David Lynch

David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 15, 2025) was an American movie director and actor.

Career
Lynch's movies include Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man and  Mulholland Drive. He was also responsible for a television series called Twin Peaks, his overall most famous work. Eraserhead, his first movie, is still his most famous theatrical movie. It was recently deemed socially important by the United States Library of Congress. He has done much work with Jack Nance, who has appeared in many of his movies. He has said that all his movies will be done using digital video from now on.

He is also famous for his early short movies. The Alphabet and The Grandmother are two of his best known. The Alphabet is about fear of education. The Grandmother is about a lonely boy who grows a grandmother like a plant from a seed.

Over his career, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director and a nomination for best screenplay. Lynch has twice won France's César Award for Best Foreign Film, as well as the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won a Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival.

Death
In August 2024, Lynch said he was suffering from emphysema. In November 2024, Lynch told People that he quit smoking in 2022, following his emphysema diagnosis.

Lynch died on January 15, 2025 at his daughter’s home in Los Angeles, California from cardiac arrest caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema at the age of 78.

Discography
 Albums 
 BlueBob (with John Neff, 2001)
 The Air is on Fire: Soundscape (2007)
 Polish Night Music (with Marek Żebrowski, 2008)
 Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse: Dark Night of the Soul (2010; Lynch is featured on two songs.)
 This Train (with Chrysta Bell, 2011)
 Crazy Clown Time (2011)

 Singles 
 "Ghost of Love" (2007)
 "Good Day Today" / "I Know" (2010)

Filmography
Features
 Year Movie Oscars BAFTA Golden Globe Cannes Film Festival Nominations Wins Nominations Wins Nominations Wins Nominations Wins 1977  Eraserhead        1980  The Elephant Man 8  7 3 4    1984  Dune 1        1986  Blue Velvet 1    2    1990  Wild at Heart 1  1  1   Palme d'Or  Palme d'Or 1992  Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me         1997  Lost Highway         1999  The Straight Story 1    2  Palme d'Or  2001  Mulholland Drive 1  2 1 4   Palme d'Or  Best Director 2006  Inland Empire         2006  Maharishi        

Short movies
 Year Movie DVD availability Blu-ray availability 1966  Six Men Getting Sick The Short Films of David Lynch  Eraserhead Blu-ray 1967  Absurd Encounter with Fear  The Lime Green Set  1967  Fictitious Anacin Commercial  The Lime Green Set   1968  The Alphabet  The Short Films of David Lynch  Eraserhead Blu-ray 1970  The Grandmother  The Short Films of David Lynch  Wild at Heart Blu-ray 1974  The Amputee  The Short Films of David Lynch  Eraserhead Blu-ray 1988  The Cowboy and the Frenchman  The Short Films of David Lynch   1990  Industrial Symphony No. 1  The Lime Green Set   1995  Premonition Following An Evil Deed  The Short Films of David Lynch  Wild at Heart Blu-ray 2002  Darkened Room  Dynamic 1  Lost Highway Blu-ray 2002  Dumbland    Wild at Heart Blu-ray 2006  Ballerina  Extra on Inland Empire DVD   2007  Absurda     2007  Boat  Dynamic 1  Lost Highway Blu-ray 2007  Bug Crawls  Dynamic 1  Lost Highway Blu-ray 2007  Industrial Soundscape  Dynamic 1   2007  Lamp  Dynamic 1   2007  Out Yonder Neighbor Boy  Dynamic 1   2007  Intervalometer Experiments  Dynamic 1   2008  Scissors  The Lime Green Set   2010  Lady Blue Shanghai    2011  The 3 Rs  Viennale's website  

Television series
YearSeriesEpisodes1990–1991Twin Peaks301992On the Air71993Hotel Room32012Louie2

Online series
YearSeriesEpisodesAvailable on DVD2002Rabbits8The Lime Green Set DVD2002Dumbland8The Lime Green Set DVDOut YonderThe Lime Green Set DVD2009Interview Project 

Music videos
YearSongMusician1990"Wicked Game" (movie version)Chris Isaak1995"Longing"X Japan1999"Thank You Judge"David Lynch2009"Shot in the Back of the Head"Moby2010"I Touch A Red Button Man"Interpol2011"Crazy Clown Time"David Lynch

Awards and nominations
Academy Awards:
 1980: Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (The Elephant Man, nominated)
 1987: Best Director (Blue Velvet, nominated)
 2002: Best Director (Mulholland Dr., nominated)

BAFTA Awards:
 1981: Best Direction (The Elephant Man, nominated)
 1981: Best Screenplay (The Elephant Man, nominated)

Cannes Film Festival:
 1990: Golden Palm (Wild at Heart, won)
 1992: Golden Palm (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, nominated)
 1999: Golden Palm (The Straight Story, nominated)
 2001: Best Director (Mulholland Dr., won Tied with Joel Coen for The Man Who Wasn't There)
 2001: Golden Palm (Mulholland Dr., nominated)

DGA Award:
 1981: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (The Elephant Man, nominated)

Emmy Awards:
 1990: Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music (Twin Peaks, nominated)
 1990: Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics (Twin Peaks for the song "Into the Night", nominated)
 1990: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Twin Peaks for the pilot episode, nominated)
 1990: Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series (Twin Peaks for the pilot episode, nominated)
 1990: Outstanding Drama Series (Twin Peaks)

Golden Globes:
 1980: Best Director (The Elephant Man, nominated)
 1987: Best Screenplay (Blue Velvet, nominated)
 2002: Best Director (Mulholland Dr., nominated)
 2002: Best Screenplay (Mulholland Dr., nominated)

Independent Spirit Awards:
 1987: Best Director (Blue Velvet, nominated)
 1987: Best Screenplay (Blue Velvet, nominated)
 2000: Best Director (The Straight Story, nominated)
 2007: Special Distinction Award (Shared with Laura Dern for their collaborative work, won)

Saturn Awards:
 1993: Best Writing (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, nominated)
 1993: Life Career Award (won)
 2002: Best Director (Mulholland Dr., nominated)

Venice Film Festival:
 2006: Future Film Festival Digital Award (Inland Empire won)
 2006: Career Golden Lion (won)

WGA Award:
 1981: Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium (The Elephant Man, nominated)
 1987: Best Original Screenplay (Blue Velvet, nominated)

References

Category:1946 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:Actors from Montana
Category:American movie actors
Category:American movie directors
Category:American movie producers
Category:American screenwriters
Category:American television actors
Category:American television directors
Category:American television producers
Category:American television writers
Category:People from Missoula, Montana
Category:Writers from Montana
Category:Deaths from emphysema
Category:Deaths from cardiac arrest
Category:Deaths from COPD