Renowned filmmaker and artist David Lynch has died at age 78. His family announced the news on Facebook, quoting Lynch’s own words: “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in Missoula, Montana, in 1946, Lynch’s career began with painting before transitioning to filmmaking with his debut Eraserhead (1977), a surreal, black-and-white cult classic. He gained critical acclaim with The Elephant Man (1980), which earned eight Oscar nominations. While his adaptation of Dune (1984) was a box office failure, Lynch rebounded with Blue Velvet (1986), a haunting exploration of small-town darkness, cementing his place as a master of surrealism.
Lynch’s groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks (1990) redefined episodic television with its mix of mystery, horror, and surrealism, and its influence remains profound. The series spawned a prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992), and a 2017 revival, Twin Peaks: The Return. His other iconic works include Wild at Heart (1990), Lost Highway (1997), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).
In addition to his cinematic achievements, Lynch was a painter, musician, and advocate of transcendental meditation. He received an honorary Oscar in 2020 for his lifetime contribution to film. Lynch is survived by his four children.