Directing
David Lynch
EN, ES, FR, DE cinema · 204 credits
Born
20 January 1946
Died
16 January 2025 (aged 78)
Birthplace
Missoula, Montana, USA
Also known as David Keith Lynch · DKL
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.
Known for
Filmography
I Have a Radio
as Singing Voice, Director, Writer
A Fall from Grace
Executive Producer
The Sea Behind Her Head
In Memory Of
Hyena
Hyena
Executive Producer
Interior Dining Room Window
Interior Dining Room Window
Director, Sound, Producer
What Would David Lynch Do?
as Self (Archived Footage)
Aprender a Caer
In Memory Of
David Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange
as Self (archive footage)
The Legend of the Happy Worker
Executive Producer
Beatles '64
as Self
Lynch/Oz
as Self (archival footage)
The Fabelmans
as John Ford
The Other Me
Executive Producer
Moby Doc
as Self
The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune
as Self (voice) (archive footage)
Faraway Eyes
Thanks
A Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee
Executive Producer
Ant Head
Music, Writer, Cinematography, Editor, Producer, Sound, Director
Waiting for Mr. Lynch
Director, Writer, Producer
Lucky
as Howard
The Black Ghiandola
as Man In Black
Rocksteppy
as Himself
WHAT DID JACK DO?
as Detective, Director, Music, Sound Designer, Set Designer, Set Decoration, Sound Mixer, Writer, Editor
Girlfriend's Day
as Narrator (voice)
Tell It Martin
as Self
Bad Binoculars
as Self
Plankton Salesmen
as Self (archive footage)
On Meditation
as Self
Kitsune
Thanks
Psychogenic Fugue
Creative Consultant
Land of Nothing
2015
Land of Nothing
Executive Producer
Fire (Pożar)
Director, Writer
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
as Gordon Cole, Director, Writer, Editor, Characters, Sound Mixer
My Beautiful Broken Brain
as Self, Executive Producer
The 8th Floor
as Self
What Is Cinema?
as Self
Idem Paris
Director
Side by Side
as Self
Meditation, Creativity, Peace
as Self, Writer
Memory Film
Actor, Director
Change Begins Within
Actor, Writer
20 Little Films
Director
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
Writer, Director
42 One Dream Rush
Director
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
Executive Producer
The Way of Samodelkin
as Stranger in a dream
The Soul Detective
as Himself
Great Directors
as Self
Red Fish
as O Sábio
The Peaceline Project
2009
The Peaceline Project
Executive Producer
Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008
as Self, Producer, Writer, Director
Hollyshorts Greeting
as Himself, Director
Early Experiments
Actor, Director of Photography, Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
Critic
as Self (voice)
Surveillance
Executive Producer
Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
as himself, Director, Executive Producer
A Slice of Lynch
as Self
Lynch (one)
as Self
Lynch 2
as Self
Out Yonder — Chicken
Actor, Director
More Things That Happened
Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
Ballerina
Director, Cinematography, Producer, Writer
Inland Empire
as Bucky J, the gaffer (voice), Director of Photography, Producer, Editor, Director, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Camera Operator, Writer
What Is It?
Thanks
Bug Crawls
Director
Boat
as The Man, Director, Writer
Lamp
as Self, Director of Photography, Producer, Director
Out Yonder — Teeth
Actor, Director
Does That Hurt You?
as Self, Sound, Writer
Cabin Fever
Thanks
I Don't Know Jack
as Self, Presenter
Mysteries of Love
as Self (archive footage)
BlueBob Egg
as Billy Groper, Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography
Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy
Actor, Director
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed
Actor, Writer, Producer, Director
The Short Films of David Lynch
as Self, Director, Writer, Producer, Sound Director
Heart of the Festival
as Self (archive footage)
Rabbits
Director, Screenplay
Darkened Room
Writer, Director, Producer, Cinematography, Editor
Pierre and Sonny Jim
Director
Coyote #1
Cinematography, Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
Dead Mouse with Ants
Producer, Cinematography, Writer, Director
The Pig Walks
Writer, Editor, Cinematography, Producer, Director
Steps
Director
Eraserhead Stories
as Self, Director
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
2001
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
as Self
Mulholland Drive
Director, Writer, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Sunset #1
Director
Head with Hammer
Writer, Editor, Producer, Director
Factory Mask
Producer, Cinematography, Writer, Director
The Straight Story
Director, Sound Designer
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
as Self, Music, Still Photographer
Welcome to Twin Peaks
as Self - Interviewee / Gordon Cole
Lost Highway
Sound Designer, Director, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Writer
Nadja
as Morgue Receptionist, Executive Producer
Lumière & Company
as Self, Director
Made in the USA
as Self
Twin Peaks: Log Lady Introductions
Director, Writer
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
as Gordon Cole, Director, Writer, Original Series Creator, Executive Producer, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Characters
Twin Peaks: Visual Soundtrack
Music Producer, Creator, Lyricist
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
1991
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
as Self
Message to the Allied Forces
as Gordon Cole/Self (Voice)
The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez
Executive Producer
The King of Ads
Director
Wild at Heart
Screenplay, Director
Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted
Director, Producer, Music
Twin Peaks
Director, Writer, Executive Producer
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
as Self - Audience Member
Zelly & Me
as Willie
No Frank in Lumberton
as Self, Music
The Cowboy and the Frenchman
Director, Writer
Blue Velvet
Director, Writer, Lyricist
Dune
as Spice Miner (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
Destination Dune
as Self
The Elephant Man
as Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Sound Designer
Heart Beat
as Painter (uncredited)
Eraserhead
Production Design, Art Direction, Screenplay, Producer, Original Music Composer, Special Effects, Editor, Sound Effects, Director
The Amputee
as The Nurse, Director, Producer, Writer
In Pursuit of Treasure
Set Painter
The Grandmother
Director, Script, Screenplay, Camera Operator, Animation, Writer, Producer
The Alphabet
Director, Writer, Sound, Animation, Director of Photography, Editor
Sailing with Bushnell Keeler
Actor, Camera Operator, Director
Six Men Getting Sick
Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematography, Animation
