Interrogation: Watts the story?

How are you dealing with going from being relatively unknown to having your personal life under the celebrity microscope?

NW: Before I started dating Heath (Ledger), people only wanted to talk about my work, so it's a change that people all of a sudden are interested in me for something more than that. I tried - and still try - to keep it separate. I don't pay too much attention to all of it.

What are the perks of your success?

NW: Free stuff. For a long time I spent money on something fabulous I could wear to an audition. Now that I can afford lovely clothes, designers send them to me for free.

Do you feel under pressure to look good all the time?

NW: People really don't notice me in the street. I can do whatever I want. I don't have to plan my leaving the house, like doing my hair and make-up. I can just go out and look any way I want to.

How did you feel working with director David Lynch on Mulholland Dr.?

NW: Hats off and major gratitude to David. He was the catalyst for everything, in terms of my career. It did precipitate all the things beyond that, like The Ring, and all the roles to come. He's become a really great friend.

We hear you didn't have to audition for the role of Betty in that film.

NW: Well, David has a different system. He goes through a stack of photographs and pulls out the ones he likes. He doesn't look at your credits. So it was one of the most painless experiences I've ever had. If he falls in love with you, he doesn't need to meet other girls. He makes his mind up immediately. When I met him, it was just the two of us sitting together. Nothing about work, just about life. That was a relief - I'm a terrible auditioner. I've had millions of bad auditions.

What was your worst audition?

NW: I got to meet a really fancy director once - who shall remain nameless. I had flown to LA from New York especially and I was the last person he was seeing that day. I was reading, and I remember stopping to ask a question and he was sleeping. I carried on, and pretended I hadn't noticed. Nowadays I'd be going, 'Hey, let's work here, give me my time'. But back then I was like, 'I'm taking up his time and I should get out of here quickly'.

You have that classic Hollywood look, but call yourself a late bloomer.

NW: I had a big brother called Ben so I never had Barbie dolls. Instead, we played with Action Men. I wasn't a girlie girl. I never wore pink nail polish or pretty pink dresses. None of that was a part of my life - I just wanted to be tough.

A lot of people think you're Australian but you're British, aren't you?

NW: My family and I lived in Shoreham, Kent until I was eight and then we moved to Wales. It was only as a teenager that I moved to Australia.

Did your parents have a happy marriage?

NW: My father worked as a sound engineer for Pink Floyd and led a real rock and roll lifestyle out on the road. I hardly ever saw him and my mum and dad split up when I was four. My mum raised Ben and me on her own. She had a series of bad boyfriends and we moved around with them. There was talk of my mother and father reuniting at one time, but he died when I was nine. After his death, we moved in with my grandparents in Wales.

Why did you move to Australia?

NW: Mum went on holiday to Australia and felt it was the land of opportunity, so we all emigrated when I was 14. Once I got there, it was a bit of a culture shock, but ultimately I loved it. In retrospect it was the best thing that my mum ever did.

You started acting in Australia...

NW: Mum put me in drama classes as soon as we arrived. In Sydney I got a great job producing fashion shoots for a big department store when I was 19. Then I went to Follow Me, an alternative fashion magazine to Vogue. After a few months there, a friend begged me to come to a weekend acting workshop, which I did and had a great time. The following Monday I quit my job and told them I had to follow my dream.

Then what happened?

NW: I ran into director John Duigan at the premiere of Dead Calm - Nicole Kidman's big film. I told him I was an actress, and he said I should audition for Flirting. I thought it was a bullshit line you hear at a party, but I auditioned and got a part. I was also offered a role in a soap, A Country Practice, but turned it down.

Why did you do that?

NW: I didn't want to get stuck on a soap for two or three years. Eventually I got more high-profile jobs, then I came to Hollywood.

Now that you live in LA, do you miss Australia?

NW: There have been times when I feel I have to get away from LA. Especially when I'm not working. It's difficult to be around people who are always working and you're not. It becomes a constant reminder of your struggle. LA really is a one-industry town and I found it takes a long time to make friends because people are here to work and not to hang out.

What else bothers you about LA?

NW: Well, it does get me down that directors don't pick actors who are right for the roles, but instead base their decision on who is the most bankable.

You and Nicole Kidman have been friends since you auditioned for a bikini ad early in your careers. Has she given you advice?

NW: She was always encouraging. When the chips were down and I was thinking of throwing in the towel, she kept telling me to hang in there, that all it takes is one thing, one film - and she was right.

What lured you into The Ring?

NW: My character Rachel. She seemed grounded despite it being a psychological thriller. After Mulholland Dr. I wanted to play someone normal - even if she is going through something extraordinary.

Was it scary filming The Ring?

NW: It's so disjointed when you shoot that you don't get scared. The reason it works as a film when you're in the audience is because of the music and pacing.

What are you frightened of in real life?

NW: I'm afraid of speaking in front of crowds. And doing the red carpet thing is a phobia of mine too. And sometimes I'm afraid of flying.

How terrifying is the idea of celebrity and are you ready for it?

NW: It's not something I think about. I realise I'm in a movie aiming to appeal to the masses. But we'll see what transpires. I don't spend time thinking about it. If you do, you're in this business for the wrong reason. I never get recognised. I really don't.

NAOMI'S REALITY CHECK

Is Naomi living in La-la land - or is she more worldly wise?

How long is an average passport valid for?

Seven years. (Wrong. It's 10)

Who is the Vice President of the United States? I know that - Dick Cheney. (Yup)

Who is the Prime Minister of Australia? I know that, too, John Howard. (Yes again)

What is your fave home-cooked food? My mum's lamb roast.

What other career takes your fancy? That would be teaching yoga.

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