Naomi Watts on Playing Princess Diana: "I Might Go Into Hiding"

Actress jokes she "might leave the country" after Diana hits theaters

By Zach Johnson Aug 30, 2013 7:22 PMTags
Princess Diana, Naomi WattsTim Graham/Getty Images; Splash News

Portraying Princess Diana on the big screen is a huge coup for Naomi Watts—but it's also unnerving. Covering the October 2013 issue of InStyle UK, the 44-year-old Diana star reveals that the pressure of playing such an iconic figure makes her want to disappear.

"I might go into hiding," says the California-based British-Australian actress. "I might have to leave the country." In fact, the blonde beauty says she almost passed on the opportunity to play the late royal, who died in a car crash on August 31, 1997.

"More than twice I thought about not doing this," Watts explains. "I said no before I said yes just because taking on that challenge is a massive one. There were weeks of deciding, and then I thought, 'God, I don't like the idea of anyone else playing that role.'"

Though the film won't hit theaters in the U.S. until November 1, Watts' casting has already been challenged by critics. "Of course, people are going to jump to say, 'She's not tall enough; she doesn't have the nose, the look, the voice,' all of those things," she tells InStyle UK. "But once I got past that, I liked the idea of the challenge."