David Lynch, director of ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Twin Peaks,’ dies at 78

David Lynch, Oscar-nominated director of the films “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and co-creator of the cult drama series “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78 years old.

“It is with great regret that we, his family, announce the death of the man and artist David Lynch,” he said on his official Facebook account. “We’d appreciate some privacy at this point. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s not with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole.'”

The statement added: “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies.”

The then 78-year-old filmmaker revealed in August 2024 that he had developed emphysema after years of smoking. “I’m home whether I like it or not,” Lynch said Vision and Sound magazine. “I can’t go outside. And I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen.”

Lynch added an social media post that he was in “excellent shape” at the time, otherwise, “I am full of happiness, and I will never retire.”

A celebrated film director and screenwriter, visual artist, musician and composer known for his surreal and sometimes macabre work, Lynch was nominated for four Academy Awards in a career spanning more than six decades, although he only directed ten feature films between his 1977 debut. , “Eraserhead” and his latest film, 2006’s “Inland Empire.” His artistic vision was so unique, but, in 2019, Lynch he received an honorary Oscar recognizing his work and his contribution to cinema.

He also received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the 1990s series “Twin Peaks,” which introduced a wide audience to his eclectic style, often combining fantastical or dreamlike elements with ordinary settings — a signature aesthetic described as “Lynchian.” “

“There’s no such thing as ‘launching a career,'” Lynch said 2006 interview about the vision of cinematography. “They call it the film business, but money is the last thing a person should be thinking about, in my book. You fall in love with ideas and you get fired up and you go and try to translate those ideas into film. And that’s it. It’s a beautiful, beautiful journey, and so it has nothing to do with any profession.

Born in Missoula, Montana on January 20, 1946, Lynch’s father worked for the US Department of Agriculture, and his family had to move frequently when he was young. Lynch developed an interest in art and began making short films while attending the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

In the 1970s, Lynch moved to Los Angeles with his wife and daughter and began studying filmmaking at the AFI Conservatory. It was at AFI that Lynch created his first feature, 1977’s “Eraserhead,” an inappropriate body horror story shot in black and white. .

Shot for $100,000, “Eraserhead” became a cult hit on the midnight movie circuit and grossed around $7 million in its initial run, making it a commercial success despite some wild early reviews. More significantly, it introduced Lynch’s surreal sensibility to the filmmaking world. “Eraserhead’s” lasting impact on film was confirmed nearly 30 years later, when the Library of Congress added it to the National Motion Picture Registry in 2004.

Lynch’s next feature film was the mainstream 1980 adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway hit “The Elephant Man,” produced by Mel Brooks and starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. Based on the life of Joseph Merrick, who lived in London at the turn of the 20th century, the film was a critical and commercial success, earning eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Director for Lynch.

Lynch’s next feature film was the 1984 big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune. Despite a budget of $40 million, the film grossed $31 million at the box office and received mostly mixed to negative reviews, although many critics praised its visual design. Lynch eventually had his name removed from post-edits of the film, which developed a cult following that spanned decades.

“Dune” was also notable as it starred Kyle McLachlan in his film debut, and he also appeared in Lynch’s next feature, the 1986 neo-noir thriller “Blue Velvet,” opposite Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern. The film earned Lynch his second Best Director Academy Award nomination, as well as critical acclaim, despite receiving the most mixed reviews of his filmography to date. In the years since, however, “Blue Velvet” has been considered by many critics to be Lynch’s best feature film.

Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” followed the 1990 romantic thriller “Wild at Heart,” starring Dern, Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

But more significantly, 1990 also saw Lynch turn his attention to television with the debut of ABC’s “Twin Peaks.” In the ostensibly crime drama, Kyle McLachlan stars as intellectual and eccentric FBI special agent Dale Cooper, who travels to the fictional town of Twin Peaks in Washington state to investigate the murder of former homecoming queen Laura Palmer. The series introduced Lynch’s trademark sensibility to a wider audience – albeit significantly toned down for network television – combining mystery, paranormal elements and dark humor to initial commercial success and critical acclaim.

“Twin Peaks” received 18 Primetime Emmy Award nominations over two seasons, winning two, and won three Golden Globes out of four nominations, as well as a Peabody Award in 1991. He also created a 1992 feature film: “Twin”. Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.” Showtime revived the show in 2017 for a single season, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” which featured much of the original cast and was directed by Lynch.

More tellingly, “Twin Peaks” paved the way for and influenced a generation of television writers and producers, whose sensibilities were on display in subsequent series including “Picket Fences,” “Six Feet Under,” “Gravity Falls,” “Riverdale “. “and others.

Lynch’s later film projects include 1997’s “Lost Highway,” 1999’s character drama “The Straight Story” — starring veteran actor Richard Farnsworth in his final screen performance — 2001’s mystery drama “Mulholland Drive,” and 2006’s psychological thriller. Inland Empire,” the latter starring frequent Lynch collaborator Laura Dern.

“Mulholland Drive,” starring Naomi Watts in a stellar role, is considered his finest effort, receiving widespread critical acclaim and earning him his third Academy Award nomination for Best Director, as well as Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.

In addition to his feature film directorial resume, Lynch was also a prolific short film maker, primarily around 50 released on DVD or digital, as well as a commercial director, the latter with clients from the famous fashion houses Gucci and Calvin. Klein, Dior, Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent and more, Honda and the SyFy channel.

Lynch also directed music videos for artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Moby and Chris Isaak.

A prolific painter, photographer and visual artist, Lynch exhibited his art around the world, with some of his work collected at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Lynch was also a musician and composer for various film and commercial projects, releasing three albums of his music and two spoken word albums.

Lynch also made occasional appearances in films and television series. He had a recurring role as FBI Deputy Director Gordon Cole in “Twin Peaks,” and most recently had a memorable cameo as legendary director John Ford in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 drama “The Fabelmans.”

An advocate of Transcendental Meditation as a spiritual practice, Lynch launched the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace in 2005 to help fund scholarships for students interested in the practice and to fund research into the technique and its uses.

Lynch was married four times and had four children, including director Jennifer Lynch.

ABC News’ Christopher Watson contributed to this report.