Naomi Watts on MORE magazine issue October 2014

Naomi Watts on taking risks onscreen and off: ‘It’s good to be a bit reckless and experimental’

The Oscar nominee talked about her personal life and film choices, and said that despite being seen in Hollywood as a risk taker, she doesn’t always ‘feel like a person who’s full of courage.’

Naomi Watts is often admired as one of Hollywood’s biggest risk takers — but the actress doesn’t view herself that way.

The movie star opened up about her life off and onscreen in a cover story for the October issue of More magazine.

The Oscar nominee, who is known for choosing eclectic and adventurous movie roles, including parts in upcoming films “St. Vincent” and “Birdman” out this fall, revealed that while others might think of her as a risk taker, she doesn’t always “feel like a person who’s full of courage.”

“Maybe in the workplace I have more courage than other areas in my life,” she added.

But Watts did admit that moving to Hollywood at age 25 was “a bit reckless and a gigantic risk.”



“Thankfully, I was young and naive enough just to do it,” she said. “As you get older, you overthink and can talk yourself out of anything. It’s good to be a bit reckless and experimental.”........

One major risk the 45-year-old undertook was portraying the late Princess Diana on the big screen. The 2013 biopic flopped at the box office and received negative reviews, and Watts said that it was a challenge to play a real person that was internationally well-known.

“We all know I’m not 5-10 or have any resembling features of hers except blue eyes, and I don’t speak like her. It was going to be hard. People knew her too well or felt like they owned her. I was up against that.”

As for her personal life, Watts said she no longer indulges in risky adventures such as skydiving and swimming with sharks, because of her children: Alexander, 7, and Samuel, 5, with longtime partner Liev Schreiber.

“Now that I have kids, I don’t want to do so many daredevily things anymore,” the actress said, echoing her pal Nicole Kidman, who recently shared similar sentiments in Interview magazine.

But Watts did have a good time filming “St. Vincent,” with Bill Murray, another Oscar nominee who’s known as a Hollywood risk taker. She plays a pregnant Russian stripper in the movie, and would channel her character while off set too.

“I’d bust into Bill’s trailer and say (she adopts a thick Russian accent), ‘I need a drink! Gif me a drink!’” the star recalled.

“I had to stick with that character because otherwise my fear of being not worthy would take over.”

The October issue More magazine hits newsstands Sept. 23.