Naomi Watts wants to talk about menopause. The Stripes Beauty founder, who will appear as a special guest on An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution airing on March 31 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, acknowledges that "it's not a taboo subject anymore."
Still, The Friend star points out, "The archetypes that are out there on the screen and in storytelling, it's always these cranky, scary ladies. And while I'm all for the humor of that, there are other great things as well. I'm really proud of the advocacy work that I've been doing and learning all about it so perhaps that can be reflected in the stories."
The 56-year-old actress believes that embracing aging and showcasing her authentic self has actually made her more successful in Hollywood. "I think the longer the life, the deeper it gets, and the roles tend to reflect that in terms of storytelling and playing all these dynamic women," she tells Good Housekeeping. "We've been through a multitude of experiences by now, so stories will reflect that."
On- and off-screen, the advocate and author of Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause aims to use her platform to spotlight more authentic depictions of menopause. "There was something very freeing about owning my story. I knew that I had suffered alone for quite some time, and it didn't feel great. So the chances were that there were probably some other women out there that could identify with that feeling. By naming it, owning it and sharing it, it felt empowering," she reveals.
The stigma around aging in Hollywood is slowly improving, with stars like Brooke Shields, Andie MacDowell and more joining Naomi in an effort to redefine beauty standards for "older" stars.
"It's been wonderful to watch how people are embracing it now," Naomi says. "And I think more of that needs to take place. I think the striving for perfection is not as interesting anymore. But like with everything, things swing back and forth all the time. I would like it to keep moving in the direction of authenticity; being proud of and embracing whoever you are and whatever it is that you want to put forward into the world."
In starting Stripes Beauty, a skincare and wellness line for older women, Naomi's goal was straightforward. "I wanted a woman who has been sort of left on the sidelines to actually feel seen and not be over-promised to. [Claims like] 'We can reverse time, we can make you look 25 again,' are just not true. We can reduce the appearance of fine lines, through ultra hydration and with very specific targeted ingredients that will work for sensitive, dry and irritable skin — which is exactly what I was going through," she explains.
"It was important to me to create products that were science backed. And education: talking to doctors and making sure [women's] stories are supported with facts. The community was the third part of it, which was key, because we're nothing without the strength of our communities."
Overall, she's just glad to be a small part of the progress. "It's many things that have occurred in cultural society at this point. There was a need for it, and lots of people identified it and moved into it. And now you're seeing a much broader conversation," she says. "We just need to set ourselves up better because as the doctors say, there are so many connections to other things for the rest of your life. So you've got to take care of yourself."
And Naomi knows that mental health and physical health are innately connected. She makes it a point to work out two to three times a week, noting that "it really lifts" her mood. "It can be hard work and boring sometimes, but I sleep better. I know I feel better, I look better too, probably. I tend to do a bath every night if I can. It's my wind down."
Another key is maintaining "boundaries of who you have room for in your life and what you can and cannot do, how you can show up for things. I have to get my sleep for me to feel like a productive, grounded person the next day. I have to do something that might be self-care related every now and again, like a meditation, a massage, travel or being with a group of girlfriends who I just love and yearn for, laughing our asses off."
At this point in our lives, she stresses, it's about "putting yourself first. We take care of so many things in our lives. Invest in yourself, back yourself, take chances on yourself. We know what failure looks like by this point. We've recovered and repaired, so don't be afraid of trying new things."
Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.
