Tough childhoods make for strong adults. Naomi Watts revealed in a new interview how her father’s death from a heroin overdose impacted her life.
In 1976, when she was only 7 years old, the actress’ father, Peter Watts, a sound engineer for Pink Floyd, was found dead in London at the age of 31. The sudden loss forced her family to move around a lot so her single mother could “find a career.” They moved from the U.K. to Australia when the Oscar nominee was 14.
Watts revealed in an interview with The Guardian posted on Saturday, July 15, that the members of Pink Floyd helped out her family after her father’s untimely death.
“When he died, my dad hadn’t saved money, and I guess my mum didn’t have any. So they, the band, very kindly … ‘Trust fund’ doesn’t sound right at all. I think they gave my mum a few thousand dollars to help get things under way. A lump sum, to help, “ Watts, 48, told The Guardian. “It was kind that they did that.”
The King Kong star also acknowledged that the loss of her father left her with so few memories that photos are her only way to remember him — which is why she became emotional when a Pink Floyd fan recently approached her with a picture of her father that she had never seen before.
“You’ve got to understand, I’ve got maybe three photos of my dad, and maybe two memories. And all of the photos of him are either out of focus or he’s a tiny speck in the background,” she said, adding that when she saw the shot of her father hanging out with friends and members of Pink Floyd, she burst into tears.
It was her first time ever seeing a clear picture of her deceased father smiling.
Watts is currently starring in the new Netflix show Gypsy, a dark drama about a New York therapist who fakes identities so she can be involved in her patients’ lives.