season of Life:
  • Naomi reflects on being in her 50s, juggling work, family, and an aging parent.
  • Quote: “We're managing all kinds of things at this point in our 50s… Pressures in the workplace… parents are getting older, and there's just a lot. But we do know how to navigate it.” (02:39)
• Support Systems:
  • Emphasizes the importance of support and a good team for managing life’s demands.

Childhood, Adaptability, and Early Loss

• Nomadic Upbringing:
  • Naomi’s father was Pink Floyd’s audio engineer; her mother, a costume/set designer.
  • Moved frequently across England, then to Australia at 14, which fostered adaptability.
  • Quote: “You'd have to watch and learn ... but there were times where I felt very lonely and very much on the outside.” (05:09)
• Losing Her Father:
  • Lost her dad at age 7, processed grief without guidance; identity and grief became themes in her work.
  • Quote: “It was defining, and it is very much a part of who I am… there's a lot of grief in the stories that I've been part of.” (06:25–06:48)

Family Influences and Work Ethic

• Grandmothers’ Impact:
  • Raised with her mother and strong-willed grandmother; credits them for her work ethic.
  • Quote: “She was always, like, making us work hard. We were not allowed to sit around and read a book… there were goats to feed and chickens to clean out.” (08:22)

Discovering Acting

• The Spark for Performance:
  • Saw her mom perform in "My Fair Lady" as a child; “instantly… felt transported into this world of make believe.” (09:06–09:49)
• Understanding the Industry:
  • Recognizes the beauty and difficulty of acting, especially dealing with rejection.
  • Quote: “...a whole litany of different notes along the way. Whether it was… not funny, not sexy, too old, too intense, too this, too that.” (10:31–10:56)

Breakthrough and Ageism in Hollywood

• Finding Stardom Later:
  • Attained breakout success at 33 with "Mulholland Drive."
  • Quote: “Mulholland Drive changed everything... It really just changed the course forever.” (11:35)
• Facing Ageism:
  • Acknowledges age-based criticism and chooses to “own it.”
  • Quote: “We are all aging. It is a privilege, thankfully… find out ways how to make it better… by opening up the conversation.” (12:14)

Speaking Out & Changing the Discussion Around Aging

• Normalizing Menopause and Perimenopause:
  • Became an advocate after feeling isolated in her own experience; launched Stripes Beauty to support women through this stage.
  • Quote: “I could be branding myself as the old lady. Or maybe it'll be helpful... and maybe it'll elongate my career.” (13:18)
• Societal Shifts:
  • Notes that women in media are thriving at older ages, emphasizing, “Don't think you can just get rid of us. You need us, by the way. The younger generation needs us.” (18:39)

New Projects & Embracing Opportunity

• "All’s Fair" TV Series:
  • Stars as part of an all-star ensemble; show focuses on female divorce lawyers, blending comedy and drama.
  • Quote: “It's about women supporting women. But… there's some bad behavior in there, too.” (17:54)
• Writing a Book on Menopause:
  • Realized the scarcity of resources when she faced early menopause, decided to create the guide she wished she’d had.
  • Quote: “It’s the book I wish I’d had… conversations with doctors, experts, other women, and me telling my own story infused with humor and facts.” (20:19–21:11)

Fertility Journey

• Diagnosis and Struggle:
  • Discovered at 36 she was near menopause, which explained infertility; experienced “a lot of suffering and a lot of fear” (21:17).
  • Her journey underscores that timelines for life milestones don’t need to be rigid.

