Filmmaker David Lynch clarifies he will not retire despite illness

By Danielle Broadway

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -"Twin Peaks" creator David Lynch said on Monday he is filled with happiness and will never retire despite an emphysema diagnosis, clarifying comments he made earlier to magazine Sight and Sound that he would most likely have to stop working.

The 78-year-old American filmmaker posted on social media platform X that he appreciated everyone that has voiced concern over his health condition, noting that his past as a smoker caused his emphysema, a lung disease with no known cure.

"Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco - the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them," he wrote, gaining 1.3 million likes.

"But there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema. I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema," he added.

He also said in the interview for the Sight and Sound's September cover story that he was no longer able to leave his home, as he was afraid of contracting COVID-19, which would threaten his health even further.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not ... And now, because of COVID, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold," Lynch told the British magazine.

The "Eraserhead" and "The Elephant Man" filmmaker also mentioned he could only walk a short distance before he ran out of oxygen.

A representative for Lynch did not respond to a request for comment.

For Lynch, it is unlikely that he will ever direct in-person again, but he mentioned the possibility of directing remotely.

"I would really hate that," he added, admitting that directing virtually would not be desirable for the Oscar-nominated director.

(Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen Coates)