Naomi Watts said on Tuesday that she almost quit acting before David Lynch cast her in Mulholland Drive.

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.

With the passing of beloved director David Lynch, many of the actors he worked with – along with countless staunch admirers – have shared emotional tributes and testaments to his legacy.

“My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave…” began Mulholland Drive star Naomi Watts on Instagram about the death of that movie’s filmmaker David Lynch. “The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful,” she wrote.

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.

David Lynch, who died Thursday at age 78, was remembered by his many collaborators, as well as those he inspired, such as "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly.

Actor Naomi Watts shares how filmmaker David Lynch gave her a career-changing opportunity, just when she was ready to quit acting.

Oscar nominee Naomi Watts shared she almost quit Hollywood, but credited late director David Lynch with saving her career by casting her in the 2001 film Mulholland Drive: “I wouldn’t have stayed.”