David Lynch dead at 78: Famed director of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet passes away
Four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78.
His family announced the devastating news on social media on Thursday.
In a message shared on Facebook, his loved ones wrote: ‘It is with great regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and 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 would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole.”
“It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies,” they concluded.
In August, he revealed he was housebound due to emphysema and admitted he wasn’t sure he would ever direct again after being diagnosed with a lung disease that causes shortness of breath.
In an interview with Image & Sound in August, Lynch said he got the disease “because he smoked for so long.”
Four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78; seen in 2019
Lynch said, “I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen.”
The Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks director got real when he said his love for cigarettes put him in this position.
Lynch said: “Smoking was something I absolutely loved, but eventually it bit me.
“It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and smoking and looking at your work, or thinking about things.
‘Nothing comparable in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to stop.’
Although his illness prevents him from personally working on projects, he has not completely ruled out the possibility of directing in the future.
He said: ‘I like to be among things and get ideas from there. But if push comes to shove, I would try to do it remotely.”
Lynch was referring to his animated project – called Snootworld – which was pitched and ultimately passed on by Netflix.
His most recent major project before his health problems was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017.
The original series ran from 1990 to 1991 and followed the investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) as it took place in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.
When it first aired in the early 1990s, the series had developed a cult following after airing on ABC, which later resulted in the 1992 prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk.
For over twenty years, Lynch’s signature franchise made a comeback with Twin Peaks: The Return.
Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny – who starred in the original – returned for the revival.
Other stars were also added to the mix, including Laura Dern, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Szohr, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain and Trent Reznor.
Lynch’s other signature projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001) and Inland Empire (2006).