David Lynch
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1946-01-20
Day of Death
2025-01-15 (78 years old)
Place of Birth
Missoula, Montana, USA
David Lynch
Biography
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.
Acting
The Soul Detective
as Himself
(2025)
(2025)
David Lynch, A Hollywood Enigma
as Self - Director
(2025)
Encholalia
as Self (Archive Footage)
(2025)
David Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange
as Self (archive footage)
(2025)
The Making Of A Mockumentary
as Himself (archive footage)
(2024)
Beatles '64
as Self
(2023)
Lynch/Oz
as Self (archive footage)
(2022)
The Fabelmans
as John Ford
(2022)
This Is Sparklehorse
as Self
(2021)
(2021)
Moby Doc
as Self
(2021)
The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune
as Self (voice) (archive footage)
(2020)
Meeting the Beatles in India
as Self
(2020)
A Fall from Grace
as William Tabb
(2020)
David Lynch: The Virtual Life
as himself
(2019)
(2019)
(2019)
David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film
as Himself
(2018)
(2018)
Why Are We Creative?
as Self
(2017)
Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon
as Self
(2017)
Plankton Salesmen
as Self (archive footage)
(2017)
Lucky
as Howard
(2017)
David Lynch: The Art Life
as Self
(2017)
The Black Ghiandola
as Man In Black
(2017)
Rocksteppy
as Himself
(2017)
WHAT DID JACK DO?
as Detective
(2017)
Girlfriend's Day
as Narrator (voice)
(2017)
Tell It Martin
as Self
(2017)
The Polish Accountant
as Self
(2017)
The Number of Completion
as Self
(2017)
(2017)
Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers
as Self
(2017)
Bad Binoculars
as Self
(2017)
Two Blue Balls
as Self
(2017)
(2017)
Behind the Red Curtain
as Self
(2017)
(2017)
I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun
as Self
(2017)
A Pot of Boiling Oil
as Self
(2017)
(2016)
Night Flight: Born Again
as Self
(2016)
Blue Velvet Revisited
as Self
(2016)
(2016)
On Meditation
as Self
(2016)
The Music of David Lynch
as Self
(2016)
Along for the Ride
as Self
(2016)
The Reality of Truth
as Self
(2015)
Brand: A Second Coming
as Self
(2015)
Rammstein in Amerika
as Self
(2014)
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
as Gordon Cole
(2014)
It's a Beautiful World
as Self
(2014)
My Beautiful Broken Brain
as Self
(2014)
The 8th Floor
as Self
(2014)
Between Two Worlds
as Self
(2014)
(2013)
(2013)
What Is Cinema?
as Self
(2013)
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
as Self
(2013)
Professor Goudet's Lessons
as Self
(2012)
Side by Side
as Self
(2012)
(2012)
(2011)
Ångesthunden och Malmö under vatten
as Himself
(2010)
2012: Time for Change
as Self
(2010)
(2010)
(2010)
Brunes et Blondes
as Self
(2009)
The Way of Samodelkin
as Stranger in a dream
(2009)
Great Directors
as Self
(2009)
La Traversée du désir
as Self
(2009)
Red Fish
as O Sábio
(2008)
(2008)
Hollyshorts Greeting
as Himself
(2008)
(2008)
Elvis | Viva Las Vegas
as Self
(2008)
Critic
as Self (voice)
(2007)
(2007)
Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
as himself
(2007)
A Slice of Lynch
as Self
(2007)
(2007)
Lynch (one)
as Self
(2007)
Lynch 2
as Self
(2007)
(2006)
Inland Empire
as Bucky J
(2006)
Edge of Outside
as Self (archive footage)
(2006)
(2005)
David Lynch: 1985
as Self
(2004)
(2004)
(2004)
(2003)
Boat
as The Man
(2003)
(2003)
Lamp
as Self
(2003)
(2003)
Does That Hurt You?
as Self
(2003)
Return to Mulholland Drive
as Self
(2002)
I Don't Know Jack
as Self
(2002)
Mysteries of Love
as Self (archive footage)
(2002)
BlueBob Egg
as Billy Groper
(2002)
(2002)
(2002)
(2001)
Eraserhead Stories
as Self
(2001)
(2000)
PlayStation 2: The Third Place
as Duck Man
(1999)
(1998)
(1997)
(1996)
(1995)
Nadja
as Morgue Receptionist
(1994)
Don Van Vliet: Some YoYo Stuff
as Himself
(1993)
Made in the USA
as Self
(1992)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
as Chief Gordon Cole
(1991)
(1990)
(1990)
Hollywood Mavericks
as Self
(1989)
(1988)
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
as Self - Audience Member
(1988)
Zelly & Me
as Willie
(1988)
No Frank in Lumberton
as Self
(1987)
Ruth, Roses, and Revolver
as Himself
(1984)
Dune
as Spice Miner (uncredited)
(1983)
Destination Dune
as Self
(1980)
The Elephant Man
as Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)
(1980)
Heart Beat
as Painter
(1974)
The Amputee
as Nurse
(1967)
Crew
Snootworld
Writer
The Happy Worker
Executive Producer
The Sea Behind Her Head
In Memory Of
Interview Project
Director
(2025)
Tríptico
Thanks
(2024)
The Answers to the Questions
Director, Animation
(2024)
Sublime Eternal Love
Director, Director of Photography
(2022)
The Other Me
Executive Producer
(2020)
Faraway Eyes
Thanks
(2020)
A Fall from Grace
Executive Producer
(2019)
A Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee
Executive Producer
(2018)
Ant Head
Music, Writer, Cinematography, Editor, Producer, Sound, Director
(2018)
Waiting for Mr. Lynch
Director, Writer, Producer
(2017)
Night Ride
Music
(2017)
WHAT DID JACK DO?
