David Lynch
Directing
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
Directing75
movieWaiting for Mr. Lynch
2018
Director
movieAnt Head
2018
Director
movieWHAT DID JACK DO?
2017
Director
movieFire (Pożar)
2015
Director
movieDuran Duran: Unstaged
2014
Director
movieIdem Paris
2013
Director
movieMemory Film
2012
Director
movie20 Little Films
2012
Director
movie42 One Dream Rush
2010
Director
movieEarly Experiments
2008
Director
movieHollyshorts Greeting
2008
Director
movieBallerina
2007
Director
movieTo Each His Own Cinema
2007
Director
movieOut Yonder — Chicken
2007
Director
movieInland Empire
2006
Director
movieBug Crawls
2004
Director
movieBoat
2003
Director
movieLamp
2003
Director
movieOut Yonder — Teeth
2003
Director
movieIndustrial Soundscape
2002
Director
movieRabbits
2002
Director
tvRabbits
2002
Director
movieThe Pig Walks
2002
Director
movieDarkened Room
2002
Director
movieBlueBob Egg
2002
Director
moviePierre and Sonny Jim
2002
Director
movieDead Mouse with Ants
2002
Director
movieSteps
2002
Director
movieCoyote #1
2002
Director
movieFactory Mask
2001
Director
tvDumbLand
2001
Director
movieHead with Hammer
2001
Director
movieSunset #1
2001
Director
movieEraserhead Stories
2001
Director
movieMulholland Drive
2001
Director
movieThe Straight Story
1999
Director
movieLost Highway
1997
Director
movieLumière & Company
1995
Director
tvHotel Room
1993
Director
tvOn the Air
1992
Director
movieThe King of Ads
1991
Director
movieWild at Heart
1990
Director
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Director
movieTwin Peaks
1989
Director
movieThe French as Seen by…
1988
Director
movieBlue Velvet
1986
Director
movieDune
1984
Director
movieThe Elephant Man
1980
Director
movieEraserhead
1977
Director
movieThe Amputee
1974
Director
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Director
movieThe Alphabet
1969
Director
movieSix Men Getting Sick
1967
Director
THE 3Rs
Director
tvMulholland Dr.
Director
Acting151
movieEyes Behind the Lens
2026
Voice (Uncredited, Archive)
tvMel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
2026
Self - Filmmaker
movieWhat Would David Lynch Do?
2026
Self (Archived Footage)
movieThe Making Of A Mockumentary
2025
Himself (archive footage)
movieDavid Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange
2025
Self (archive footage)
movieLynch/Oz
2023
Self (archival footage)
movieThe Fabelmans
2022
John Ford
movieThe Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune
2021
Self (voice) (archive footage)
tvThis Is Pop
2021
Self (archive footage)
movieWHAT DID JACK DO?
2017
Detective
moviePlankton Salesmen
2017
Self (archive footage)
movieLucky
2017
Howard
tvThe Nineties
2017
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Black Ghiandola
2017
Man In Black
movieGirlfriend's Day
2017
Narrator (voice)
movieRocksteppy
2017
Himself
movieTwin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014
Gordon Cole
tvLouie
2010
Jack Dall
tvThe Cleveland Show
2009
Gus (voice)
movieRed Fish
2009
O Sábio
movieThe Way of Samodelkin
2009
Stranger in a dream
movieThe Soul Detective
2009
Himself
movieCritic
2008
Self (voice)
movieLynch 2
2007
Self
Donovan: The Donovan Concert - Live in L.A.
2007
Himself
movieInland Empire
2006
Bucky J, the gaffer (voice)
tvLegends
2006
Self
tvRobot Chicken
2005
Mad Scientist (voice)
movieBoat
2003
The Man
movieLamp
2003
Self
movieHeart of the Festival
2002
Self (archive footage)
movieBlueBob Egg
2002
Billy Groper
movieMysteries of Love
2002
Self (archive footage)
tvDumbLand
2001
Randy / Wife / Sparky (voice)
tvFamily Guy
1999
Gus (voice) / David Lynch (voice)
movieNadja
1995
Morgue Receptionist
movieTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
Gordon Cole
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Gordon Cole
tvCinéma, de notre temps
1989
David Lynch
movieZelly & Me
1988
Willie
movieRoy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988
Self - Audience Member
movieDune
1984
Spice Miner (uncredited)
movieThe Elephant Man
1980
Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)
movieHeart Beat
1980
Painter (uncredited)
movieThe Amputee
1974
The Nurse
tvThe Oscars
1953
Self
Writing45
movie'Reverse' – Ferox Hall Taskmaster 2025
2025
Original Story
movieAnt Head
2018
Writer
movieTwin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014
Writer, Characters
movieBallerina
2007
Writer
movieInland Empire
2006
Writer
movieBoat
2003
Writer
movieRabbits
2002
Screenplay
tvRabbits
2002
Writer
movieThe Pig Walks
2002
Writer
movieDarkened Room
2002
Writer
movieBlueBob Egg
2002
Writer
movieCoyote #1
2002
Writer
movieFactory Mask
2001
Writer
tvDumbLand
2001
Writer
movieLost Highway
1997
Writer
tvOn the Air
1992
Writer
movieTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
Writer, Original Series Creator, Characters
movieWild at Heart
1990
Screenplay
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Writer, Story
movieTwin Peaks
1989
Writer
movieBlue Velvet
1986
Writer
movieDune
1984
Screenplay
movieThe Elephant Man
1980
Screenplay
movieEraserhead
1977
Screenplay
movieThe Amputee
1974
Writer
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Screenplay, Writer
movieThe Alphabet
1969
Writer
tvMulholland Dr.