Stripes Beauty: Purpose and Mission

• Origin of the Brand:
  • Conceived to address the needs of women in midlife—especially skin changes and self-image.
  • Quote: “Everyone was still promising, you know, we can get rid of your wrinkles… But I felt like there’s a real gap in the market for women who… want to see ourselves in the best way that we possibly can.” (24:11–25:06)
  • The name “Stripes” symbolizes earning one’s dignity and embracing age.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Resilience and Sensitivity:
  • “It's okay to be sensitive... we need to know how to feel so that people can see their stories reflected through my telling.” (11:03)
• On Late Blooming and Timing:
  • “It’s never too late. Never too.” (19:39)
• Advice to Younger Women:
  • “It’s nice to have plans or timelines, but you don’t have to be so fixated on them… they can alter and, you know, shift.” (19:13)
• On her “Perfect Day” (Self-care):
  • “Coffee in bed, just start at a slower pace… Walking outside… music, maybe a little dance… dinner with friends." (26:32–27:18)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:43 – Compartmentalizing and prioritizing during busy life seasons
• 05:09 – Adapting to constant change during childhood
• 06:25 – Processing childhood loss and how it shaped Naomi
• 08:22 – The impact of strong grandmothers and work ethic
• 09:06 – Discovering the magic of performance
• 11:35 – Breakout with "Mulholland Drive" and confronting Hollywood ageism
• 12:14 – Embracing aging publicly and spearheading the conversation
• 13:18 – Addressing menopause openly; fears of "career suicide" and finding strength in advocacy
• 17:44 – Excitement and details about the new project “All’s Fair”
• 19:13 – Reflections on love, partnership, and shifting life timelines
• 21:17 – Her early diagnosis of menopause and fertility struggles
• 24:11 – The story and mission behind Stripes Beauty
• 26:32 – Naomi’s vision of a “perfect day” for self-care

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Conclusion

Naomi Watts’s journey is both inspiring and reassuring, especially for listeners who feel out of sync with traditional timelines or who are navigating change. By embracing her own late blooming and vulnerabilities, advocating for open conversations about menopause and aging, and leaning into new professional ventures, Watts exemplifies the power of resilience and authenticity. This episode is a reminder, in Naomi’s words, that “it’s never too late”—and that we all have the capacity to "make space" for growth, no matter our age or the obstacles we face.

Transcript

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What happens when the world tells you you're too old and you decide not to listen? Well, my guest today has spent her life proving that voices of doubt do not define us. Naomi Watts is a powerhouse, but her journey was far from easy. Born into a creative family, her father an audio engineer for Pink Floyd, her her mother a costume and set designer, she grew up reinventing herself again and again, adjusting to her family's nomadic life across England and Australia. Once in Hollywood, it took years to find her stride. And when success finally did arrive in her 30s with Mulholland Drive, it was followed almost immediately by ageism. Offscreen, she faced challenges just as profound. Infertility, perimenopause, and the pressure to stay silent. But Naomi turned her truth into courage, speaking out to inspire women, and launching Stripes Beauty to change the conversation around aging. Now at 57, she's shining brighter than ever, married to her perfect match, thriving professionally, and showing the world that success and strength have no expiration date. I'm Hoda Kotb. Welcome to my podcast, Making Space. I'm so happy to be sitting with you today.

[B]

Thanks for having me, Hoda.

[A]

Good to see you. So we've been through many seasons in life, different seasons. How would you describe the one you're in right now?

[B]

Oh, what a great question. It's a lot, I'm not gonna lie. We're managing all kinds of things at this point in our 50s. And, you know, I've just dropped my eldest off to college that was, you know, emotionally charged, scary for all, but it went. It couldn't have gone better, actually. And pressures in the workplace, meaning, you know, like, lots of responsibility you know, you've taken on a lot. We've learned a lot in our. In our years, and that can be so wonderful. But it does come with pressure as well. And also, you know, parents are getting older, and there's just a lot. But we do know how to navigate it. We need to accept that. We need support.

[A]

You've got a new acting project coming up. You've got all kinds of balls in the air. How do you.

[B]

Spinning plates. How do you work, as my husband calls it?

[A]

How do you work on prioritizing, or how does that come to be?

