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.

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.

David Lynch revolutionized cinema — and now, Hollywood is paying tribute to the legendary auteur, who died Thursday at the age of 78.

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.

Naomi Watts wouldn’t be a Hollywood star if it weren’t for David Lynch.Naomi Watts nearly left the acting world before a pivotal meeting with the late director changed her

The visionary filmmaker is remembered as a complete original and built up quite the list of collaborators since 1984's "Dune" The post David Lynch in Photos: Milestones With Laura Dern, Cannes With Naomi Watts,

Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Harring, Questlove, and more shared tributes following the death of one of Hollywood’s most relentlessly experimental filmmakers

Oscar-winning director and Happy Days star Ron Howard paid tribute to Lynch on social media, writing: “#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.”

David Lynch, who died on Jan. 16, directed Naomi Watts in her breakout movie ‘Mulholland Drive.' The actress mourned the loss of the filmmaker in a tribute on her social media.

“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.

If I moved out to Los Angeles to pursue my own acting dreams, would I end up like Diane Selwyn—Betty’s alter ego in Act II—bitter and broken? Was the filmmaker sending me a dark-blue key but warning me not to use it to open that Pandora’s box?