I Know Catherine, the Log Lady
2026 · Movie
as Self
David Lynch
1946-01-20
•
Missoula, Montana, USA
Writers: , , , ,
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.
Filmography
What Would David Lynch Do?
2026 · Movie
as Self (Archived Footage)
Eyes Behind the Lens
2026 · Movie
as Voice (Uncredited, Archive)
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
2026 · TV Show
as Self - Filmmaker
David Lynch: A Remembrance Both Wonderful and Strange
2025 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Making Of A Mockumentary
2025 · Movie
as Himself (archive footage)
The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld
2025 · Movie
Beatles '64
2024 · Movie
as Self
Lynch/Oz
2023 · Movie
as Self (archival footage)
The Fabelmans
2022 · Movie
as John Ford
This Is Sparklehorse
2022 · Movie
as Self
Welcome Home: Mary Reber and the Twin Peaks Palmer House
2021 · Movie
as Self
Moby Doc
2021 · Movie
as Self
The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune
2021 · Movie
as Self (voice) (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
2021 · Movie
This Is Pop
2021 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Meeting the Beatles in India
2020 · Movie
as Self
David Lynch: The Virtual Life
2020 · Movie
as himself
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019 · Movie
as Self
The Original Image - David Lynch
2019 · Movie
David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film
2019 · Movie
as Himself
Curtains Up
2018 · Movie
Why Are We Creative?
2018 · Movie
as Self
Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon
2017 · Movie
as Self
Lucky
2017 · Movie
as Howard
David Lynch: The Art Life
2017 · Movie
as Self
The Black Ghiandola
2017 · Movie
as Man In Black
Rocksteppy
2017 · Movie
as Himself
WHAT DID JACK DO?
2017 · Movie
as Detective
Girlfriend's Day
2017 · Movie
as Narrator (voice)
Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers
2017 · Movie
as Self
Tell It Martin
2017 · Movie
as Self
The Polish Accountant
2017 · Movie
as Self
The Number of Completion
2017 · Movie
as Self
See You on the Other Side Dear Friend
2017 · Movie
as Self
Bad Binoculars
2017 · Movie
as Self
Two Blue Balls
2017 · Movie
as Self
I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun
2017 · Movie
as Self
Behind the Red Curtain
2017 · Movie
as Self
A Pot of Boiling Oil
2017 · Movie
as Self
A Bloody Finger in Your Mouth
2017 · Movie
as Self
The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair
2017 · Movie
as Self
A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks
2017 · Movie
as Self
Plankton Salesmen
2017 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
No image
David Lynch: Insight
2017 · Movie
as Self
The Nineties
2017 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Night Flight: Born Again
2016 · Movie
as Self
Blue Velvet Revisited
2016 · Movie
as Self
Shadows of Paradise
2016 · Movie
On Meditation
2016 · Movie
as Self
The Music of David Lynch
2016 · Movie
as Self
Along for the Ride
2016 · Movie
as Self
The Reality of Truth
2016 · Movie
as Self
Brand: A Second Coming
2015 · Movie
as Self
Rammstein in Amerika
2015 · Movie
as Self
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014 · Movie
as Gordon Cole
No image
It's a Beautiful World
2014 · Movie
as Self
My Beautiful Broken Brain
2014 · Movie
as Self
The 8th Floor
2014 · Movie
as Self
Between Two Worlds
2014 · Movie
as Self
Ringo Starr: A Lifetime of Peace and Love
2014 · Movie
as Self
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction
2013 · Movie
as Self
What Is Cinema?
2013 · Movie
as Self
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013 · Movie
as Self
Professor Goudet's Lessons
2013 · Movie
as Self
Side by Side
2012 · Movie
as Self
Meditation, Creativity, Peace
2012 · Movie
as Self
Memory Film
2012 · Movie
Ångesthunden och Malmö under vatten
2011 · Movie
as Himself
2012: Time for Change
2010 · Movie
as Self
David Wants to Fly
2010 · Movie
as Self
No image
When Lynch Met Lucas
2010 · Movie
Brunes et Blondes
2010 · Movie
as Self
No image
David Lynch in Oslo
2010 · Movie
as Self
Louie
2010 · TV Show
as Jack Dall
The Way of Samodelkin
2009 · Movie
as Stranger in a dream
The Soul Detective
2009 · Movie
as Himself
Great Directors
2009 · Movie
as Self
La Traversée du désir
2009 · Movie
as Self
Red Fish
2009 · Movie
as O Sábio
The Cleveland Show
2009 · TV Show
as Gus (voice)
Early Experiments
2008 · Movie
Hollyshorts Greeting
2008 · Movie
as Himself
Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008
2008 · Movie
as Self
Elvis | Viva Las Vegas
2008 · Movie
as Self
Critic
2008 · Movie
as Self (voice)
No image
Donovan: The Donovan Concert - Live in L.A.
