Naomi Watts Worried It Would Be 'Career Suicide' If She Discussed Aging, Going Into Menopause

The British-Australian actress spoke about her struggles with menopause and the worries she had about it getting in the way of her work, during The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable.

Watts, whose symptoms began at 36, said after she was told by someone in the industry her career was going to over by 40, she went into a "frantic panic."

"I started late by Hollywood standards -- I was 31 when Mulholland Drive finally launched," Watts explained. "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."

The fear initially stemmed from the worry that her career would end if she publicly addressed what she was going through, that it would be "career suicide."

"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," she explained. "It'd be career suicide to bring that into the room."

The Feud actress 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, who shares Sasha, 16, and Kai, 15, with ex-husband Liev Schreiber, said she ended up deciding to discuss it hopes of finding support amongst other women.

"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,'" she said.

Watts was also hopeful that in addition to inspiring others, she could create more opportunities in her own career, adding, "'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 and elongates the career, because someone's got to play the old lady.'"

"And I think the longer the life, the richer the stories, and there's lots to examine. We need to do whatever we can to expand the female story, at every point," Watts stressed.

The 55-year-old actress, who welcomed her children at 39 and 40 after conceiving them naturally, hasn't shied away from doing things "late in life" including finding love with Billy Crudup. The pair celebrated their love in a second wedding ceremony in Mexico City over the weekend -- one year after tying the knot at a court house in New York.

Speaking with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos during a January 2024 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Watts called their love story "special."

"It's never too late, right?" she said of their relationship, thanking the co-hosts for their well-wishes. "We found each other later than… yeah, late in life. And it’s really a special thing. Billy loves you guys -- thank you for your kindness about that."