Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Fail Better with David Duchovny
Guest: Kyle MacLachlan (Actor, longtime collaborator with David Lynch)
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Main Theme:
David Duchovny invites Kyle MacLachlan to discuss their experiences with artistic risk, failure, and the creative partnership with director David Lynch—especially through "Dune," "Blue Velvet," and "Twin Peaks." The conversation weaves through childhood influences, navigating success and failure in Hollywood, the impact of Lynch's mentorship, reflecting on creative loss, and Kyle's ventures beyond acting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upbringing, Early Guidance, and Defining Success

• Family Influence:

  • Kyle describes a small-town upbringing in Yakima, Washington, with parents who each shaped his path differently.

    “I didn't know what an L.A. was. Seattle to us was the big city.” – MacLachlan [02:59]

  • His father, despite pressure to be a lawyer, ultimately followed his passion into business, influencing Kyle's own approach to career choices.
  • His mother’s love for local theater nudged Kyle towards acting:

    “She got involved in some teenage theater programs. She would have me come down... at first I didn't want to do it, but then I realized, there are a lot of kids my age, a lot of girls...” – MacLachlan [07:09]

• On Success and Parental Expectations:
  Kyle reflects that his personal sense of success was inherited less as a mandate and more as a permission to follow one’s passion, learning from his father’s rebellion.

• Finding Acting:

  • Initially hesitant, Kyle eventually found acting to be his area of greatest aptitude in high school, inspired by both his mother and his own experiences in community theater.

2. Breaking into Hollywood and "Dune" as a Learning Experience

• Serendipity of Early Success:

  • Duchovny marvels at the rarity of landing the lead in “Dune” as his very first film audition:

    “Dune was the first screenplay I ever read. Blue Velvet was the second.” – MacLachlan [28:14]

• On "Dune" as Both Breakthrough and Failure:
  Despite the opportunity, “Dune” was considered a failure by Hollywood standards, and the aftermath was disorienting for a young actor:

  “People were telling me this is going to change your life forever. …I have no concept of what that is… contractually, I wasn’t allowed to do film or television until 'Dune' was released… finished filming in ‘83, released in ‘84. I got nothing to do.” – MacLachlan [28:57]

  • The film’s underperformance canceled future plans, leaving Kyle on uncertain ground—forced to adapt and re-audition, encountering the harsh realities of the industry.

• The "Fear is the Mind Killer" Lesson:
  Kyle shares how Herbert’s iconic "Dune" mantra shaped his attitude toward fear and failure:

  “Fear is the mind killer... I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me… and only I will remain. It was a teaching moment for me.” – MacLachlan [30:32]

3. Creative Partnership with David Lynch

• Directing Style & Influence:
  Kyle illustrates Lynch’s non-literal, poetic direction and its impact:

  “He would direct with qualities or images. ‘Elvis’ was a direction. ‘More Elvis.’ …There’s no parsing it. The minute you talk about it, you’re starting to take away the magic.” – MacLachlan [14:22]

• Lynch’s Approach:
  Duchovny remarks on Lynch’s uniqueness:

  “He’s sui generis. …You either take him whole or you don’t. You can’t chew him up.” – Duchovny [16:45]

• Trust and Creative Growth:
  Kyle internalized Lynch’s abstract approach, moving from over-explanation to intuitive performance, especially in later "Twin Peaks":

  “What he creates is to be experienced, not necessarily understood intellectually… I wanted to dissect everything at first, but I learned that wasn’t his favorite form of dialogue.” – MacLachlan [35:26]

4. Reflections on Twin Peaks & Ensemble Dynamics

• On Twin Peaks' Phenomenon:

  • Both reflect on the show's explosive cultural impact:

    “That show was a meteor... it was on a network, which is crazy, because it’s still too wild for even streamers. I don’t think it gets made today.” – Duchovny [21:42]

• Leadership and Kindness on Set:
  Duchovny expresses gratitude for Kyle's inclusivity:

  “You personally were so kind … when it's your set, you set the tone. You were so kind and supportive and welcoming. … It was a prime example of how to be that guy on set.” – Duchovny [19:06]

5. Navigating Roles, Audition Failures & Creative Stretch

• After Dune – Reentering the Grind:

  • Despite his “big break,” Kyle faced numerous failed auditions:

    “I started auditioning and I was awful, really awful. …Every audition, nothing was like meeting David.” – MacLachlan [32:19]

• Blue Velvet and Beyond:

  • Lynch’s continued commitment—even after Dune’s failure—was pivotal:

    “David, bless his heart, came back with Blue Velvet... he was very keen on having me as Jeffrey.” – MacLachlan [34:14]

• On 'The Return' and Playing Against Type:

  • Kyle describes the fear and satisfaction of stretching into the villainous Mr. C and the empty Dougie:

    “Dougie was just courage, I had to believe that nothing was everything. I’m literally doing nothing. How long can you do nothing?” – MacLachlan [41:14]

  • Playing Mr. C was taxing—he didn’t like “getting into him” every day, but it was a creative necessity.