2007 · Movie
as Himself
Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
2007 · Movie
as himself
The Sound of Lynch
2007 · Movie
A Slice of Lynch
2007 · Movie
as Self
Lynch (one)
2007 · Movie
as Self
Lynch 2
2007 · Movie
as Self
Out Yonder — Chicken
2007 · Movie
Inland Empire
2006 · Movie
as Bucky J, the gaffer (voice)
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
2006 · Movie
as Self
Legends
2006 · TV Show
as Self
David Lynch: 1985
2005 · Movie
as Self
Robot Chicken
2005 · TV Show
as Mad Scientist (voice)
The Making of ‘Mulholland Drive’
2004 · Movie
as Self
Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
2004 · Movie
as Self
Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart
2004 · Movie
Leçon de Cinéma
2004 · TV Show
as Self
Boat
2003 · Movie
as The Man
Dennis Hopper: Create (or Die)
2003 · Movie
as Self
Lamp
2003 · Movie
as Self
Out Yonder — Teeth
2003 · Movie
Does That Hurt You?
2003 · Movie
as Self
Return to Mulholland Drive
2003 · Movie
as Self
Un film et son époque
2003 · TV Show
as Self
I Don't Know Jack
2002 · Movie
as Self
Mysteries of Love
2002 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
BlueBob Egg
2002 · Movie
as Billy Groper
Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy
2002 · Movie
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed
2002 · Movie
The Short Films of David Lynch
2002 · Movie
as Self
Heart of the Festival
2002 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Eraserhead Stories
2001 · Movie
as Self
No image
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
2001 · Movie
as Self
DumbLand
2001 · TV Show
as Randy / Wife / Sparky (voice)
In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story
1999 · Movie
as Self
Family Guy
1999 · TV Show
as Gus (voice), David Lynch (voice)
The A-Z of Separating People from their Money
1998 · Movie
as Self
No image
Independent Focus
1998 · TV Show
as Self
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
1997 · Movie
as Self
Scene by Scene
1997 · TV Show
as Self
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
1996 · Movie
as Self
Nadja
1995 · Movie
as Morgue Receptionist
Lumière & Company
1995 · Movie
as Self
Don Van Vliet: Some YoYo Stuff
1994 · Movie
as Himself
Made in the USA
1993 · Movie
as Self
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992 · Movie
as Gordon Cole
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992 · TV Show
as Self
No image
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
1991 · Movie
as Self
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
1990 · Movie
as Self
Hollywood Mavericks
1990 · Movie
as Self
Twin Peaks
1990 · TV Show
as Gordon Cole
David Lynch: Don't Look at Me
1989 · Movie
as Self
Cinéma, de notre temps
1989 · TV Show
as David Lynch
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988 · Movie
as Self - Audience Member
Zelly & Me
1988 · Movie
as Willie
No Frank in Lumberton
1988 · Movie
as Self
Ruth, Roses, and Revolver
1987 · Movie
as Himself
Dune
1984 · Movie
as Spice Miner (uncredited)
Destination Dune
1983 · Movie
as Self
The Elephant Man
1980 · Movie
as Man in the Bowler Hat in the Mob Chasing Merrick (uncredited)
Heart Beat
1980 · Movie
as Painter (uncredited)
The Amputee
1974 · Movie
as The Nurse
No image
Film '72
1971 · TV Show
as Self
Sailing with Bushnell Keeler
1967 · Movie
The Oscars
1953 · TV Show
as Self
Crew Credits
Tríptico
2025 · Movie
Thanks
The Legend of the Happy Worker
2025 · Movie
Executive Producer
Jack Paints It Red
2025 · Movie
Music
The Other Me
2022 · Movie
Executive Producer
Faraway Eyes
2021 · Movie
Thanks
A Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee
2019 · Movie
Executive Producer
Ant Head
2018 · Movie
Music, Writer, Cinematography, Editor, Producer, Director, Sound
Waiting for Mr. Lynch
2018 · Movie
Director, Writer, Producer
Night Ride
2017 · Movie
Music
WHAT DID JACK DO?
2017 · Movie
Director, Writer, Editor, Sound Designer, Sound Mixer, Music, Set Designer, Set Decoration
Kitsune
2016 · Movie
Thanks
Psychogenic Fugue
2016 · Movie
Creative Consultant
No image
Land of Nothing
2015 · Movie
Executive Producer
Fire (Pożar)
2015 · Movie
Director
Duran Duran: Unstaged
2014 · Movie
Director
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
2014 · Movie
Director, Editor, Writer, Characters, Sound Mixer
My Beautiful Broken Brain
2014 · Movie
Executive Producer
Idem Paris
2013 · Movie
Director
20 Little Films
2012 · Movie
Director
Memory Film
2012 · Movie
Director
Meditation, Creativity, Peace
2012 · Movie
Writer
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
2011 · Movie
Writer, Director
No image
Readymade, Emile Reynaud et la peinture s'anima
2010 · Movie
Set Designer
42 One Dream Rush
2010 · Movie
Director
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
2010 · Movie
Executive Producer
No image
The Peaceline Project
2009 · Movie
Executive Producer
Interview Project
2009 · TV Show
Creator
Surveillance
2008 · Movie
Executive Producer
Early Experiments
2008 · Movie
Director of Photography, Director, Producer, Writer, Editor
Twin Peaks Festival Greeting 2008
2008 · Movie
Writer, Producer, Director
Hollyshorts Greeting
2008 · Movie
Director
More Things That Happened
2007 · Movie
Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
To Each His Own Cinema
2007 · Movie
Director
Ballerina
2007 · Movie
Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography
Dynamic:01: The Best of DavidLynch.com
2007 · Movie
Director, Executive Producer
Out Yonder — Chicken
2007 · Movie
Director
Inland Empire
2006 · Movie
Director, Producer, Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Designer, Camera Operator, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Writer
What Is It?
