Wattsup, Naomi?

But no sooner had she taken her seat at the "In Conversation with Naomi Watts" event than she proved she had the spunk to speak her mind.

Her visit to Abu Dhabi as a part of the third Middle East International Film Festival is an alluring antidote to all those celebrities whose interaction with the press was limited to fleeting appearances on the red carpet. The Oscar-nominated actress was a welcome change. Case in point: say the name Woody Allen and she waxes on lyrically about the diminutive director. Watts, who has been shooting for Allen's latest untitled venture, rates the experience as her "career milestone".

"He is a total dream. I love him. We grew up watching his films. His films are always in your head. You always go back and watch them over and over again.

"Actually, I was asked to be in a couple of his films before. Something didn't allow it to happen. But this time is the right time," she says.

In the film, Watts will be sharing screen space with Josh Brolin, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Hollywood's latest sensation, Frieda Pinto. Watts could hardly hide her excitement and looked like a studious pupil who couldn't get enough of her favourite subject.

"If only I could remember everything he said. Everything that comes out of his mouth is hysterical. A truly great comedian who doesn't care if he is politically incorrect. He just goes out there and says it anyway."

Big break

Her admiration is not limited to the Vicky Cristina Barcelona director. Watts, who emerged from obscurity when American auteur David Lynch plucked her from a pile of photographs and cast her in 2001's Mulholland Dr., says that moment was a defining point in her career. Prior to her big break, Watts admits she fantasised about a life far removed from her days as a struggling actress.

These sentiments came forth when one of her ardent fans asked what career she would have chosen had she not been an actress.

"There was a long time before David Lynch. When I speak of my career, I divide it into pre-David Lynch and after David Lynch. During pre-David Lynch, I used to keep fantasising about another life. It was hard to imagine, though — I knew I wanted to be a part of the film fraternity in some capacity and I knew I wanted to be in movies. But just as I was starting to get fed-up, something would come along and that would keep me interested. And thankfully, I stayed."

Needless to say, her die-hard fans are also eternally grateful to Lynch and his divine intervention. After this, Watts went on to star in blockbusters including a remake of King Kong and the horror-fest The Ring.

"He works intuitively," the 41-year-old actress says of Lynch. "Even in the way he casts, he doesn't want you to audition. He just wants to see who you are. I remember we had a conversation and I was surprised he wanted to know so much about me.

"And then we started shooting. He rarely says much. It's for you to find the answers. He delights in your torture."

Oscar nomination

But Watts, who has a stack of dark, complicated and volatile roles as her career back-bone, is not complaining. She got an Oscar nod for Alejandro González Iñárritu's 2003 film 21 Grams, where she played a bereaved mother and recovering drug addict. The English-born, Australia-bred beauty says she would eagerly give the candy-floss romantic comedies a miss and embrace complex or surreal roles. In a position to be picky about her films, she too — like Lynch — works on instincts.

"The main element is the director. I think the film is a director's medium. The moment you realise you are with a great filmmaker, you know you are onto a good thing. And from the first five pages — if the material speaks to [me], I take it on. You may never know at that point why you are doing it, or you may not know about it halfway into the film. But it will all fall into place eventually."

But motherhood has made her tweak a few rules. "My priorities have changed a little bit. I have two small children and the shooting location now matters a lot."

Known to live her life on her own terms, the actress also took the brave decision of moving from the hub of Hollywood in Los Angeles and planting herself in "culturally-rich" New York to build her family. Not surprisingly, the grounded actress is not a fan of its glitzier (read: culturally-depraved) cousin, Los Angeles.

Her down-to-earth attitude comes to the fore once again when she speaks about her fame and the paparazzi — the ubiquitous price of stardom. "I really have the ability to just go about my life. Sometimes there are days when paparazzi camp outside my house and there are days when they are not there. I feel there is a sort of code of ethics in New York.

"It's much more respectable than Los Angeles. Like, in New York if they see you, they stay with you for a couple of blocks and then leave you alone. But in LA, they stay with you and wreck your whole day."

Though she has misgiving about being shadowed, Watts seems to have come to terms with it and has devised her own strategy to keep the paparazzi at bay. "Ordinarily, I look very different from my films and who I am on the red carpet. There are days when I walk out of the house even if I have wet hair or even if I don't have make-up on. That's just who I am and that's how I live."

Bank on this

Naomi Watts, who has garnered a "Most Bankable Actress" tag following a Forbes poll, is not planning to rest on her laurels. Her greatest regret, she says, is that she has not been able to play roles in foreign language movies.

"It's a great ... shame that I have not been a part of foreign language movies. I am working towards it ... And yes, I am open to Middle Eastern movies — as long as it's a short role."

Clocking the naomi factor

Naomi Watts is brave enough to admit...

* Formulaic romances are not her forte. The rom-com will make the cut only if it's a quirky one:

"It's fun to play dark roles. I am not a fan of romantic comedies — except while on an airplane. They are all just so formulaic and it is hard to get them right."

* She was bribed by her mother to move to Australia from England:

"It was payback for moving me from England to Australia. I was very unhappy about being moved. You know, I had just settled into my peer group and Australia felt like the end of the earth. But, in retrospect, it is one of the best things she did for us… It was a land of opportunities."

* Being labelled the "Queen Of Remakes" is not always a joy-ride:

"There is a huge amount of pressure. For instance, for my role in King Kong — Fay Wray had made it iconic… It requires great discipline."

Keeping it real

Naomi Watts has worked with some of the most celebrated directors and has a knack for playing real-life characters. She will soon be seen in Sean Penn's Fair Game. She plays the outed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson and the true-life movie will come out in mid-2010.

"It is such a powerful story and she made such a powerful impact. You want to do your best, particularly if you are playing someone real. I spent some time with her and what an incredible woman. Shooting was nerve wrecking, though."