David Lynch
Born January 20, 1946 (Age: 80)
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Missoula, Montana, USA
Biography
David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Lynch received critical acclaim for his films, which are often distinguished by their surrealist, dreamlike qualities. In his 58-year career, he was awarded numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019. In 2007, a panel of critics convened by The Guardian announced that "after all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important filmmaker of the current era." Lynch studied painting before he began making short films in the late 1960s. His first feature-length film was the independent surrealist film Eraserhead (1977), which saw success as a midnight movie. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980) and the mystery films Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001). His romantic crime drama Wild at Heart (1990) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed the space opera adaptation Dune (1984), the surrealist neo-noir Lost Highway (1997), the biographical drama The Straight Story (1999), and the experimental film Inland Empire (2006). Lynch and Mark Frost created the ABC series Twin Peaks (1990–91), for which Lynch was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch co-wrote and directed its film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and its limited series revival (2017). He has also worked as an actor, including his portrayals of FBI agent Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks and director John Ford in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (2022), as well as guest roles in TV series such as The Cleveland Show (2010–13), Louie (2012), and Robot Chicken (2020, 2022). Lynch's other artistic endeavours included his work as a musician, encompassing the studio albums BlueBOB (2001), Crazy Clown Time (2011), and The Big Dream (2013), as well as painting and photography. He has written the books Images (1994), Catching the Big Fish (2006), and Room to Dream (2018). He has directed several music videos for artists such as Chris Isaak, X Japan, Moby, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails, and Donovan, and commercials for Calvin Klein, Dior, L'Oreal, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and the New York City Department of Sanitation. A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM), he founded the David Lynch Foundation, which seeks to fund the teaching of TM in schools and has since widened its scope to other at-risk populations, including the homeless, veterans, and refugees.
David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Lynch received critical acclaim for his films, which are often distinguished by their surrealist, dreamlike qualities. In his 58-year career, he was awarded numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019. In 2007, a panel of critics convened by The Guardian announced that "after all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important filmmaker of the current era."
Lynch studied painting before he began making short films in the late 1960s. His first feature-length film was the independent surrealist film Eraserhead (1977), which saw success as a midnight movie. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980) and the mystery films Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001). His romantic crime drama Wild at Heart (1990) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed the space opera adaptation Dune (1984), the surrealist neo-noir Lost Highway (1997), the biographical drama The Straight Story (1999), and the experimental film Inland Empire (2006).
Lynch and Mark Frost created the ABC series Twin Peaks (1990–91), for which Lynch was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch co-wrote and directed its film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and its limited series revival (2017). He has also worked as an actor, including his portrayals of FBI agent Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks and director John Ford in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (2022), as well as guest roles in TV series such as The Cleveland Show (2010–13), Louie (2012), and Robot Chicken (2020, 2022).
Lynch's other artistic endeavours included his work as a musician, encompassing the studio albums BlueBOB (2001), Crazy Clown Time (2011), and The Big Dream (2013), as well as painting and photography. He has written the books Images (1994), Catching the Big Fish (2006), and Room to Dream (2018). He has directed several music videos for artists such as Chris Isaak, X Japan, Moby, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails, and Donovan, and commercials for Calvin Klein, Dior, L'Oreal, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and the New York City Department of Sanitation. A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM), he founded the David Lynch Foundation, which seeks to fund the teaching of TM in schools and has since widened its scope to other at-risk populations, including the homeless, veterans, and refugees.
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Filmography
The Fabelmans
2022
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as John Ford
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Age: 76
David Lynch: The Idea Dictates Everything
2021
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as David Lynch
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Age: 74
David Lynch: The Virtual Life
2020
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as himself
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Age: 74
David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film
2019
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as Himself
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Age: 73
Curtains Up
2018
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as
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Age: 72
Why Are We Creative?
2018
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as Self
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Age: 72
Plankton Salesmen
2017
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 71
Lucky
2017
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as Howard
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Age: 71
David Lynch: The Art Life
2017
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as Self
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Age: 71
Memory Film
2012
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as
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Age: 66
Brunes et Blondes
2010
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as Self
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Age: 64
Red Fish
2009
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as O Sábio
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Age: 63
The Way of Samodelkin
2009
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as Stranger in a dream
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Age: 63
Great Directors
2009
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as Self
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Age: 63
La Traversée du désir
2009
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as Self
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Age: 63
The Soul Detective
2009
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as Himself
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Age: 63
The Sound of Lynch
2007
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as
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Age: 61
A Slice of Lynch
2007
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as Self
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Age: 61
Out Yonder — Chicken
2007
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as
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Age: 61
Lynch 2
2007
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as Self
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Age: 61
Inland Empire
2006
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as Bucky J
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Age: 60
David Lynch: 1985
2005
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as Self
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Age: 58
Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart
2004
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as
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Age: 58
Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
2004
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as Self
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Age: 58
The Making of ‘Mulholland Drive’
2004
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as Self
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Age: 58
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed
2002
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as
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Age: 56
I Don't Know Jack
2002
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as Self
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Age: 56
BlueBob Egg
2002
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as Billy Groper
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Age: 56
Mysteries of Love
2002
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 56
Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy
2002
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as
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Age: 56
The A-Z of Separating People from their Money
1998
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as Self
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Age: 52
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
1997
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as Self
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Age: 51
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
1996
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as Self
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Age: 50
Made in the USA
1993
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as Self
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Age: 47
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
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as Gordon Cole
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Age: 46
No Image
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
1991
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as Self
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Age: 45
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
1990
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as Self
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Age: 44
Hollywood Mavericks
1990
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as Self
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Age: 44
David Lynch: Don't Look at Me
1989
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as Self
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Age: 42
Zelly & Me
1988
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as Willie
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Age: 42
No Frank in Lumberton
1988
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as Self
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Age: 41
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988
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as Self - Audience Member
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Age: 41
Ruth, Roses, and Revolver
1987
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as Himself
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Age: 41
Dune
1984
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as Spice Miner (uncredited)
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Age: 38
The Elephant Man
1980
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as Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)
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Age: 34
Heart Beat
1980
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as Painter (uncredited)
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Age: 34
The Amputee
1974
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as The Nurse
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Age: 27