David Lynch, the legendary filmmaker behind series like “Twin Peaks” and films such as “Blue Velvet,” has died at the age of 78….
David Lynch — the legendary writer and director behind series like “Twin Peaks” and films such as “Blue Velvet” — has died at the age of 78.
Lynch had been dealing with health issues in recent years and revealed in 2024 that he was diagnosed with emphysema following a lifetime of smoking and wasn’t able to leave home, which prevented him from directing new projects. Lynch’s family announced the news in a Facebook post:
“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.”
Born in Montana in 1946, Lynch attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he made his first short film while also staying busy with other art endeavors such as painting. He made his feature film debut in 1977 with “Eraserhead” before being hired to write and direct “The Elephant Man,” a film about a a severely deformed man who lived in London who became a national celebrity, that earned eight Academy Award nominations including Lynch receiving a nomination for Best Director.
Lynch eventually directed an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel “Dune,” which did not fare well at the box office, but became a cult classic with fans over the years. While that film didn’t do well, Lynch followed that up with “Blue Velvet” in 1986, which is considered a modern masterpiece, and he earned another Best Director nomination at the Academy Awards.
In 1990, Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost unleashed “Twin Peaks” on television and the series completely altered serialized storytelling forever. The show centered around the murder of a young high school girl named Laura Palmer and an FBI agent named Dale Cooper sent to the small northwest town to investigate her death. The massive success of the first season wasn’t sustained in the second season but “Twin Peaks” remained a favorite with fans with Lynch eventually bringing the show back with a prequel film titled “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” and eventually a follow up third season called “Twin Peaks: The Return” which was a critical and commercial success for Showtime.
Lynch’s signature style of stunning imagery and unique storytelling made him one of the most unique filmmakers working across movies and television with additional works including “Lost Highway” and “Mulholland Drive.”
“In Hollywood, more often than not, they’re making more kind of traditional films, stories that are understood by people. And the entire story is understood,” Lynch said about his style of filmmaking. “And they become worried if even for one small moment something happens that is not understood by everyone.
“But what’s so fantastic is to get down into areas where things are abstract and where things are felt, or understood in an intuitive way that, you can’t, you know, put a microphone to somebody at the theatre and say ‘Did you understand that?’ but they come out with a strange, fantastic feeling and they can carry that, and it opens some little door or something that’s magical and that’s the power that film has.”
Lynch is survived by his four children.
