‘Eraserhead’ and ‘Twin Peaks’ Filmmaker David Lynch Has Passed Away

Best known to horror fans for surrealist films and television series like Eraserhead, Twin Peaks, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and more, filmmaker, visual artist, musician and actor David Lynch has passed away just shy of his 79th birthday.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,'” a statement posted on the director’s official Facebook page reads this afternoon. “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

Lynch recently shared on social media that he was diagnosed with emphysema, which greatly impacted his mobility, and he was able to continue directing only remotely. 

“Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them – but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” Mr. Lynch wrote in his post on social media. 

Born on January 20, 1946, David Lynch started as a painter before eventually transitioning into film. His breakout feature debut, 1977’s Eraserhead, established Lynch’s surrealist style as it explored the horrors and anxieties of parenthood in the most unsettling way. While Eraserhead may have caught everyone’s notice, Lynch’s sophomore film, The Elephant Man, garnered eight Academy Award nominations, including Lynch’s first for Best Director.