David Lynch

Born

January 20, 1946

Died

January 15, 2025 (78 years old)

Known For

Directing

Place of Birth

Missoula, Montana, USA

David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 15, 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.

Description above from the Wikipedia article David Lynch, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com

Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com

himself

0.0

2025

David Lynch: A Hollywood Enigma

David Lynch: A Hollywood Enigma

Self - Director

6.0

2025

The Making Of A Mockumentary

The Making Of A Mockumentary

Himself (archive footage)

10.0

2025

I Know Catherine, the Log Lady

I Know Catherine, the Log Lady

Self

0.0

2025

David Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange

David Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange

Self (archive footage)

0.0

2025

Encholalia

Encholalia

Self (Archive Footage)

0.0

2025

Beatles '64

Beatles '64

Self

6.6

2024

The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans

John Ford

7.6

2022

This Is Sparklehorse

This Is Sparklehorse

Self

0.0

2022

The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune

The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune

Self (voice) (archive footage)

4.0

2021

Moby Doc

Moby Doc

Self

6.1

2021

Welcome Home: Mary Reber and the Twin Peaks Palmer House

Welcome Home: Mary Reber and the Twin Peaks Palmer House

Self

0.0

2021

This Is Pop

This Is Pop

Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)

5.8

2021

David Lynch: The Virtual Life

David Lynch: The Virtual Life

himself

0.0

2020

Meeting the Beatles in India

Meeting the Beatles in India

Self

6.5

2020

A Fall from Grace

A Fall from Grace

William Tabb

0.0

2020

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Self

6.8

2019

The Original Image - David Lynch

The Original Image - David Lynch

8.1

2019

David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film

David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film

Himself

0.0

2019

Curtains Up

Curtains Up

0.0

2018

Why Are We Creative?

Why Are We Creative?

Self

7.6

2018

Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon

Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon

Self

0.0

2017

Tell It Martin

Tell It Martin

Self

5.0

2017

The Polish Accountant

The Polish Accountant

Self

6.0

2017

The Number of Completion

The Number of Completion

Self

5.5

2017

See You on the Other Side Dear Friend

See You on the Other Side Dear Friend

Self

0.0

2017

Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers

Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers

Self

5.0

2017

Bad Binoculars

Bad Binoculars

Self

8.0

2017

Two Blue Balls

Two Blue Balls

Self

0.0

2017

A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks

A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks

Self

7.0

2017

Behind the Red Curtain

Behind the Red Curtain

Self

6.2

2017

A Bloody Finger in Your Mouth

A Bloody Finger in Your Mouth

Self

6.0

2017

I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun

I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun

Self

6.6

2017

A Pot of Boiling Oil

A Pot of Boiling Oil

Self

6.0

2017

The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair

The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair

Self

7.0

2017

WHAT DID JACK DO?

WHAT DID JACK DO?

Detective

6.3

2017

Plankton Salesmen

Plankton Salesmen

Self (archive footage)

0.0

2017

Lucky

Lucky

Howard

7.3

2017

The Nineties

The Nineties

Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)

6.8

2017

The Black Ghiandola

The Black Ghiandola

Man In Black

7.0

2017

David Lynch: The Art Life

David Lynch: The Art Life

Self

7.0

2017

Girlfriend's Day

Girlfriend's Day

Narrator (voice)

5.0

2017

Rocksteppy

Rocksteppy

Himself

8.3

2017

Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride

Self

7.0

2016

Shadows of Paradise

Shadows of Paradise

4.5

2016

Blue Velvet Revisited

Blue Velvet Revisited

Self

6.9

2016

On Meditation

On Meditation

Self

7.0

2016

The Reality of Truth

The Reality of Truth

Self

4.3

2016

Night Flight: Born Again

Night Flight: Born Again

Self

0.0

2016

The Music of David Lynch

Self

8.8

2016

Rammstein in Amerika

Rammstein in Amerika

Self

8.0

2015

Brand: A Second Coming

Brand: A Second Coming

Self

6.0

2015

My Beautiful Broken Brain

My Beautiful Broken Brain

Self

7.1

2014

Between Two Worlds

Between Two Worlds

Self

7.2

2014

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

Gordon Cole

7.3

2014

The 8th Floor

The 8th Floor

Self

0.0

2014

It's a Beautiful World

Self

5.2

2014

Ringo Starr: A Lifetime of Peace and Love

Ringo Starr: A Lifetime of Peace and Love

Self

6.0

2014

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

Self

6.6

2013

What Is Cinema?

What Is Cinema?