Writer
Production41
movieThe Legend of the Happy Worker
2025
Executive Producer
movieThe Other Me
2022
Executive Producer
movieA Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee
2019
Executive Producer
movieWaiting for Mr. Lynch
2018
Producer
movieAnt Head
2018
Producer
Land of Nothing
2015
Executive Producer
movieMy Beautiful Broken Brain
2014
Executive Producer
movieMy Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
2010
Executive Producer
The Peaceline Project
2009
Executive Producer
movieEarly Experiments
2008
Producer
movieSurveillance
2008
Executive Producer
movieBallerina
2007
Producer
movieDynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
2007
Executive Producer
movieInland Empire
2006
Producer
movieLamp
2003
Producer
movieThe Pig Walks
2002
Producer
movieDarkened Room
2002
Producer
movieBlueBob Egg
2002
Producer
movieCoyote #1
2002
Producer
movieDead Mouse with Ants
2002
Producer
movieFactory Mask
2001
Producer
tvDumbLand
2001
Producer
movieHead with Hammer
2001
Producer
movieNadja
1995
Executive Producer
tvHotel Room
1993
Executive Producer
tvOn the Air
1992
Executive Producer
movieTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
Executive Producer
movieThe Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez
1991
Executive Producer
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Executive Producer
movieTwin Peaks
1989
Executive Producer
movieEraserhead
1977
Producer
movieThe Amputee
1974
Producer
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Producer
movieSix Men Getting Sick
1967
Producer
movieA Fall from Grace
Executive Producer
Hyena
Executive Producer
Sound21
movieAnt Head
2018
Music, Sound
movieWHAT DID JACK DO?
2017
Sound Designer, Sound Mixer, Music
movieNight Ride
2017
Music
movieTwin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014
Sound Mixer
movieInland Empire
2006
Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
movieThe Short Films of David Lynch
2002
Sound Director
movieMulholland Drive
2001
Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
movieThe Straight Story
1999
Sound Designer
movieLost Highway
1997
Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
tvHotel Room
1993
Sound Designer
movieTwin Peaks: Visual Soundtrack
1992
Music Producer
movieTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992
Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Designer
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Sound Designer
movieThe Elephant Man
1980
Sound Designer
movieEraserhead
1977
Original Music Composer, Sound Effects
Crew20
movieTríptico
2025
Thanks
movieFaraway Eyes
2021
Thanks
movieAnt Head
2018
Cinematography
movieKitsune
2016
Thanks
moviePsychogenic Fugue
2016
Creative Consultant
movieBallerina
2007
Cinematography
movieWhat Is It?
2005
Thanks
movieCabin Fever
2003
Thanks
movieThe Pig Walks
2002
Cinematography
movieDarkened Room
2002
Cinematography
movieI Don't Know Jack
2002
Presenter
movieBlueBob Egg
2002
Cinematography
movieCoyote #1
2002
Cinematography
movieDead Mouse with Ants
2002
Cinematography
movieFactory Mask
2001
Cinematography
movieEraserhead
1977
Special Effects
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Script
movieSix Men Getting Sick
1967
Cinematography
movieThe Sea Behind Her Head
In Memory Of
Editing16
movieAnt Head
2018
Editor
movieInland Empire
2006
Editor
movieThe Pig Walks
2002
Editor
movieDarkened Room
2002
Editor
movieCoyote #1
2002
Editor
tvDumbLand
2001
Editor
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Additional Editor
movieEraserhead
1977
Editor
movieThe Alphabet
1969
Editor
Camera9
movieEarly Experiments
2008
Director of Photography
movieMore Things That Happened
2007
Director of Photography
movieInland Empire
2006
Director of Photography, Camera Operator
movieLamp
2003
Director of Photography
tvDumbLand
2001
Director of Photography
moviePretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
1997
Still Photographer
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Camera Operator
movieThe Alphabet
1969
Director of Photography
movieSailing with Bushnell Keeler
1967
Camera Operator
Creator7
tvInterview Project
2009
Creator
tvRabbits
2002
Creator
tvDumbLand
2001
Creator
tvHotel Room
1993
Creator
tvOn the Air
1992
Creator
tvTwin Peaks
1990
Creator
tvMulholland Dr.
Creator
Art4
movieWHAT DID JACK DO?
2017
Set Designer, Set Decoration
Readymade, Emile Reynaud et la peinture s'anima
2010
Set Designer
movieEraserhead
1977
Production Design, Art Direction
movieIn Pursuit of Treasure
1972
Set Painter
Visual Effects4
tvDumbLand
2001
Animation
movieThe Grandmother
1970
Animation
movieThe Alphabet
1969
Animation
movieSix Men Getting Sick
1967
Animation