David Lynch reveals he can no longer direct films in person as he is homebound due to emphysema – as he candidly admits smoking is something he loved: ‘But in the end, it bit me’
Iconic film director David Lynch has announced that he can no longer personally helm the film due to being housebound with emphysema. This comes just days after Laura Dern revealed that she was forced to drop out of UCLA after landing a role in his film Blue Velvet.
The 78-year-old filmmaker candidly admitted that he is unsure if he will ever direct again, as he has been diagnosed with a lung disease that causes shortness of breath.
He admitted in a recent interview with Image & Sound that he got the disease ‘because he had smoked for so long’.
Lynch said, “I’m housebound, whether I like it or not. I can’t go outside. And I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen.”
The director of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks admitted that his love of cigarettes put him in this position.
Iconic film director David Lynch (pictured in Beverly Hills in September 2019) revealed he can no longer personally helm the show as he is housebound with emphysema
Lynch said: ‘Smoking was something I loved to do, but it eventually got the better of me.
‘For me it was part of life as an artist: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking them and going back and sitting back and having a cigarette and looking at your work or thinking about things.
‘Nothing in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s destroying me. So I had to stop.’
Although his illness means he can no longer physically work on projects, he does not completely rule out the possibility of directing in the future.
He said, “I like being in the middle of things and getting ideas from there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes down to it.”
Lynch was referring to his animated project, Snootworld, which was pitched to Netflix but ultimately rejected.
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) and was set in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.
The 78-year-old film icon (pictured in March 2002) admitted in a recent interview with Sight & Sound that he developed the disease ‘because he smoked for so long’
Although his illness prevents him from working on personal projects, he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of directing in the future; he is pictured in 2017
His most recent major project before his health problems was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017; he is pictured with Miguel Ferrer
Kyle MacLachlan (pictured), Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny – who starred in the original – returned for the revival.
Lynch’s other signature projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986; pictured), Mulholland Drive (2001) and Inland Empire (2006).
When the series first aired in the early 1990s, it had already gained cult status thanks to its run on ABC, which later resulted in the 1992 feature film prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk.
More than twenty years ago, 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), Mulholland Drive (2001) and Inland Empire (2006).