One of Hollywood's most imaginative and indecipherable filmmakers, if not one of its most prolific ones, has walked the blue-velvet carpet into the great beyond. Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive director David Lynch has died at the age of 78.
The news of the Twin Peaks co-creator's death was first reported on Facebook by his family on his official account, where the following was shared:
It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. 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.' It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.
No cause of death was revealed in the initial post, but Lynch's health issues were made public in August 2024 in an interview with Sight and Sound, where he confessed to having emphysema and said he was unable to leave his house, and thus would be unable to continue directing films in a traditional sense. The illness stemmed from a lifetime of smoking, with the director having claimed that he started the habit when he was 8 years old.
An artist from his earliest days, Lynch was born on January 20, 1946 in Missoula, Montana, and much of his work features elements of his upbringing, though he's addressed the fact that he had a relatively normal childhood, and that his monstrously dreamlike storytelling is more imagination-based than inspired by his own upbringing.
He began crafting shoft films and other forms of art in the 1960s, which eventually culminated in his first full-length effort, 1977's Eraserhead, a seminal release for fans of body horror and dark surrealism. Its cult success led to one of the most intriguing, whimsical and baffling careers of any popular artist. It's hard to believe that the guy who brought Twin Peaks' Bob to life is also the guy behind the lesser-celebrated but still loved Dune.
Below is a lineup of David Lynch's limited but treasure-filled filmography, which fans will no doubt dive back into in the wake of his death.
- Eraserhead - 1977
- The Elephant Man - 1980
- Dune - 1984
- Blue Velvet - 1986
- Wild at Heart - 1990
- Twin Peaks (ABC) - 1990-91
- On the Air (ABC) - 1992
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - 1992
- Hotel Room (HBO) - 1993
- Lost Highway - 1997
- The Straight Story - 1999
- Mulholland Drive - 2001
- Inland Empire - 2006
- Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime) - 2017
Shockingly, David Lynch never earned an Academy Award win for any particular film, though he did take home the honorary Oscar in 2019. He was nominated for Best Director for The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and the arguable horror film Mulholland Drive, and shared a Best Screenplay nomination with Christopher De Vore and Eric Bergren on Elephant Man.
Of course, to speak only of his directorial successes is to ignore the joy of watching him perform on screen in several of those projects and others. Arguably his most memorable role was the loud-talking, hearing-impaired FBI agent Gordon Cole in the Twin Peaks universe. Along with a pair of memorable Louie appearances, Lynch also bizarrely co-starred on the Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show as Gus the bartender, and also cameoed as the same character on the flagship show.
Lynch also appeared in Elephant Man, Lost Highway, and Inland Empire among his own works, and both narrated the 2017 Bob Odenkirk dramedy Girlfriend's Day and popped up in John Carroll Lynch's Lucky that same year, among other things. His 2022 portrayal of John Ford in Steven Spielberg's The Fablemans seemingly serving as his last theatrical role.
We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to David Lynch's family and friends during their time of mourning. Here's hoping he's already sharing bizarre exchanges with the Log Lady.