Self

6.4

2013

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

Self

8.2

2013

Professor Goudet's Lessons

Professor Goudet's Lessons

Self

0.0

2013

Memory Film

Memory Film

5.6

2012

Meditation, Creativity, Peace

Meditation, Creativity, Peace

Self

5.8

2012

Side by Side

Side by Side

Self

7.2

2012

Ångesthunden och Malmö under vatten

Ångesthunden och Malmö under vatten

Himself

0.0

2011

2012: Time for Change

2012: Time for Change

Self

6.1

2010

Brunes et Blondes

Brunes et Blondes

Self

0.0

2010

Louie

Louie

Jack Dall · (2 episodes)

7.8

2010

David Wants to Fly

David Wants to Fly

7.0

2010

When Lynch Met Lucas

5.4

2010

The Cleveland Show

The Cleveland Show

(11 episodes)

5.9

2009

Red Fish

Red Fish

O Sábio

7.7

2009

The Way of Samodelkin

The Way of Samodelkin

Stranger in a dream

0.0

2009

Great Directors

Great Directors

Self

5.9

2009

La Traversée du désir

La Traversée du désir

Self

5.7

2009

Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008

Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008

Self

6.3

2008

Hollyshorts Greeting

Hollyshorts Greeting

Himself

7.5

2008

Early Experiments

Early Experiments

6.4

2008

Elvis | Viva Las Vegas

Elvis | Viva Las Vegas

Self

7.3

2008

Critic

Critic

Self (voice)

7.9

2008

The Sound of Lynch

The Sound of Lynch

5.7

2007

A Slice of Lynch

A Slice of Lynch

Self

6.9

2007

Lynch (one)

Lynch (one)

Self

5.7

2007

Out Yonder — Chicken

Out Yonder — Chicken

5.8

2007

Lynch 2

Lynch 2

Self

0.0

2007

Donovan: The Donovan Concert - Live in L.A.

Himself

0.0

2007

Inland Empire

Inland Empire

Bucky J

7.0

2006

Legends

Legends

Self · (1 episode)

5.0

2006

Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream

Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream

Self

6.3

2006

Edge of Outside

Edge of Outside

Self (archive footage)

5.8

2006

Robot Chicken

Robot Chicken

Mad Scientist (voice) · (2 episodes)

7.6

2005

David Lynch: 1985

David Lynch: 1985

Self

0.0

2005

Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart

Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart

0.0

2004

Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments

Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments

Self

7.5

2004

The Making of ‘Mulholland Drive’

The Making of ‘Mulholland Drive’

Self

6.8

2004

Leçon de Cinéma

Leçon de Cinéma

Self · (1 episode)

7.0

2004

Boat

Boat

The Man

5.5

2003

Does That Hurt You?

Does That Hurt You?

Self

7.5

2003

Lamp

Lamp

Self

4.8

2003

Return to Mulholland Drive

Return to Mulholland Drive

Self

8.0

2003

Un film et son époque

Un film et son époque

Self · (1 episode)

10.0

2003

Out Yonder — Teeth

Out Yonder — Teeth

6.2

2003

Dennis Hopper: Create (or Die)

Dennis Hopper: Create (or Die)

Self

5.0

2003

The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed

The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed

6.2

2002

I Don't Know Jack

I Don't Know Jack

Self

7.7

2002

BlueBob Egg

BlueBob Egg

Billy Groper

3.1

2002

Mysteries of Love

Mysteries of Love

Self (archive footage)

7.1

2002

The Short Films of David Lynch

The Short Films of David Lynch

Self

7.1

2002

Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy

Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy

6.2

2002

DumbLand

DumbLand

Randy / Wife / Sparky (voice) · (8 episodes)

6.3

2001

Eraserhead Stories

Eraserhead Stories

Self

7.3

2001

Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul

Self

6.0

2001

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story

Self

5.8

1999

Family Guy

Family Guy

Gus (voice) · (1 episode)

7.4

1999

Family Guy

Family Guy

David Lynch (voice) · (1 episode)

7.4

1999

The A-Z of Separating People from their Money

The A-Z of Separating People from their Money

Self

0.0

1998

Independent Focus

Self · (1 episode)

9.0

1998

Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch

Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch

Self

7.0

1997

Scene by Scene

Scene by Scene

Self · (1 episode)

6.0

1997

The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money

The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money

Self

5.7

1996

Nadja

Nadja

Morgue Receptionist

5.7

1995

Don Van Vliet: Some YoYo Stuff

Don Van Vliet: Some YoYo Stuff

Himself

6.9

1994

Made in the USA

Made in the USA

Self

2.0

1993

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Gordon Cole

7.4

1992

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Self · (1 episode)

5.5

1992

Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper

Self

0.0

1991

Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch

Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch

Self

5.0

1990

Hollywood Mavericks

Hollywood Mavericks

Self

6.0

1990

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks

Gordon Cole · (17 episodes)

8.3

1990

Cinéma, de notre temps

Cinéma, de notre temps

David Lynch · (1 episode)

4.7

1989

David Lynch: Don't Look at Me

David Lynch: Don't Look at Me

Self

9.0

1989

Zelly & Me

Zelly & Me

Willie

5.4

1988

No Frank in Lumberton

No Frank in Lumberton

Self

7.8

1988

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

Self - Audience Member

7.5

1988

Ruth, Roses, and Revolver

Ruth, Roses, and Revolver

Himself

0.0

1987

Dune

Dune

Spice Miner (uncredited)

6.2

1984

Destination Dune

Destination Dune

Self

5.0

1983

The Elephant Man

The Elephant Man

Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)

8.1

1980

Heart Beat

Heart Beat

Painter

5.6

1980

The Amputee

The Amputee

Nurse

5.1

1974

The Soul Detective

Himself

0.0

Sailing with Bushnell Keeler

Sailing with Bushnell Keeler

5.7

1967

The Oscars

The Oscars

Self · (1 episode)

7.1

1953