[B]

Yeah, you have to compartmentalize. You know, when you're doing one thing, try to let the other things push them aside just for that moment. Make the time and space so that you can be focused and present. And it takes a lot. You need a team of people to help, you know, manage schedules and things like that. I'm lucky in that I love what I do. I really am, and I think you are, too. You know, we enjoy it, and there's good people around us, and we believe in what we're doing, and that's comforting.

[A]

I was thinking about you, and I always look back to someone's childhood, someone who's very good at pivoting, adapting. And your childhood made total sense to me. When I read about it, I was like, okay, so you did have kind of a nomadic childhood.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Your dad worked with Pink Floyd and your mom was a costume designer. What did that mean in terms of moving around?

[B]

It meant moving around different schools, different counties, all over England, and then a country swap. You know, we moved from England to Australia when I was 14 and my brother was 16, so absolutely needing to know how to reshape and adapt to new environments, new people.

[A]

How did you do that? Cause as a teenager, or even as a. Especially as a little kid, and a teenager is even harder. What was your thing that you did so that you would fit into all these different environments?

[B]

No, it wasn't like a conscious thing. It just had to happen, you know, And I think I found my way into the. The right little section of people that I wanted to be around. But slowly, you know, I'd have to watch and learn how they. You know, what their rhythms were. But there were times where I felt very lonely and very much on the outside. And, you know, especially when I moved to Australia, that was a whole new thing. Like, I remember driving by the school that I was about to go to and seeing how the kids were dressed, and, you know, having come from England, where our skirts had to be below the knee, and our socks were just under the knee. And, you know, it was. And then seeing these girls with, like, miniskirts and hairdos, what's going on here, it was a cultural shock. But, yeah, I think it was a great learning in that I did know how to adapt to different environments and.

[A]

To go through your life without your father. And my dad passed. I was in college, so I did have him for a lot of those kind of formative years. But for a little girl who I would imagine being seven, like, how did you process that? How did you.

[B]

I mean, again, there was no, like, instructions of how to manage grief or how to adapt. It was just. I learned on the way, and I didn't really know how to even talk about it, but it was defining, and it is very much a part of who I am. And if I was to, you know, go through my IMDb list of all of the films I've done, you could probably see a common thread there. And there's a lot of grief in the stories that I've been part of. And also, identity is a big theme that shows up throughout my work. So those are things that I need to understand better and cope with. But, yeah, as an older woman seeing grief more, you know, as an adult now, I feel for that little girl, you know, like, I can't believe how she had to deal with that.

[A]

And I think there are moments, like, I remembered it was like Father's Day or Father, Daughter somethings or whatever those moments were where everyone seemed to have somebody.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you look around and you realize, and you're trying to be tough, like, that's okay, that's okay. That's okay. Like, trying to navigate those times and.

[B]

Not even really having any strong memories of my father, which kind of makes that you feel like, well, who am I if I don't know who I am and where I come from?

[A]

Who raised you?

[B]

Mostly my mom and also my grandmother, my mom's mom, who has left a lasting impact on me. She's no longer with us. I lost, actually, both my grandmothers last year, but they had long, expansive lives. One lived to 101 and one to 91.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And my Australian grandmother was a powerhouse. She was the matriarch of the family. My mom has two sisters, so I'm naturally drawn to strong women. Always love, you know, powerful women. And she was always, like, making us work hard. We were not allowed to sit around and read a book. I mean, I wish she had let me enjoy reading a bit more, but, you know, There were goats to feed and chickens to clean out. And you know, all of these things that had to be done, the children and, you know, we were told, get up, give up, go, go, go, go, go, go.

[A]

So the work ethic, we get where that came from. Yeah. The love of acting, when did that start? When did you think to yourself, do you remember, like when you were younger?

