Watts said "the chips were down" and she was "desperate" for work after "10 years into flunking auditions" in Hollywood before Lynch agreed to work with her.

Naomi Watts said on Tuesday that she almost quit acting before David Lynch cast her in Mulholland Drive. "He was very instrumental to me. Even being in America, I wouldn't have stayed had I not have met David Lynch,

Oscar-nominated director David Lynch, known for "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet," died at 78. Linda Nolan has died aged 65, following a long cancer journey, with several of the famous sisters having been diagnosed with the disease over the years.

"Eraserhead" filmmaker David Lynch brought a dark, thoughtful surrealism to Hollywood. Here are his best movies and TV work, including "Twin Peaks."

LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died just days before his 79th birthday.

Lynch was born in Missoula, Mont., in 1946 and grew up in Spokane, Wash., and Boise, Idaho. His father was a forest research scientist, and Lynch spent much of his childhood outside, exploring. Those same mysterious Pacific Northwest woods would eventually inspire Twin Peaks.

His projects made appearances on the Billboard charts throughout the years, and he directed several music videos for artists including Nine Inch Nails and Moby.

Naomi Watts revealed on “Live With Kelly and Mark” (via Entertainment Weekly) that she nearly quit acting before she met the late David Lynch, who cast her as the lead in 2001’s “Mulholland Drive.” The film’s critical acclaim and global success turned Watts into a star after “10 years” of “flunking auditions.

Naomi Watts credits the late David Lynch with saving her Hollywood career. The "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" star shared that the director — whose family announced his passing on Jan. 16 — rescued her stalled career by casting her in 2001’s Mulholland Drive.