Hollywood film director David Lynch has died at the age of 78 The Oscar nominee has had a glittering career spanning nearly five decades, with credits including Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, And the elephant man.
His family announced his death on Thursday (January 16) with an emotional statement. The cause of his death remains unknown at the time of writing, but Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema.
They wrote on his official Facebook account: “It is with great regret that we and his family announce the death of the man and artist David Lynch.
“We appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, he says, ‘Keep your eye on the cake and not the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
Tributes are already starting to pour in from his devastated fanbase. One wrote on X/Twitter: “David Lynch… you taught us to cherish one great day after another. You lived your artistic life to the fullest. Rest in peace.”
Another wrote: “No one understood the world like David Lynch. How lucky we are that he showed us what he saw.”
A third said: “David Lynch has a reasonable claim to be the most important American director since 1950. His films seemed like they were made just for you, no matter who you were. They whispered secrets that only you knew. And at some point, everyone got scared.” Favorite director was David Lynch.”
A fourth wrote: “David is one of my biggest artistic inspirations. I will always be grateful for that. I will miss him terribly but I know he will always be remembered. He has directed some of the best films and TV shows ever – we’re so lucky to have shared time with him on Earth.” “
Lynch entered Hollywood in the 1970s with the surreal horror film Eraserhead.
In the following decades, he continued to amaze and inspire audiences with landmark releases ranging from the mystery thriller Mulholland Drive (2001), to the neo-noir Blue Velvet (1986), and the acclaimed American drama Twin Peaks.
His other credits include Wild at Heart (1990), The Elephant Man (1990) and the science fiction adventure film Dune (1984).
He has been nominated for four Academy Awards – including Best Director nominations for Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man. The latter also earned him a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In 2019, David received an Honorary Academy Award for “fearlessly breaking boundaries in pursuit of his unique cinematic vision.”
David has been married four times and has four children, including director Jennifer Lynch.
Last year, David said he was diagnosed with emphysema after smoking all his life. The condition left him homebound and dependent on an oxygen machine.
“I’m home whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen,” he told Sight and Sound.
“Smoking was something I absolutely loved, but in the end it hurt me. It was part of artistic life for me: tobacco and the smell of it, lighting things, smoking, coming back and sitting and enjoying smoking and looking at your work, or thinking about things.
“There is nothing as beautiful as it in this world. At the same time, it is killing me. So I had to quit.”