David Lynch, Twin Peaks Creator and Acclaimed Film Director, Dead at 78

David Lynch, acclaimed film director and creator of the TV series Twin Peaks, has died, his family announced Thursday. He was 78.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” reads a post on his Facebook page. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. 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.'”

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Born in Montana, Lynch attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1965 to 1969. During his time at the academy, he created his first short film, Six Men Getting Sick, in 1967; he later continued his studies in 1970 at the American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies (now the AFI Conservatory). There, he wrote and directed his first feature film, Eraserhead (1977), which didn’t receive critical acclaim at the time but garnered Lynch a devoted fanbase.

Lynch shot to prominence in the industry with the 1980 release of The Elephant Man, a period drama inspired by Joseph Merrick’s life with physical deformities. The film skyrocketed Lynch’s career, garnering eight Academy Award nominations, including two for Lynch (writing and directing). Following Elephant Man’s success, Lynch was tapped to write and helm the original Dune feature film, which hit theaters in 1984.

In 1986, Lynch released his erotic mystery Blue Velvet, which further cemented his unique point-of-view with dark, surreal story-building. His aesthetic was so renowned it became known as “Lynchian.” Aside from its impact on the film industry, Blue Velvet garnered him another Best Director nomination at the 1987 Academy Awards.

From there, Lynch briefly pivoted to television in 1990 with the mystery series Twin Peaks, which he created alongside Mark Frost. The pilot earned him five Primetime Emmy nominations, including in the Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Drama categories. In addition to directing several episodes, Lynch played FBI Agent Gordon Cole.

Lynch revisited the success of Twin Peaks twice later in his career. First, he released the 1992 psychological thriller movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, a prequel to the 1990 series. The show later was successfully relaunched as a limited series for Showtime in 2017, earning Lynch four more Emmy nominations.

In 2001, Mulholland Drive, which began life as a rejected ABC pilot that Lynch later expanded into the feature film, earned Lynch the accolade of Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. The suspenseful drama also notably earned the director his third Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Though his films were nominated multiple times, Lynch received his first and only Oscar, an Academy Honorary Award, in 2019.

In an interview in August 2024, Lynch said he was no longer able to direct projects in person due to his suffering from emphysema. He said his disease was a result of a longtime smoking habit and that he was “homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out.” After the interview circulated, he posted on X to say he was in “excellent shape except for emphysema.”

He wrote: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking,” he wrote. “I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco — the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them — but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema. I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern. Love, David.”

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