[B]

Yeah, but I didn't know that it was a job that I could ever have. I remember seeing my mom on stage when I was about five years old. I was in the front row with my grandmother and it was. We lived in a small town, it was called the Shoreham Players. That every festive season, Easter, they would have like little skits or a whole play. And my mom was in this play, it was My Fair Lady. And I just remember looking at her in these costumes, beautiful costumes, and talking in a funny voice and a wig and gliding across the stage and I was waving, trying to get my mom's attention. And of course she's being a professional and staying focused, but I kept going. So I guess she realized she had to just put an end to those distractions and gave me a little wink and a hand gesture. And instantly in that moment, I just remember feeling transported into this world of make believe. Like, oh, wow, that's something. That's something that is beautiful and I want to be a part of it. I just knew.

[A]

And the industry's got all that beauty and it also is full of rejections and not you. And you're not good enough.

[B]

Oh yeah, plenty.

[A]

For a tender hearted kid who, you know, pursues this career, how did you develop any kind of a thick skin or how thick of a skin did it take?

[B]

Yeah, I still don't think my skin is thick enough. Rejection is really hard. But yeah, you have to know anyone who's entering into this business, it feels personal sometimes. And I got a whole litany of different notes along the way. Whether it was like, not funny, not sexy, too old, too intense, too this, too that. And you're like, ah, wounds to the heart. It was a lot. But I guess practice, you just had to keep going.

[A]

Why did you go back?

[B]

Well, I, I guess I didn't know what else to do. I knew what I, that I loved this and I knew I have resilience. Having had that, that we just sort of spoke about. It does grow and you get a little bit used to it. But it's okay to be sensitive. This is, I'm in the world of feelings, you know, we need to know how to feel so that people can see their stories reflected through my telling.

[A]

Your big break came when you were 33, is that right? Yes.

[B]

Mulholland Drive changed everything. It launched at the Cannes Film Festival. I got a crazy good review that made every agent come after me suddenly. Ones that said, thanks, but no thanks previously. And all the directors obviously saw the great directors, saw David Lynch's new film at the time, and it really just changed the course forever.

[A]

You brought up earlier ageism, like, in the rejection list of things. How did that play in your life? And how did you just. What do you do about that? Like, what do you do about that kind of criticism?

[B]

I think just own it, you know, call it what it is. We are all aging. It is a privilege, thankfully. You know, like I said, two grandmothers that lived such a long time just find out ways how to make it better. And I think making it better by opening up the conversation and saying, this is who I am. Can you deal with it? Because I'd like to still be here. Thanks.

[A]

And by the way, 50% of the population is going through or will go through what we've all gone through or are going through.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

And so this became more than just a subject of discussion for you. You're, like, waving the flag, and I think someone had to do it. It was just like one of those things. I remember being on the set of the Today show dripping, oh, really? I was like, oh, my God.

[B]

And not being able to say and.

[A]

Wanting to say, you know, what's going on here? But you're just like, give me a minute.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You're just like, please go away. You're in the middle of talking about some serious stuff.

[B]

It's so dist. But all you can think about is like, is everybody else watching what's happening with me?

[A]

Right. Am I dripping right here? So why did this become something that you decided to grab the horns on?

[B]

I felt like I had come into my industry pretty late, and I think I've been a late bloomer with almost everything, But I think I knew I loved what I do and I wanted to stick around. And what's wrong with it? It's just biology. Just name. And like you said, half the population will go through it. If we're lucky enough to still be around, why can't we talk about it? And I had moments where I thought, this could be a terrible idea, could be career suicide. I could be branding myself as the old lady. Or maybe it'll be helpful to a few people and maybe it'll be helpful for me and maybe it'll elongate my career.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And it turns out nobody poo pooed it in the end.

[A]

Isn't that funny?

[B]

People actually heralded it and because yeah, the conversation needed to happen. It was the last one kind of left untouched, you know, and why shouldn't it be on the table with all the other awkward conversations, right?

[A]

Adding to the pile.

[B]

Yeah, we need it. As women, we had to talk about our periods. We had to talk about fertility and breastfeeding and, you know, all of those things. Why can't we come together and figure out ways to better understand what is going on through, you know, this period of our lives?

