David Lynch, the groundbreaking director of films and TV shows such as “Twin Peaks” and “Blue Velvet,” has died at the age of 78, his family announced Thursday.
A statement posted to Lynch’s social media said: “It is with great regret that we, and his family, announce the passing of artist David Lynch.” . “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There is a big hole in the world now that he is no longer with us. But as he says, ‘Not a hole. Look at the donuts.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies.”
Lynch, who would have turned 79 on Monday, revealed in August 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung disease, after years of smoking.
Born in Montana in 1946, Lynch was an American Film Institute-trained writer, director, and painter. He first entered the film scene in 1977, turning his senior thesis project into his first feature film, Eraserhead. This black-and-white surrealist indie film quickly became famous as a late-night movie.
Eraserhead caught the attention of producer Mel Brooks, who recruited Lynch to direct The Elephant Man, a film about the life and times of the severely deformed Joseph Merrick, who told the young director: you are employed ”
Lynch received his first of three Academy Award nominations for Best Director for “The Elephant Man,” followed by 1986’s “Blue Velvet” and 2001’s “Mulholland Drive,” which won him the Cannes Film Festival nomination. won the director’s award. He previously won the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, for 1990’s Wild at Heart.
Lynch also directed the ill-fated 1984 film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune.
But for many, Lynch’s most famous contribution to pop culture was his collaboration with Mark Frost on ABC’s prime-time drama Twin Peaks. The drama quickly captivated viewers with its novel combination of mystery and eccentricity, prompting people to tune in week after week to find out who was who. He killed Laura Palmer, played by Sheryl Lee.
The show originally lasted for just two seasons in the early ’90s, but won three Golden Globe Awards in 1991, including Best TV Series and Best Actor for Kyle MacLachlan. In 2017, the show was revived in Showtime’s limited series Twin Peaks: The Return to widespread critical acclaim.
His film style gave rise to the term “Lynchian,” which refers to the juxtaposition of “surreal or sinister elements with mundane, everyday environments.”
In 2019, Lynch won the prestigious Academy Award At the Motion Picture Academy’s Governors Awards in 2012, awarded an honorary degree From the American Film Institute.
