Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (born February 22, 1959) is an American actor. MacLachlan widely known for his portrayal of Dale Cooper in the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–1991; 2017), and its prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). He is also known for his film roles including cult films such as Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), The Hidden (1987), and Showgirls (1995). He has also had prominent roles in other television shows including appearing as Trey MacDougal in Sex and the City (2000–2002), Orson Hodge in Desperate Housewives (2006–2012), The Captain in How I Met Your Mother (2010–2014), the Mayor of Portland in Portlandia (2011–2018), and as Calvin Zabo in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014–2015).
MacLachlan was born in Yakima, Washington. His mother, Catherine (née Stone), was a public relations director, and his father, Kent Alan MacLachlan, was a stockbroker and lawyer. He has Scottish, Cornish and German ancestry. He has two younger brothers named Craig and Kent, both of whom live in the Pacific Northwest. MacLachlan graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1977. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1982 and, shortly afterward, moved to Hollywood, California to pursue his career.
Known For
Echo Valley
Richard Garrett
2025
I Know Catherine, the Log Lady
Self
2025
Blink Twice
Rich
2024
Inside Out 2
Dad (voice)
2024
Miranda's Victim
Warren
2023
Svensken bakom Hollywoodkroppen
Himself
2023
Confess, Fletch
Ronald Horan
2022
Capone
Doctor Karlock
2020
A Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee
Self
2019
The Staggering Girl
Matteo / Bruno / Angelo
2019
High Flying Bird
David Seton
2019
Giant Little Ones
Ray Winter
2019
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Isaac Izard
2018
Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon
Self
2017
Blue Velvet Revisited
Self
2016
Riley's First Date?
Dad (voice)
2015
Inside Out
Dad (voice)
2015
Moving Through Time: Fire Walk With Me Memories
Himself
2014
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
Special Agent Dale Cooper
2014
Breathe In
Peter Sebeck
2013
Peace, Love & Misunderstanding
Mark Hudson
2011
The Smell of Success
Jimmy St. James
2011
Mao’s Last Dancer
Charles Foster
2009
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Bill Kerr (uncredited)
2008
Justice League: The New Frontier
Superman (voice)
2008
Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks
2007
A Slice of Lynch
Self
2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
2007
Mysterious Island
Cyrus
2005
Touch of Pink
Ghost of Cary Grant
2004
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
Edward Wilde
2004
Northfork
Mr. Hope
2003
Mysteries of Love
Self
2002
Miranda
Nailor
2002
An Introduction to David Lynch
Self
2001
Postcards From The Cast
Self
2001
Me Without You
Daniel
2001
Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks
Self
2001
Perfume
Business Manager
2001
Xchange
Fisk / Toffler 2
2001
Hamlet
Claudius
2000
Timecode
Bunny Drysdale
2000
The Spring
Dennis Conway
2000
Route 9
Booth Parker
1998
The Windsor Protocol
Sean Dillon
1998
Thunder Point
Sean Dillon
1998
One Night Stand
Vernon
1997
Mad Dog Time
Jake Parker
1996
The Trigger Effect
Matthew
1996
Moonshine Highway
Jed Muldoon
1996
Showgirls
Zack Carey
1995
Roswell
Jesse Marcel
1994
The Flintstones
Cliff Vandercave
1994
Against the Wall
Michael Smith
1994
The Trial
Josef K
1993
Rich in Love
Billy McQueen
1992
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Special Agent Dale Cooper
1992
Where the Day Takes You
Ted
1992
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
Self
1991
The Doors
Ray Manzarek
1991
Don't Tell Her It's Me
Trout Potts
1990
No Frank in Lumberton
Self
1988
The Hidden
Lloyd Gallagher
1987
Blue Velvet
Jeffrey Beaumont
1986
Goddess: The Fall and Rise of Showgirls
Self
Altar
Overcompensating
John · (2 episodes)
2025
David Lynch: A Hollywood Enigma
Self - Actor
2025
Fallout
Overseer Hank MacLean · (2 episodes)
2024
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Draiven Bosh (voice) · (4 episodes)
2023
Joe vs Carole
Howard Baskin · (8 episodes)
2022
How I Met Your Father
The Captain · (2 episodes)
2022
Val
Self (archive footage)
2021
Welcome Home: Mary Reber and the Twin Peaks Palmer House
Self
2021
Atlantic Crossing
President Franklin D. Roosevelt · (8 episodes)
2020
How To with John Wilson
Self (Swiping MetroCard on the subway) · (1 episode)
2020
Tesla
Thomas Edison
2020
Carol's Second Act
Dr. Stephen Frost · (18 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(1 episode)
2019
You Don't Nomi
Himself (archive footage)
2019
Explained
Narrator (voice) · (1 episode)
2018
GQ Presents: Iconic Characters
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers
Self
2017
Tell It Martin
Self
2017
The Number of Completion
Self
2017
See You on the Other Side Dear Friend
Self
2017
Two Blue Balls
Self
2017
I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun
Self
2017
Behind the Red Curtain
Self
2017
A Pot of Boiling Oil
Self
2017
The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair
Self
2017
A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks
Self
2017
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Believe
Roman Skouras · (13 episodes)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Skye's Father · (1 episode)
2013
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Doctor · (5 episodes)
2013
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Cal · (5 episodes)
2013
Made in Jersey
Donovan Stark · (8 episodes)
2012
Gravity Falls
Bus Driver (voice) · (1 episode)
2012
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
Jeffrey Beaumont
2011
The Doctor
2011
Portlandia
Mayor · (23 episodes)
2011
The Good Wife
Josh Perotti · (4 episodes)
2009
The One Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
In Justice
David Swain · (13 episodes)
2006
How I Met Your Mother
George Van Smoot · (7 episodes)
2005
Mysterious Island
Cyrus · (2 episodes)
2005
American Dad!
Del (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
Desperate Housewives
Orson Hodge · (92 episodes)
2004
The Tony Danza Show
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
2004
Impressions of Dune
Self
2003
V Graham Norton
Self · (1 episode)
2002
Richard & Judy
Self · (1 episode)
2001
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Andrew Raines · (1 episode)
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Dr. Brett Morton · (1 episode)
1999
Futurama
Dung Beetle (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Futurama
Kyle MacLachlan's Head (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Sex and the City
Trey MacDougal · (23 episodes)
1998
The Invisible Man
1998
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
The Daily Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1996
The Frank Skinner Show
Self · (1 episode)
1995
The Conversation
Harry Caul
1995
Vault of Horror I
Earl Raymond Digs
1994
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter
Self
1990
Twin Peaks
Dale Cooper · (30 episodes)
1990
Twin Peaks
Dougie Jones / Dale Cooper · (18 episodes)
1990
Twin Peaks
Special Agent Dale Cooper
1989
Dream Breakers
Bobby O'Connor
1989
Tales from the Crypt
Earl Raymond Digs (segment "Carrion Death") · (1 episode)
1989
American Experience
Narrator · (1 episode)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1988
Dune
Paul Atreides
1984
Destination Dune
Self
1983
The Changeling
(Uncredited)
1980
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975