# List of frequent David Lynch collaborators

* This article is part of a series aboutDavid Lynch
Personal
Early life and work
Jennifer Lynch (daughter)
Filmography
Eraserhead
The Elephant Man
Dune
Blue Velvet
Twin Peaks
Fire Walk with Me
The Missing Pieces
The Return
Wild at Heart
Lost Highway
The Straight Story
Mulholland Drive
Inland Empire
Discography
Eraserhead
BlueBOB
The Air Is on Fire
Twin Peaks Music: Season Two Music and More
Polish Night Music
Crazy Clown Time
The Big Dream
Thought Gang
Cellophane Memories
Bibliography
Images
Catching the Big Fish
The Air Is on Fire
Dark Night of the Soul
Genealogies of Pain
Room to Dream
Characters
Frank Booth
Dale Cooper
Laura Palmer
Sheriff Harry Truman
Shelly Johnson
Donna Hayward
Audrey Horne
Maddy Ferguson
Benjamin Horne
Phillip Jeffries
Bob
Windom Earle
Mike
Leland Palmer
Log Lady
The Giant
The Man from Another Place / The Arm
Tommy Hill
Bobby Briggs
Related
Unrealized projects
Accolades received
Cultural impact
Frequent collaborators
David Lynch Foundation :
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David Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 15, 2025) was an American filmmaker, painter, television director, visual artist, musician, and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he developed his own unique cinematic style, known as "Lynchian"; this style is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound design. The surreal and, in many cases, violent elements to his films have been said to "disturb, offend or mystify" their audiences.
Over the course of Lynch's career, he collaborated with several individuals on multiple occasions; his films frequently feature recurring cast members and principal production roles are often filled by a small pool of collaborators. The most prolific of Lynch's frequently used actors was Jack Nance, who first worked with Lynch on 1977's Eraserhead, and would appear in many more of Lynch's productions until Nance's death in 1996. Several individuals with whom Lynch would work on multiple occasions are fellow alumni of the AFI Conservatory, including sound designer Alan Splet, cinematographer Frederick Elmes and actor Catherine E. Coulson.
Lynch was known to allow his collaborative partners a large degree of control over their roles when working with him; Kyle MacLachlan several times persuaded Lynch to rewrite scenes, including in 1986's Blue Velvet and the television series Twin Peaks, as he felt they were not right for his characters. The following lists include all of the cast and crew members with whom Lynch worked on three or more separate projects.

## Cast

Lynch's partnership with actress Laura Dern spans three feature films, and was later included on a list of "40 Great Actor & Director Partnerships" by the film magazine Empire. Lynch personally lobbied for Dern to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Inland Empire, sitting by a corner of Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, with a cow to raise awareness of her performance. However, the campaign was unsuccessful, with Dern not receiving a nomination for the award.
Lynch has also worked with actor Kyle MacLachlan on several projects; MacLachlan has been described as an on-screen incarnation of Lynch's own persona. The pair's working relationship has also been compared to that between director François Truffaut and actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. MacLachlan has commented that he felt "unstoppable" working with Lynch on Twin Peaks due to the strength of their prior collaborations, and considers the director a personal friend, even describing their relationship, "David Lynch plucked me from obscurity. He cast me as the lead in Dune and Blue Velvet, and people have seen me as this boy-next-door-cooking-up-something-weird-in-the-basement ever since." MacLachlan earned several award nominations through these collaborative efforts, including two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominations, and a successful Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama.
Actress Sheryl Lee was first cast as the deceased character Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks. However, Lynch soon asked her to play the second role of Madeline Ferguson throughout the series; Lee would reprise her role as Palmer in the series' feature-film sequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and made a brief appearance in Wild at Heart, which was filmed concurrently with Twin Peaks. Wild at Heart featured several other Twin Peaks alumni, including Grace Zabriskie, David Patrick Kelly and Jack Nance.
| WorkActor | 1973 | 1977 | 1980 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1990 | 1990 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2002 | 2006 | 2017 |
| WorkActor | The Amputee | Eraserhead | The Elephant Man | Dune | Blue Velvet | The Cowboy and the Frenchman | Twin Peaks | Wild at Heart | Industrial Symphony No. 1 | On the Air | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Hotel Room | Lost Highway | The Straight Story | Mulholland Drive | Rabbits | Inland Empire | Twin Peaks: The Return |
| Michael J. Anderson | | | | | | | Yes | | Yes | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | |
| Frances Bay | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | | | |
| Scott Coffey | | | | | | | | Yes | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Catherine E. Coulson | Yes | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | | | | | Yes |
| Rebekah Del Rio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | Yes |
| Laura Dern | | | | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | Yes | Yes |
| Miguel Ferrer | | | | | | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | Yes |
| Sherilyn Fenn | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | | | Yes |
| Laura Harring | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Freddie Jones | | | Yes | Yes | | | | Yes | | Yes | | Yes | | | | | | |
| Sheryl Lee | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | | | Yes |
| Bellina Logan | | | | | | | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | | | Yes | Yes |
| Kyle MacLachlan | | | | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | | Yes | | | | | | | Yes |
| Everett McGill | | | | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | | | Yes | | | | Yes |
| David Patrick Kelly | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | | | Yes |
| Jack Nance | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | | Yes | | | | | |
| Harry Dean Stanton | | | | | | Yes | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes |
| Charlotte Stewart | | Yes | | | | | Yes | | | | | | | | | | | Yes |
| Naomi Watts | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alicia Witt | | | | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | Yes | | | | | | Yes |
| Grace Zabriskie | | | | | | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | | | | | | Yes | Yes |

