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David Lynch.

David Keith Lynch

David Lynch — Actor
Born Missoula, United States
Died United States
Citizenship United States
Would Be 80 yr If Living

26 min read

Reading time

5,049

Words

Published

142

Film credits

24

Books

14

Awards

TL;DR

David Lynch died at age 78 from cardiac arrest in January 2025, just days before his 79th birthday. The surrealist filmmaker created Eraserhead 1977, Blue Velvet 1986, and Twin Peaks 1990. He earned an Academy Honorary Award in 2019 and directed three actors to Oscar nominations.

Identity & family.

KIN · 12

Names, aliases, and relatives of David Lynch — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name David Keith Lynch
Aliases David L., David Linchevatelis
PARENTS
Sunny Lynch Donald Lynch
SPOUSES
Emily Stofle Mary Sweeney Mary Fisk Peggy Reavey
CHILDREN
Jennifer Lynch Austin Jack Lynch Lula Boginia Lynch Riley Sweeney Lynch
SIBLINGS
Martha Lynch Levacy John Lynch

At a glance.

STATS

David Lynch by the numbers — life, work, and family.

78 Years lived
142 Film credits
24 Books
14 Awards
4 Marriages
4 Children

Who was David Lynch?

BIOGRAPHY

David Lynch — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Donald Lynch’s job as a research scientist moved the family across the country: from Missoula to Sandpoint, Idaho, Spokane, Washington, Durham, North Carolina, Boise, Idaho, and Alexandria, Virginia. David Lynch was born on January 20, 1946 in Missoula, Montana to Donald and Sunny Lynch, an English tutor. He attended Francis C. Hammond Middle School, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the AFI Conservatory. That rootless childhood later fed the unsettling suburban landscapes of his films.

Career

Lynch’s feature debut Eraserhead 1977 took five years to complete and gained a cult following after distributor Ben Barenholtz picked it up. That success led to his first mainstream film The Elephant Man 1980, produced by Mel Brooks, which earned Oscar nominations. He directed the expensive flop Dune 1984 but returned to form with Blue Velvet 1986, a dark look at small-town secrets. In 1990, he won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Wild at Heart and launched Twin Peaks, the surreal TV series that became a cultural phenomenon. He later directed Mulholland Drive 2001, which won him the Cannes Best Director Award, and his final feature Inland Empire 2006. Lynch also created the comic strip The Angriest Dog in the World and collaborated frequently with composer Angelo Badalamenti.

Personal life

Lynch married four times: Peggy Reavey 1967-1974, Mary Fisk 1977-1987, Mary Sweeney 2006-2007, and Emily Stofle 2009 until his death. He had four children: director Jennifer Lynch born 1968 with Reavey, Austin Jack Lynch born 1982 with Fisk, Riley Sweeney Lynch born 1992 with Sweeney, and Lula Boginia Lynch. In the late 1980s, he was engaged to actress Isabella Rossellini, whom he cast in Blue Velvet. Lynch practiced Transcendental Meditation daily since 1973 and founded the David Lynch Foundation.

Legacy

The term Lynchian entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018, defined by his juxtaposition of surreal and sinister elements with mundane environments. Eraserhead was selected for the National Film Registry in 2004. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2019 for his lifetime achievements. Lynch directed three actors to Oscar-nominated performances: John Hurt, Diane Ladd, and Richard Farnsworth. His works continue to influence new generations of filmmakers.

Filmography.

FILMS · 142

Browse the complete filmography of David Lynch — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. TV Poster for Family Guy

    Family Guy

  2. TV Poster for Twin Peaks

    Twin Peaks

  3. TV Poster for Robot Chicken

    Robot Chicken

  4. TV Poster for The Cleveland Show

    The Cleveland Show

  5. TV Poster for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

  6. TV Poster for The Oscars

    The Oscars

  7. TV Poster for Louie

    Louie

  8. Movie Poster for Dune

    Dune

  9. Movie Poster for The Fabelmans

    The Fabelmans

  10. Movie Poster for The Elephant Man

    The Elephant Man

  11. TV Poster for Legends

    Legends

  12. Movie Poster for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

    Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

  13. TV Poster for Scene by Scene

    Scene by Scene

  14. Movie Poster for Inland Empire

    Inland Empire

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 14

Every award, honor, and recognition received by David Lynch — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • Officer of the Legion of Honour
  • Goslarer Kaiserring
  • Knight of the Legion of Honour
  • Saturn Awards
  • Golden Lion
  • Palme d'Or
  • Cannes Best Director Award
  • César Award for Best Foreign Film
  • European Film Award for Best Non-European Film
  • Academy Honorary Award
  • Eagle Scout
  • Sitges Grand Honorary Award
  • César Award
  • Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 24

David Lynch's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

  1. Cover for Room to Dream

    Room to Dream

    by David Lynch et al.

  2. Cover for David Lynch

    David Lynch

    by David Lynch

  3. Cover for Catching the Big Fish

    Catching the Big Fish

    by David Lynch

  4. Cover for Teaching Improvement Agenda

    Teaching Improvement Agenda

    by David Lynch

  5. Cover for The Photoguide to Colour

    The Photoguide to Colour

    by David Lynch

  6. Cover for Atrapa El Pez Dorado

    Atrapa El Pez Dorado

    by David Lynch

  7. Cover for Another Day in the Life

    Another Day in the Life

    by Ringo Starr et al.

  8. Cover for Lynch on Lynch (Directors on Directors)

    Lynch on Lynch (Directors on Directors)

    by David Lynch

  9. Cover for Indoor Photography

    Indoor Photography

    by David Lynch

  10. Cover for David Lynch, Nudes

    David Lynch, Nudes

    by David Lynch

  11. Cover for Christian Louboutin

    Christian Louboutin

    by David Lynch

  12. Cover for The Vino Italiano Buying Guide

    The Vino Italiano Buying Guide

    by Joseph Bastianich et al.

  13. Cover for Leading School Improvement

    Leading School Improvement

    by David Lynch et al.

  14. Cover for Quality in the Finance Function

    Quality in the Finance Function

    by David Lynch

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 32

A wall of memorable lines from David Lynch — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Did you know?

FACTS · 49

Little-known facts about David Lynch — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 48

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about David Lynch.

Audited & updated by

Sophia Bennett

Associate Editor & Editorial Content Coordinator

Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

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