Billy Crudup on How He, Wife Naomi Watts Support Each Other in Hollywood (Exclusive)

Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts are a supportive pair.

During the New York Film Festival premiere of his new movie Jay Kelly on Sept. 29, the actor, 57, revealed how he and his wife support each other’s careers in Hollywood.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” Crudup told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “I think we have some idea of how each of us manages our careers, and so we do the best that we can to just be supportive of the other person’s agenda.”

Watts, 57, previously supported her husband when they stepped out hand-in-hand for the Aug. 28 premiere of Jay Kelly at the Venice International Film Festival.

As the cast and crew of the George Clooney-led comedy posed for photos on the carpet, the King Kong star proudly planted a kiss on her husband’s cheek, before she snapped a picture on her phone of Crudup and his costar Adam Sandler.

Crudup and Watts were first linked in 2017 when they costarred in Netflix’s Gypsy. They later married in 2023.

The couple previously attended the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, where they shared more insight into their bond. “We were talking about it this morning, what a power couple we were,” Crudup told E! News at the time. “It’s incredibly gratifying to be by her side.”

For her part, Watts agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s much easier to do this with someone,” she emphasized.

The actress added that “having someone on your team, holding the hand, little bit of eye contact just to center yourself” is helpful.

Crudup, who shares 21-year-old son William Parker with ex Mary-Louise Parker, also revealed that he and Watts — mom to daughter Kai Schriber, 16, and son Sasha Schreiber, 17, with ex-husband Liev Schreiber — often even trade a few acting tips. 

“We talk about work quite a bit and we’ll run through ideas that we’ll have for scenes or characters. And I have to say that there are no competitive vibes at all,” the Morning Show Emmy winner told E! News.

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“The acting we love talking about, and we support each other’s work,” he added, then joking: “Don’t ever play Scrabble with her!”

Jay Kelly is in select theaters on Friday, Nov. 14, and will begin streaming on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 5.