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. His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease. How did he even ‘see me’ when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?!”
Watts noted that Lynch’s “wisdom, humor, and love” impacted her as much as his art. “Every moment together felt charged with a presence I’ve rarely seen or known. Probably because, yes, he seemed to live in an altered world, one that I feel beyond lucky to have been a small part of,” she gushed. “And David invited all to glimpse into that world through his exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.”
The actress concluded her heartfelt post by stating that she “just cannot believe that he’s gone,” adding, “I’m in pieces but forever grateful for our friendship. I’m yelling from the bullhorn: Godspeed, Buddy Dave! Thank you for your everything. — Buttercup xox.”
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Watts’ post featured a sweet snap of herself kissing Lynch on the cheek, as well as a clip of them on the set of the 2017 Twin Peaks revival. “No, come on. Slap me. You’re pissed off. Slap me,” Lynch told Watts while rehearsing. Watts replied, “No, I don’t want to,” after which the director embraced her for a hug.
After starting her career in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Watts scored her breakout role in Lynch’s 2001 mystery thriller Mulholland Drive. She portrayed lookalikes Betty Elms and Diane Selwyn, the former of which worked to help a woman with amnesia named Rita (played by Laura Harring) unravel the truth of her identity.
Watts teamed up with Lynch again for the 2017 revival of his hit show Twin Peaks as Janey-E Jones, the wife of Kyle MacLachlan’s Dougie Jones. She also had a voice-over role in Lynch’s last directorial feature, 2006’s Inland Empire.
Lynch’s family confirmed the filmmaker’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday following his battle with emphysema. “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time,” the statement read. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
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In addition to posting her own tribute, Watts shared MacLachlan’s reaction post via her Instagram Story with several broken heart emojis. “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie,” MacLachlan, who starred in Lynch’s original film adaptation of Dune as well as Twin Peaks, captioned pics of them from over the years on Thursday. “He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.”
He continued: “I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.”
Lynch is survived by his four children — daughters Jennifer and Lula and sons Austin and Riley — whom he shares with his ex-wives.
