US filmmaker David Lynch US filmmaker David Lynch died at the age of 78, according to a statement released by his family on January 16, 2025. Photo by Chris Delmas / AFP
Image: Photo by Chris Delmas / AFP
United States filmmaker David Lynch has died, he was 78 years old. The visionary director is most known for his work on "Mulholland Drive" and television's "Twin Peaks”.
"It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch," read a statement on his official Facebook page.
Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking. The statement further added; “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.'”
In 2020 Lynch received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, he has been nominated four-times at the prestigious Hollywood screen awards.
As news of his death spread, tributes from across Hollywood poured in.
American filmmaker Steven Spielberg in a statement published on Variety called Lynch "a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade".
“I got to know David when he played John Ford in ‘The Fabelmans.’ Here was one of my heroes—David Lynch playing one of my heroes. It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies.
“The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will.”
Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in "Twin Peaks" and several of Lynch’s films, posted a series of images on Instagram paying tribute.
“While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I can see him now, standing up to greet me in his backyard, with a warm smile and big hug and that Great Plains honk of a voice. We’d talk coffee, the joy of the unexpected, the beauty of the world, and laugh.
“His love for me and mine for him came out of the cosmic fate of two people who saw the best things about themselves in each other. I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.”
Actress Naomi Watts in her tribute on Instagram expressed that she was heartbroken over Lynch's passing and shared how he gave her the break in Hollywood she needed.
"My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right.
"Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease. How did he even “see me” when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?!
"It wasn’t just his art that impacted me – his wisdom, humor, and love gave me a special sense of belief in myself I’d never accessed before."
IOL Entertainment
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