Naomi Watts pays heartfelt tribute to her Mulholland Drive director David Lynch after his death at 78: 'He put me on the map'
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Australian actress Naomi Watts has penned a heartfelt tribute to director David Lynch. The auteur's family announced the devastating news that he had died, aged 78, after a battle with emphysema, via social media on Thursday. Watts, who was a long-time collaborator with Lynch, first starring in his lauded 2001 esoteric thriller Mulholland Drive took to Instagram on Friday to share her grief over the director's passing.
![[Watts, who was a long-time collaborator with Lynch, first starring in his lauded 2001 esoteric thriller Mulholland Drive took to Instagram on Friday to share her grief over the director's passing]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/17/01/94193347-14294415-Watts_who_was_a_long_time_collaborator_with_Lynch_first_starring-a-7_1737077382494.jpg)
'My heart is broken,' Watts began the expansive post that was augmented with photos and clips of the pair together. 'My Buddy Dave...The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful.'. Watts added that she is forever grateful to the director who gave her a shot after trying to make it in Hollywood for more than a decade.
![['My heart is broken,' Watts began the expansive post that was augmented wiith photos and clips of the pair together]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/17/00/94193341-14294415-image-m-39_1737073229481.jpg)
Australian actress Naomi Watts has penned a heartfelt tribute to director David Lynch after his death, aged 78. 'He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right,' she wrote. '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?!.
![['He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right,' she wrote. Watts and Lynch are pictured with Mulholland Drive co-star Laura Elena Harring]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/17/00/94193343-14294415-image-a-40_1737073291439.jpg)
Continuing the expansive tribute, Watts added that it was the man, as well as his art that impacted her life so greatly. 'It wasn’t just his art that impacted me – his wisdom, humor, and love gave me a special sense of belief in myself I’d never accessed before,' she offered.
![[Watts also shared a glimpse into the pair's working relationship via a sweet clip. The video showed Watts and Lynch on set with the director urging the actress to slap him.]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/17/00/94193345-14294415-image-a-41_1737073373859.jpg)