2005 · Movie
Thanks
Bug Crawls
2004 · Movie
Director
Intervalometer Experiments
2004 · Movie
Director
Boat
2003 · Movie
Director, Writer
Cabin Fever
2003 · Movie
Thanks
Lamp
2003 · Movie
Producer, Director of Photography, Director
Does That Hurt You?
2003 · Movie
Sound, Writer
Out Yonder — Teeth
2003 · Movie
Director
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed
2002 · Movie
Writer, Producer, Director
Rabbits
2002 · Movie
Director, Screenplay
BlueBob Egg
2002 · Movie
Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography
Darkened Room
2002 · Movie
Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography, Editor
Out Yonder — Neighbor Boy
2002 · Movie
Director
Pierre and Sonny Jim
2002 · Movie
Director
Industrial Soundscape
2002 · Movie
Director
Coyote #1
2002 · Movie
Producer, Cinematography, Director, Writer, Editor
Dead Mouse with Ants
2002 · Movie
Producer, Writer, Cinematography, Director
The Pig Walks
2002 · Movie
Writer, Editor, Producer, Cinematography, Director
Steps
2002 · Movie
Director
I Don't Know Jack
2002 · Movie
Presenter
The Short Films of David Lynch
2002 · Movie
Director, Writer, Producer, Sound Director
Rabbits
2002 · TV Show
Director, Writer, Creator
Mulholland Drive
2001 · Movie
Director, Writer, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Eraserhead Stories
2001 · Movie
Director
Sunset #1
2001 · Movie
Director
Head with Hammer
2001 · Movie
Editor, Producer, Writer, Director
Factory Mask
2001 · Movie
Writer, Producer, Cinematography, Director
DumbLand
2001 · TV Show
Writer, Producer, Editor, Director of Photography, Animation, Director, Creator
The Straight Story
1999 · Movie
Director, Sound Designer
Lost Highway
1997 · Movie
Director, Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Writer
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
1997 · Movie
Music, Still Photographer
Nadja
1995 · Movie
Executive Producer
Lumière & Company
1995 · Movie
Director
Premonitions Following an Evil Deed
1995 · Movie
Director
Michael Jackson: Dangerous - The Short Films
1993 · Movie
Director
Hotel Room
1993 · TV Show
Executive Producer, Sound Designer, Director, Creator
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
1992 · Movie
Director, Writer, Original Series Creator, Executive Producer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Designer, Characters
Twin Peaks: Visual Soundtrack
1992 · Movie
Music Producer, Creator, Lyricist
On the Air
1992 · TV Show
Director, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez
1991 · Movie
Executive Producer
The King of Ads
1991 · Movie
Director
Wild at Heart
1990 · Movie
Director, Screenplay
Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted
1990 · Movie
Director, Producer, Music
Twin Peaks
1990 · TV Show
Writer, Director, Executive Producer, Story, Sound Designer, Additional Editor, Creator
No image
American Chronicles
1990 · TV Show
Producer
Twin Peaks
1989 · Movie
Director, Writer, Executive Producer
The Cowboy and the Frenchman
1988 · Movie
Director, Writer
The French as Seen by…
1988 · Movie
Director
No Frank in Lumberton
1988 · Movie
Music
Blue Velvet
1986 · Movie
Director, Writer
Dune
1984 · Movie
Director, Screenplay
The Elephant Man
1980 · Movie
Director, Screenplay, Sound Designer
Eraserhead
1977 · Movie
Screenplay, Producer, Original Music Composer, Editor, Production Design, Art Direction, Special Effects, Sound Effects, Director
The Amputee
1974 · Movie
Director, Producer, Writer
In Pursuit of Treasure
1972 · Movie
Set Painter
The Grandmother
1970 · Movie
Director, Script, Screenplay, Animation, Camera Operator, Writer, Producer
The Alphabet
1969 · Movie
Director, Writer, Sound, Director of Photography, Animation, Editor
Six Men Getting Sick
1967 · Movie
Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematography, Animation
Absurd Encounter with Fear
1967 · Movie
Director
Sailing with Bushnell Keeler
1967 · Movie
Director, Camera Operator
No image
Snootworld
· Movie
Writer
A Fall from Grace
· Movie
Executive Producer
The Sea Behind Her Head
· Movie
In Memory Of
No image
Interview Project
· Movie
Director
No image
Hyena
· Movie
Executive Producer
Mulholland Dr.
· TV Show
Director, Writer, Creator
