Naomi Watts Dials Up Horror

Actress Naomi Watts began her acting career 16 years ago in Australia, but she didn't break into Hollywood until last year when she was cast in David Lynch's Oscar-nominated film "Mulholland Drive."

Her latest film, the supernatural thriller "The Ring," is a remake of one of the all-time biggest horror movies in Japan.

"I read the script, and it's a page-turner. It's a really fast-moving, well-paced suspense. And it's a horror film. But it's also a deeply psychological film with lots of moral dilemmas, as well", Watts tells The Early Show's Julie Chen.

The premise is a videotape filled with nightmarish images, leading to a phone call foretelling the viewer's death in exactly seven days. Watts plays newspaper reporter, Rachel Keller who learns about the tape when her niece Katie becomes its latest victim. Keller not only tracks down the video and watches it, but so does her son.

"So it's up to me to solve this mystery. And I head towards this mystery because I'm a journalist. And I really just want to investigate the truth," Watts says of her character.

Watts was discovered after David Lynch cast her "Mulholland Drive," which was supposed to be a television show pilot and ended up as a feature film. She had been acting for 16 years when she made that movie.

"It's wonderful. It's what you want. Because the main thing is that now people call me and ask to meet me and read their scripts. And it's a certain caliber of people that you dream to work with," says Watts, who until then was knowns as Nicole Kidman's best friend.

About Naomi Watts

• Born in Shoreham, England, Sept. 28, 1968
• 1982: At age 14, relocated to Australia with mother and stepfather
• 1986: Film acting debut, "For Love Alone"
• 1991: Had regular role on the Australian serial "Home and Away"; Co-starred as a snobbish schoolgirl in the Australian film "Flirting;" first collaboration with director John Duigan; Had featured role in the Australian TV miniseries "Brides of Christ;" aired on A&E in the USA in 1993
• 1992: Reteamed with Duigan in "Wide Sargasso Sea;" Made first Hollywood film, "Matinee"
• 1995: Had cult hit as Jet Girl in "Tank Girl"
• 1997: TV series debut in "Sleepwalkers", a short-lived NBC drama
• 1998: Was featured in "Dangerous Beauty"; Portrayed the murder victim in the based-on-fact CBS drama "The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer;" Returned to Australia to co-star in "Strange Planet"
• 2000: Had lead in the British TV drama "The Wyvern Mystery"; Played title role in the independent feature "Ellie Parker;" also co-produced
  2001: Starred as an aspiring starlet in Hollywood in "Mulholland Drive," directed by David Lynch; originally shot as a pilot for ABC, project went back into production; with additional footage was premiered at Cannes; Portrayed a TV newswoman investigating mysterious elevator accidents in NYC in "Down;" Had lead role as a widow who takes in a gunslinger in the Showtime period Western "The Outsider"
• 2002: Co-starred with Brenda Blethyn and Alfred Molina in the offbeat romantic comedy "Plots with a View." Watts has completed filming the Merchant/Ivory film comedy "Le Divorce" with Kate Hudson, Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, and Leslie Caron. She has also filmed "The Kelly Gang" (tentative title), costarring her boyfriend Heath Ledger as legendary Australian outlaw Ned Kelly (the Australian Jesse James) and "21 Grams," with Sean Penn and Benecio Del Toro.