Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive director David Lynch dies, aged 78

16 January 2025, 20:44

The unique film director who brought the world Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man and Eraserhead has passed away, his family has said.

By Radio X

@RadioX

David Lynch, the director behind the iconic Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, has died at the age of 78.

The news was announced on the filmmaker's Facebook page by his family.

The post stated: "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time."

They added: "There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us.

"But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole'."

"It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way."

Lynch was due to turn 79 on 20th January. While the cause of death has not been announced, the director had revealed he'd been suffering from emphysema in recent years, caused by years of smoking,

He told People magazine in November that he had become housebound, saying of his decades-long smoking habit: “It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”

Born in Missoula, Montana in 1946, Lynch began his career making short experimental films in the late 1960s, which led to his debut feature, the surreal black-and-white nightmare that was 1977's Eraserhead.

The cult success of that film led Lynch to work on the acclaimed biopic The Elephant Man for Mel Brooks' production company in 1980, which earned Lynch his first Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Mulholland Drive | Official Trailer | Starring Naomi Watts

After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Frank Herbert's epic Dune books on celluloid, Lynch earned further Academy Award nominations for the dark thrillers Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. He received an honorary Academy Award in 2019.

Lynch's other features include Wild At Heart (1990), Lost Highway (1997), The Straight Story (1999) and Inland Empire (2006).

Twin Peaks- Fire Walk With Me - Official Trailer

Lynch's foray into TV with Twin Peaks in 1990 lasted for two seasons, winning a string of Emmy nominations. The series, which depicted an often bizarre investigation into the death of teenager Laura Palmer returned for a third series in 2017. It was to be Lynch's final project. There was also a feature film based on the series, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, released in 1992.

Lynch was also a painter, a writer, designer and a musician (working with Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Julee Cruise among others) and an occasional actor, appearing in the animated comedy The Cleveland Show.

He was an advocate for transcendental meditation, launching the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace in 2005