## Crew

Lynch repeatedly used certain crewmembers on his films, so much that they have been called his "Lynch mob". He worked with Angelo Badalamenti on a large number of projects, having first collaborated with the composer on Blue Velvet in 1986. Lynch and Badalamenti also worked to write and produce two albums for singer Julee Cruise, penning music for 1989's Floating into the Night. and 1993's The Voice of Love. Cruise also joined the pair in crafting the music for Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and Industrial Symphony No. 1.
Casting director Johanna Ray worked with Lynch on multiple projects, beginning with Blue Velvet and continuing through the majority of Lynch's feature films, missing only The Straight Story. Ray's son Eric Da Re was also involved in Twin Peaks, as an actor. Lynch also worked with sound designer Alan Splet several times until the latter's death in 1994.
Lynch worked with cinematographers Frederick Elmes and Freddie Francis on several occasions, employing both at once on Dune. Lynch and Elmes began collaborating while attending the AFI Conservatory, producing The Amputee and Eraserhead together while studying there. Fancis first worked with the director on The Elephant Man, later acting as cinematographer for Dune and The Straight Story. Peter Deming has also become director of photography in several of Lynch's productions, first on the television series On the Air, before making his first feature film work with Lynch on Lost Highway.
| WorkIndividual | 1973 | 1977 | 1980 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1990 | 1990 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2002 | 2002 | 2006 | 2017 |
| WorkIndividual | The Amputee | Eraserhead | The Elephant Man | Dune | Blue Velvet | The Cowboy and the Frenchman | Twin Peaks | Wild at Heart | Industrial Symphony No. 1 | On the Air | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Hotel Room | Lost Highway | The Straight Story | Mulholland Drive | Darkened Room | Rabbits | Inland Empire | Twin Peaks: The Return |
| Angelo Badalamenti (Composer) | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Yes |
| Julee Cruise (Musician) | | | | | Yes | | Yes | | Yes | | Yes | | | | | | | | Yes |
| Peter Deming (Cinematographer) | | | | | | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | | Yes |
| Duwayne Dunham (Editor) | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | | | | Yes |
| Frederick Elmes (Cinematographer) | Yes | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Freddie Francis (Cinematographer) | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | | | Yes | | | | | |
| Ron Garcia (Cinematographer) | | | | | | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | |
| Deepak Nayar (Producer; assistant director) | | | | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | | | |
| Patricia Norris (Costume/production designer) | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | | |
| Johanna Ray (Casting director) | | | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Yes | | | Yes | Yes |
| Alan Splet (Sound designer) | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mary Sweeney (Editor, producer) | | | | | Yes | | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Yes | |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Rodley & Lynch 2005, pp. 109 & 192.
* ↑ Rodley & Lynch 2005, p. 245.
* ↑ Odell & Le Blanc 2007, p. 129.
* 1 2 Rodley & Lynch 2005, p. 55.
* ↑ Olson 2008, p. 243.
* ↑ "40 Great Actor & Director Partnerships | Laura Dern & David Lynch". Empire. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ "Lynch, cow campaign for Oscar". Variety. November 15, 2006. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ "79th Academy Awards Winners | Oscar Legacy". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ Rodley & Lynch 2005, pp. 140–141.
* ↑ Harris, Will (September 28, 2012). "Kyle MacLachlan on David Lynch, Showgirls, and Billy Idol-isms". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
* ↑ Mulkerrins, Jane (June 24, 2012). "This much I know: Kyle MacLachlan". The Observer. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
* ↑ "Kyle MacLachlan | Emmys.com". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ "HFPA – Awards Search". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ Anthony, Andrew (March 21, 2010). "Twin Peaks: How Laura Palmer's death marked the rebirth of TV drama | Feature | Television & radio". The Observer. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* 1 2 Brennan, Sandra. "Sheryl Lee filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* 1 2 Phipps, Keith (January 23, 2008). "Side trip: Wild at Heart (1990)". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
* ↑ LeVasseur, Andrea. "Michael J. Anderson filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ "Frances Bay filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ "Scott Coffey filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ "Catherine Coulson filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ Rebekah Del Rio, acting credits. IMDb. Accessed April 11, 2019.
* ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Laura Dern filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Miguel Ferrer filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Sherilyn Fenn filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
* ↑ Buchanan, Jason. "Laura Harring filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Freddie Jones filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
* ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Bellina Logan filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
* ↑ Cooper, Tracie. "Kyle MacLachlan filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "Everett McGill filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "David Patrick Kelly filmography". IMDb. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
* ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Jack Nance filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ Buchanan, Jason. "Harry Dean Stanton filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "Charlotte Stewart filmography". IMDb. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
* ↑ Bozzola, Lucia. "Naomi Watts filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ Marx, Rebecca Flint. "Alicia Witt filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Grace Zabriskie filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* 1 2 Hughes 2001, pp. 209–210.
* 1 2 Buchanan, Jason. "Angelo Badalamenti filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Floating into the Night – Julee Cruise". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
* ↑ Raggett, Ned. "The Voice of Love – Julee Cruise". AllMovie. AllRovi. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
* 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Julee Cruise filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
* 1 2 "Johanna Ray filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "Eric Da Re filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
* 1 2 "Alan Splet filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ Guthmann, Edward (February 28, 1997). "'Highway' Travels A Weird Route: David Lynch film is captivatingly bizarre". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
* 1 2 Brenan, Sandra. "Frederick Elmes filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* 1 2 3 Brenan, Sandra. "Freddie Francis filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 1, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* 1 2 "Peter Deming filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "Pat Norris filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
* ↑ "Mary Sweeney filmography". AllMovie. AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.