6. Loss, Legacy, and Artistic Identity

• Lynch as Creator and Loss:

  • Duchovny asks about the feeling of losing a key collaborator:

    “What does that feel like, to have that kind of simpatico with a fellow creator? And what does it feel like to lose that person?” – Duchovny [42:10]

  • Kyle’s response is heartfelt:

    “David for me was always in his home, not far from where I live, actually working… so it’s kind of strange… I know he’s gone, but, in my mind, is he gone?... There’s an appreciation and a gratitude that comes in and kind of smacks you in the face.” – MacLachlan [43:19, 45:46]

  • He credits his collaboration for broadening his opportunities, and only later—after maturity—did he see it as a blessing (not a limitation) and as something to cherish.

• Self-Recognition and Stability:

  • Duchovny pushes Kyle to see the mutuality in the collaboration:

    “Have you ever given yourself the space to say David was lucky to find me?” – Duchovny [46:07]

  • Kyle admits it's not his nature, but recognizes in hindsight his gift for grounding Lynch’s worlds:

    “I feel like I was a really good clay to work [with]… I’m the person carrying an audience into a world that is unusual and scary and maybe slightly off kilter.” – MacLachlan [46:47]

7. Embracing New Mediums: Podcasting and Generational Curiosity

• New Podcast – 'What Are We Even Doing?':

  • Kyle seeks to connect with Gen Z and young millennial creators, discussing process and impact:

    “I sit down with Gen Z and young millennials and we have a conversation about their creative process… how they use social to amplify their platform… and what are their ultimate goals.” – MacLachlan [53:15]

  • He expresses openness to learning from the younger generation, partly inspired by his son:

    “I never…been looking back…saying, well, who inspires me that’s younger than me? And there’s plenty.” – MacLachlan [55:53]

• Podcasting Philosophies:
  Both appreciate the unstructured, intuitive approach—mirroring their work with Lynch:

  “Conversationally…the most interesting places are found if you just don’t try to control the reins.” – Duchovny [58:20]

8. The Wine Venture and Returning Home

• Pacific Northwest Roots:

  • Kyle’s wine label honors his Yakima upbringing and brings him home:

    “Growing up in Yakima… agricultural…it’s the fruit basket of the nation… I grew up working in the garden, mowing the lawn with my brothers, picking fruit…” – MacLachlan [60:25]

  • The label, Pursued by Bear, nods to Shakespeare and his theater past.

• Working with Family:

  • Starting the project allowed time with his ailing father, side-by-side in activity rather than face-to-face confession:

    “To do something together…we were facing forward. Activities like walking, playing golf, driving in a car… talking side to side…” – [61:32]

• Wine as a Metaphor for Creative Risk:

  • Duchovny likens wine to the fruits of “failure in action”—and Kyle agrees:

    “Maybe that’s the lesson… that we can only hope that our rotten fruit is a pleasure, something we savor and can get other people high.”
    — Duchovny & MacLachlan [66:31–66:45]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fear and Failure:

  “Fear is the mind killer… I will face my fear… where fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
  — Kyle MacLachlan quoting Frank Herbert [30:32]

• On David Lynch’s Direction:

  “Elvis was a direction. More Elvis... there’s no parsing it... you’re starting to take away the magic.” — MacLachlan [14:22]

• On Set Leadership:

  “You’re the lead guy, you set the tone. You were so kind and supportive and welcoming… a prime example of how to be that guy on set.” — Duchovny to MacLachlan [19:06]

• On Loss and Gratitude:

  “There’s an appreciation and a gratitude that comes in and kind of smacks you in the face… I cherished every day. I got up every morning, I was like, I’m so happy to go to work.” — MacLachlan on working with Lynch [45:46]

• Wine as Life Lesson:

  “Maybe that’s the lesson…we can only hope that our rotten fruit is a pleasure. It’s enjoyable. Something we savor and can get other people high.” — Duchovny & MacLachlan [66:38–66:45]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Early Life, Parental Influence, and Acting Start – [02:28–09:25]
• Landing Dune and Early Hollywood Disillusionment – [10:06–13:54], [27:53–33:05]
• First Meeting and Working with David Lynch – [12:05–16:39], [14:22-15:40]
• Twin Peaks, Kindness, and Ensemble Life – [16:45–23:01]
• Navigating Auditions, Failures & Blue Velvet – [32:55–35:20]
• Artistic Growth, Lynch’s Process, and Twin Peaks: The Return – [35:26–38:25]
• Loss of Lynch, Grief, and Legacy – [42:08–45:46]
• Self-Perception and Creative Mutuality – [46:07–47:49]
• Podcast Discussion and Embracing the Next Generation – [52:47–58:20]
• Wine Venture, Returning Home, and Metaphors of Failure – [58:31–66:45]

Overall Tone

The conversation is nostalgic, generous, reflective, and colored with humor and warmth. Both Duchovny and MacLachlan invite vulnerability, openly sharing their missteps and lessons while always weaving back to the central idea: that what’s labeled as failure can be the start of deeper growth and creative vitality. For listeners, the rapport between old friends and creative partners makes for a candid and refreshing exploration of both the artistic process and the journey of being human.