Director, Music, Sound Designer, Set Designer, Set Decoration, Sound Mixer, Writer, Editor
(2016)
Kitsune
Thanks
(2016)
Psychogenic Fugue
Creative Consultant
(2015)
Land of Nothing
Executive Producer
(2015)
Fire (Pożar)
Director
(2015)
Ergo-Robots
Director, Writer
(2014)
Duran Duran: Unstaged
Director
(2014)
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
Director, Writer, Editor, Characters
(2014)
My Beautiful Broken Brain
Executive Producer
(2013)
Idem Paris
Director
(2012)
20 Little Films
Director
(2012)
Memory Film
Director
(2012)
Meditation, Creativity, Peace
Writer, Director
(2011)
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
Writer, Director
(2010)
Readymade, Emile Reynaud et la peinture s'anima
Set Designer
(2010)
42 One Dream Rush
Director
(2010)
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
Executive Producer
(2009)
The Peaceline Project
Executive Producer
(2008)
Surveillance
Executive Producer
(2008)
Early Experiments
Director of Photography, Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(2008)
Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008
Producer, Writer, Director
(2008)
Hollyshorts Greeting
Director
(2007)
More Things That Happened
Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
(2007)
To Each His Own Cinema
Director
(2007)
Ballerina
Director, Cinematography, Producer, Writer
(2007)
Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
Director, Executive Producer
(2007)
Out Yonder — Chicken
Director
(2007)
Blue Green
Director
(2006)
Inland Empire
Director of Photography, Producer, Editor, Director, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Camera Operator, Writer
(2005)
What Is It?
Thanks
(2004)
Bug Crawls
Director
(2004)
Intervalometer Experiments
Director
(2003)
Boat
Director, Writer
(2003)
Cabin Fever
Thanks
(2003)
Lamp
Director of Photography, Producer, Director
(2003)
Does That Hurt You?
Sound, Writer
(2003)
Out Yonder — Teeth
Director
(2002)
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed
Writer, Producer, Director
(2002)
Rabbits
Director, Screenplay
(2002)
The Short Films of David Lynch
Director, Screenplay, Writer
(2002)
BlueBob Egg
Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography
(2002)
Darkened Room
Writer, Director, Producer, Cinematography
(2002)
Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy
Director
(2002)
Pierre and Sonny Jim
Director
(2002)
Industrial Soundscape
Director
(2002)
Coyote #1
Cinematography, Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
(2002)
Dead Mouse with Ants
Producer, Cinematography, Writer, Director
(2002)
The Pig Walks
Writer, Editor, Cinematography, Producer, Director
(2002)
Steps
Director
(2002)
I Don't Know Jack
Presenter
(2002)
Bees #3
Director
(2001)
Mulholland Drive
Director, Writer, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
(2001)
Eraserhead Stories
Director
(2001)
Sunset #1
Director
(2001)
Head with Hammer
Writer, Editor, Producer, Director
(2001)
Factory Mask
Producer, Cinematography, Writer, Director
(2000)
One Morning All Over the World
Director
(2000)
PlayStation 2: The Third Place
Writer, Director
(1999)
The Straight Story
Director, Sound Designer
(1999)
Mulholland Dr.
Writer, Director, Executive Producer
(1997)
Lost Highway
Sound Designer, Director, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Writer
(1997)
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
Music, Still Photographer
(1995)
Nadja
Executive Producer
(1995)
Lumière & Company
Director
(1995)
(1993)
Dangerous: The Short Films
Director
(1993)
The Wall
Director
(1992)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Director, Writer, Original Series Creator, Executive Producer, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Characters
(1992)
Twin Peaks: Visual Soundtrack
Music Producer, Creator, Lyricist
(1991)
The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez
Executive Producer
(1991)
The King of Ads
Director
(1990)
Wild at Heart
Screenplay, Director
(1990)
Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted
Director, Producer, Music
(1989)
Twin Peaks
Director, Writer, Executive Producer
(1988)
The Cowboy and the Frenchman
Director, Writer
(1988)
The French as Seen by…
Director
(1988)
(1986)
Blue Velvet
Screenplay, Director
(1984)
Dune
Director, Screenplay
(1980)
The Elephant Man
Director, Screenplay, Sound Designer
(1977)
Eraserhead
Production Design, Art Direction, Screenplay, Producer, Original Music Composer, Special Effects, Editor, Sound Effects, Director
(1974)
The Amputee
Director, Producer, Writer
(1972)
In Pursuit of Treasure
Set Painter
(1970)
The Grandmother
Director, Script, Screenplay, Camera Operator, Animation, Writer, Producer
(1969)
The Alphabet
Director, Writer, Sound, Animation, Director of Photography, Editor
(1967)
Six Men Getting Sick
Director, Producer
(1967)
Absurd Encounter with Fear
Director
(1967)
Sailing with Bushnell Keeler
Camera Operator, Director