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The family of highly acclaimed director David Lynch, whose works include Mulholland Drive (2001) and Blue Velvet (1986), posted on social media to announce his passing. He was 78 years old. The statement posted on Lynch's official Facebook page on January 16 said, "We, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch, with deep regret." "We would appreciate some privacy at this time."
The message continued by offering some information about how his loved ones are handling their loss. "There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us," they said. However, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,' as he would advise. It's a lovely day with brilliant skies and golden sunshine. the way."
David revealed that he was suffering from emphysema, a chronic illness that affects the lungs' air sacs and makes breathing difficult, less than a year before he passed away, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Twin Peaks creator thus said that he was unable to leave his house due to his dread of contracting COVID-19.
Lynch told Sight & Sound in September 2024, "I'm homebound whether I like it or not because I have emphysema from smoking for so long." "I would be extremely ill, even if I just had a cold."
Lynch's cause of death has not been disclosed.
Lynch became well-known in the late 1970s after introducing his distinct, surreal filmmaking technique in his first full-length feature, Eraserhead. Elephant Man, which starred John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, and Anne Bancroft, won him his first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Director three years later. Additionally, he received nominations for Best Director twice more, with Mulholland Drive in 2001 and Blue Velvet in 1986, even though he never won the category's trophy. In recognition of his decades-long commitment to cinema, the Oscars gave him an Honorary Academy Award almost twenty years later.
Lynch also won a number of awards for his television work. He co-wrote and directed the television series Twin Peaks, which earned him nods for both writing and directing at the 1991 Primetime Emmy Awards. He also received nominated for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Cinematography at the award for his 2017 limited series revival of the mystery drama.
Lynch previously stated that he had no plans to become a filmmaker, despite the fact that he would undoubtedly be recognized as a master of his trade.
"I wanted to be a painter," Lynch said in an interview released in 2006. "I was a painter, and I was in a studio working on a painting of a garden at night and the green was coming out of this black, and I heard a wind and I saw the green move, and said, 'Oh that is interesting' and I thought it would be good to do a moving painting."
He soon developed a new passion as a result of that poignant artwork, which led to his first short film commission. According to Lynch, "That led to falling in love with film and getting green lights."
