David Lynch, director of “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Drive” dead at 78

David Lynch, director, actor and visual artist, known for his unsettling, otherworldly films, passed away Thursday at the age of 78, his family said on Facebook.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the post said. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”

The director told Sight and Sound in November that he was housebound due to his worsening emphysema, brought on by smoking. Due to his condition, he said, he was no longer able to direct.

Lynch was born in Missoula, Montana in 1946 to a research scientist and an English tutor. His family moved several times, before landing in Alexandria, Virginia.

After graduating from high school, Lynch decided to pursue a career in painting. It was at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts that he became involved with the artistic avant-garde and made his first film, “Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times).”

1970 saw Lynch and his family move to Los Angeles, where the filmmaker would reside for the rest of his life. There, he studied at the American Film Institute’s Conservatory and began to produce short films based in part on his paintings.

From there, the director set off on a unique path in American film. Though his pictures are unconventional, often disturbing, and originate in the deeply anti-commercial experimental tradition, his visual flair and use of the structures of classic Hollywood movies allowed him to reach large audiences.

Lynch’s first feature, “Eraserhead,” was released in 1977, and maintains a cult following to this day. The black-and-white horror film tells the story of a man (portrayed by Jack Nance) who is left to care for an alien-like creature borne by his girlfriend.

“Eraserhead” established Lynch as a capable director with a penchant for the uncanny and surreal. It was followed by “The Elephant Man,” starring Anthony Hopkins, which launched its director into bona fide stardom. 

For the next decade, however, Lynch’s footing seemed less steady. He turned down the chance to direct “Return of the Jedi,” the finale of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, but took on an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” which ended in commercial ruin. 

“Blue Velvet,” a mid-career highlight, premiered in 1986. Developing themes which would later come to define Lynch’s output, the film features a labyrinthine criminal plot which takes place in a seemingly-idyllic small town. The same structure would feature in the majority of pictures Lynch made thereafter.

Then, in 1993, Lynch’s television series “Twin Peaks” topped the ratings chart and became an office water cooler sensation. A story of murder in a northwestern village, in which spiritual forces work behind a campy facade, the show was among the first to garner serious critical acclaim.

From that point, Lynch became a symbol of outré taste in America. Posters for his movies adorned college dorms, and his work was a staple of film-class syllabi.

“Mulholland Drive” (2001) and “Inland Empire” (2006) were the last features to bear Lynch’s name, and represent perhaps his creative peak. In them, his plots grow more convoluted, the sense of danger more present in each shadow. “Mulholland” won Lynch Best Director honors from Cannes and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Afterwards, Lynch stepped away from the feature film format. He produced a third season of “Twin Peaks” in 2017, in which the original show’s actors — some on their deathbeds — reprised their roles. He also returned to the visual arts, producing paintings, sculptures, and household appliances.

By 2024, Lynch’s health had declined to the point at which he could no longer work outside of his house. Despite this, he insisted to the end that he would never retire.
Lynch passed away Monday after evacuating from the Sunset Fire. Deadline reported that the evacuation preceded a terminal decline in his health.