Before she was an Academy Award nominee and Hollywood star, Naomi Watts was starting her acting career in cult classics like Hey Dad..!, Home and Away and Brides of Christ.

Currently, the 48-year-old stars in the popular Netflix series Gypsy, and in Stan’s iconic reboot of Twin Peaks. But in the 90s, she had pigtails and looked a little something like this (she looked exactly like this):

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? In the last two decades, she's become one of the most successful Australian actors in Hollywood, having been nominated for an Oscar, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes for her work in films such as 21 Grams and The Impossible.

But... but... I remember watching Brides of Christ. How does someone go from a child to a fully grown mother-of-two in what seems like five minutes.

Hahahaha, no, it's fine. I'm fine.

Back to Naomi Watts - it feels very necessary to mention her friendship with another of Australia's best Hollywood exports.

The duo met back in 1999 when they starred in the coming-of-age movie, Flirting, and have been friends ever since.

Naomi was 23. Nicole was 22, and hadn't yet met Tom Cruise. Now, 26 years later, they are still there for each other.

We should all be so lucky to find a female friendship to get us through crap husbands hard times, and truly brilliant throwback photos.

LISTEN: For all your TV and entertainment needs, get The Binge podcast in your ears (post continues after audio...)

What throwback moments make you feel a million years old?