[A]

More with Naomi Watts after the break.

[B]

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[A]

You've got a brand new project. It is called All's Fair. The cast is incredible. When I saw the list of everyone from Kim Kardashian to Sarah Paulson, Glenn.

[B]

Close, Niecy Nash, Teyana Taylor, I mean.

[A]

It'S gotta be great.

[B]

Dynamics.

[A]

What is this project?

[B]

This is about a team of women who are divorce lawyers. So you can imagine. Juicy.

[A]

Is it comedy and drama. What is it?

[B]

Well, it's a bit of everything.

[A]

Everything?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. It's gotta be a pop the popcorn kind of thing.

[B]

Women supporting women. But, you know, there's some bad behavior in there, too.

[A]

Well, there has to be. There has to be. What does it feel like to be getting such cool roles? Like, I feel like I'm in the business of women who are. I'm 61. You're in your 50s. You know, Savannah's in her 50s. She's anchoring the show. Gayle turned 70, she's hosting CBS. Robin Roberts is in her 60s. She's hosting. Like, look.

[B]

Yeah, we're doing incredible things. All this other stuff in the background.

[A]

We're driving the boat. We're the ones in charge. I feel like we've come a long, long way. And I love that you're talking about this one subject of menopause and perimenopause. And over here you're like, I'm very busy. I've got another project cooking. There's a lot we can do.

[B]

Yeah, we are. We're experienced as well. Yeah. So don't think you can just get rid of us. You need us, by the way. The younger generation needs us.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So, yeah, it's absolutely about leaning into it, owning your story and. And. But yeah, it doesn't mean we don't need support.

[A]

And you talk about being a late bloomer. You've had, you know, lots of varieties of loves in your life with your kids and your kid's Father and Billy. Now, this new season of love. How would you describe this season where you are in that aspect?

[B]

I feel really good. I feel kind of emotional at times about it because, like I said, some things came on a different timeline than I imagined. But that's why I always say it's nice to have plans or timelines, but you don't have to be so fixated on them. That's what I would say to the younger women out there. Have them, but then, you know, they can alter and, you know, shift. It's never too late, though. Never too.

[A]

That's the best line.

[B]

Yeah. And I just wrote a book.

[A]

Tell me about this book. I mean, you've talked about it, but now this is next level.

[B]

Thank you. Yeah, I thought about it for a long, long time, actually, in my early 40s when I was flailing around, trying to figure out what was going on with my body. Had no one to talk to. Didn't even really know how to speak about my symptoms to my doctor. My doctor, you know, it was a really difficult time, and the Internet wasn't even that active back then. So I said to a friend of mine, I wish there was a book, like a handbook, some kind of guide that could walk you through it. And she was like, why don't you write it?

[A]

You're doing that.

[B]

And I said, oh, no, don't be ridiculous. I'm not a writer. And that would be career suicide if I started telling everyone I'm in menopause that nobody will ever hire me. But I did keep thinking about it. And like I said, it took me a long time to find my way. It's the book I wish I'd had. And I finally got around to it when. After I turned 50, when I was allowed to be menopausal, because that's the average age. And, yeah, I said, yeah, I'm just gonna. And basically, it's conversations with doctors, experts, and other women and me telling my own story infused with humor and facts, obviously. So, you know, some of the books out there written by doctors are wildly informative, but this one is hopefully very palatable and an easy read.

[A]

Right. Cause you want to be able to read other people's stories. When did menopause hit for you?

[B]

Well, I was 36 when I was told that I was close to menopause, and it was the reason I wasn't getting pregnant. So it was a real shock. I mean, I was on the floor basically with, like, panic.

[A]

Did your mom go through menopause?

[B]

I remembered when I left, I called my mom right away and said, what the hell? Why didn't you say more? But I did remember that she had told me that she went through menopause at 45. I didn't know that she had a multitude of symptoms. And a lot of years leading up to those, you know, like that they were spread out over a number of years.

[A]

Yeah. And having children, what happened there?

[B]

So I tried lots of different things. Ultimately, I don't know what was the thing that got me pregnant. I guess I had two random eggs left over. And yeah, I just kept trying and I wasn't an IVF candidate, but it was a lot of suffering and a lot of, of fear going through that. And finally I, yeah. Got pregnant and the second one came like that.

[A]

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[A]

Tell me about Stripes, which is your other baby.

[B]

This was the other piece that I've been thinking about a lot because my first really aggravating symptom or not, first night sweats were the first but like one that really became a problem for me because of work, being on camera, I had irritable skin, itchy, dry, angry skin and the products that I was using before were no longer working for me. In fact, they were agitating me. So I needed to start looking into ingredients. I became very closely involved with my friend's business called Onda Beauty and started learning about clean beauty and all these fantastic brands. But what I noticed after a couple of years there was that everyone was still promising, you know, we can get rid of your wrinkles. You know, it was all about anti aging. And I felt like there's a real gap in the market for, you know, women who want to not look 25 again. We don't want to be over promised to either. We don't want to suffer fools, and we want to see ourselves in the best way that we possibly can. So I wanted to create something that was targeting my symptoms, which was deeply dehydrated, and have this woman at this age feel like she's dignified, she can be celebrated. She can feel empowered with education and community, of course. And so I remember during COVID I cold pitched the brand idea, the vision to a biotech company. This is what I'd like to do. This woman should feel like she's earned her stripes.

[A]

Oh, I love that. I love it. I love it. Okay, so my podcast is called Making Space. So if you had a day, that was all for you. Okay. Cause I know you don't have many of these, but there's a day, Naomi, that there was not one thing on your calendar. Everything got deleted. You wake up when you want, you go to sleep when you want, and you fill the hours in between the way you like. No one's gonna tell you anything. How would you feel that day?

[B]

Gosh. Only one.

[A]

You only get one.

[B]

That's right. Definitely would try to sleep in.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And you know, most of the times when I want to sleep in and I've got that opportunity, it doesn't happen.

[A]

True.

[B]

But I can stay in bed. Coffee in bed, just start at a slower pace. And with my husband knowing that my children. I love it when they're asleep in the house as and knowing where they are, having a good breakfast. I love to exercise. I really enjoy the feeling. Not just for what it does to your body, but your mind obviously as well. Walking outside, nature. Love that. Playing some music, maybe a little dance. Good food.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

And maybe at the end of the day, a celebration would with. Well, it doesn't have to be celebration, just a nice dinner with friends. I like to cook with friends as well. I like to go out to restaurants too. So that's it.

[A]

Would you go to bed early or.

[B]

I love an early to bed, early riser, early to bed.

[A]

I'm with you. I'm with you. Naomi. Thank you so much.

[B]

I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me.

[A]

I love this book. Dare I say it?

[B]

Yeah. New York Times bestseller. If I make flex as well. Oh yeah.

[A]

Flex. Flex away. I love it. I love it. Thank you, Naomi.

[B]

Thank you, Hoda. Thanks for having me.

[A]

Hey guys, thank you so much for listening and for coming on this journey with me. If you like what you heard, and I hope that you do, please give Making Space a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts and make sure you tell your friends. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening right now. Making Space with Hoda Kotb is produced by Allison Berger, I, Alexa Casavecchia and Mitch Rissmiller along with Kate Saunders. Our associate audio engineer is Juliana Masterilli. Our audio engineer is Joe Plourd. Original music by John Estes. Bryson Barnes is our head of audio production. Missy Dunlop Parsons is our executive producer. Libby Least is the executive Vice president of Today and Lifestyle Foreign here. The shoes are so good. No one would ever know how little you paid if you didn't go telling everyone that is.

[B]

And with never ending options for every style, mood and occasion, all at really great prices, we'll definitely give you something to brag about. So go ahead, stock up on fresh.

[A]

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[B]

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