What Kyle MacLachlan learned from his friend David Lynch

Summary

Wild Card with Rachel Martin: What Kyle MacLachlan Learned from His Friend David Lynch

NPR’s "Wild Card with Rachel Martin" presents a deeply personal and insightful bonus episode featuring Kyle MacLachlan as he reflects on his long-standing friendship and professional collaboration with the legendary filmmaker David Lynch. Released on June 22, 2025, this episode delves into four decades of creative partnership, mentorship, and mutual respect that have significantly shaped both their careers.

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Introduction: A Tribute to David Lynch

The episode opens with Kyle MacLachlan expressing his admiration and affection for David Lynch, highlighting Lynch's profound impact on his life and work. MacLachlan shares that Lynch was not only a collaborator but also a mentor who guided him through some of the most pivotal moments in his acting career.

"I was so honored to be asked, you know, to say, write something for the New York Times, you know, nice about your friend. And I said, I would love to. I would love to."
— David Lynch [11:53]

Early Collaboration and Mutual Respect

MacLachlan recounts his first meeting with Lynch during the production of "Dune" and "Blue Velvet," emphasizing the immediate connection and mutual trust that formed the foundation of their collaboration.

"We sat in a little bungalow on the back lot at Universal Studios... We just had about a 20 to 30 minute chat when I met him on Dune. And we didn't talk about the movie at all. We talked about growing up in the Northwest... and the vibe of being in the Pacific Northwest."
— David Lynch [04:10]

This initial conversation revealed their shared interests and laid the groundwork for a partnership that would span decades, including iconic projects like the original and rebooted versions of "Twin Peaks."

David Lynch’s Creative Genius

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Lynch's unique creative process. MacLachlan describes Lynch as a "true artist" who relies heavily on his intuition and the spontaneous elements that arise during filmmaking.

"Puzzle in the moment. Yeah, I got that. But the pieces, the assemblage, the putting together of the film was all David... Why one thing would lead to the next and why he chose a particular angle, a particular lens..."
— David Lynch [07:09]

Lynch's ability to embrace "happy accidents" and incorporate unexpected moments into his narratives is highlighted as a key aspect of his directorial style, contributing to the surreal and captivating nature of his films and series.

Personal Anecdotes and Lasting Memories

MacLachlan shares heartfelt memories of visiting Lynch during his final months, illustrating the depth of their friendship beyond professional ties. He describes their visits, conversations, and the small rituals they shared, such as bringing Lynch his favorite coffee and croissants.

"We would sit at one end of the table, Laura [Dern] and I, and he would sit at the other, and we would just talk. And he'd be there sitting, remembering, reminiscing, laughing..."
— David Lynch [12:50]

These personal moments underscore the profound bond between MacLachlan and Lynch, showcasing Lynch's human side and his passion for life and art even during challenging times.

Impact and Legacy

The episode concludes with reflections on the enduring influence Lynch has had on MacLachlan’s career and personal growth. MacLachlan credits Lynch with providing guidance and inspiration that continue to resonate with him.

"Black coffee really just comes down to... All your ills go right away. And some cherry pie occasionally. That's pretty good."
— David Lynch [12:19]

This simple yet meaningful advice encapsulates Lynch's philosophy and the straightforward wisdom he imparted to MacLachlan over the years.

Conclusion: Celebrating a Creative Partnership

Rachel Martin wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to explore the broader context of MacLachlan's experiences with Lynch through the full episode. The tribute serves not only as a celebration of their collaborative achievements but also as an intimate look into the personal relationship that fueled their creative endeavors.

Produced by Romel Wood with contributions from Lee Hale and Taylor Hutchison, and mastered by Kwesi Lee, this bonus episode stands as a heartfelt homage to David Lynch, capturing the essence of a remarkable friendship and the lasting impact of a true artistic visionary.

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Notable Quotes:

• “He just knew. And he also really loved happy accidents...” — David Lynch [07:09]
• “Black coffee really just comes down to... All your ills go right away.” — David Lynch [12:19]
• “I was so honored to be asked, you know, to say, write something for the New York Times, you know, nice about your friend.” — David Lynch [11:53]

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the bonus episode, providing listeners with a rich understanding of Kyle MacLachlan's reflections on his relationship with David Lynch, while highlighting key moments and quotes that exemplify their enduring partnership.

Transcript

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[Kyle McLaughlin]

Hey, everyone. I hope you enjoyed listening to our full episode with Kyle McLaughlin. If you haven't listened, go check it out. He is an absolute delight of a human being. But I also wanted to share a more from that conversation that we did with Kyle in Seattle. Before we started our wild card conversation, I talked to Kyle about his longtime collaborator, David lynch, who had just died a couple of months before we taped this. Kyle knew David for four decades, and he had worked with him on Dune and Blue Velvet and the original Twin Peaks and the reboot. So we spent a few minutes just reflecting on David, who was definitely one of the most fascinating people I've ever talked to on this show.

[David Lynch]

And.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

And I loved hearing Kyle think back on his time with his friend and his mentor. So I wanted to share that conversation with you in this bonus episode. I hope you enjoy it. And just a heads up, there's a touch of cursing in this episode. I do want to give you a chance to talk a little bit about David Lynch.

[David Lynch]

Oh, thank you.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Because I just. I know he was so incredibly important to me.

[David Lynch]

I mean, he was. Yeah, he was. I have a career, really, because of David. Because my first two films were with David, Dune and Blue Velvet. And he was like no other person in the world. You know, so specific, so singular, so interesting, so kind, so funny, so generous, such a great sense of humor. And, you know, the thing about David that I learned, particularly when we were filming Twin Peaks, is the worlds that he creates. So he didn't create Dune, but he created Blue Velvet and he created Twin Peaks, among other things. But those worlds for David were. Really existed. They were. They were in his mind, and they were populated by the people that he created. And outside, when we were actually performing, we were those people. So I wasn't Kyle or Kale, as he liked to call me. And that's a funny story. You probably know that story, but. Well, we'll tell that story anyway. I was cooperating. And he loved Twin Peaks so much that he wanted to be. He wanted to live in that world. He wanted to be in that world. And so he created Gordon Cole. Gordon Cole, you know, and how much fun was it? And. And sort of shocking that I was talking to my director and friend as Gordon Cole and that he came up with the whole idea of the, you know, the heart of hearing thing and the whole thing, it just was, you know.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Wait, why'd you call you Kale?

[David Lynch]

Oh, well, in our first film together, Dune, it was produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Dino. Dino De Laurentiis. He literally. He talked like this and he couldn't say my name.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Oh, Dino couldn't.

[David Lynch]

So I was Kale. And David just loved that. So he called me Caleb. And so I have a son. My wife and I have a son named Callum. C A L L U M. But he's not Callum, he's Calum. Just that kind of stuff.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

So how do I say this and not have it be offensive? What did he see in you? But you know what I mean?

[David Lynch]

I asked myself the same.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

You were so young. You went to uw. You were just like a fresh little.

[David Lynch]

I know, I did. I went to uw.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Baby actor person.

[David Lynch]

I was totally baby actor person. I was so, like, clueless, you know, we met, I was out. I graduated and I graduated in 82. 82. Is anybody left?

[Kyle McLaughlin]

82 graduates.

[David Lynch]

Okay, that's all right. Never mind. I think it was our first meeting, right? We sat in a little bungalow on the back lot at Universal Studios. These cool little old buildings that everyone from Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, all the creators were in, these little bungalows. They're really nondescript and sort of smelly, actually, because they're so old. And we sat in this room. We just had about a 20 to 30 minute chat when I met him on Dune. And we didn't talk about the movie at all. We talked about growing up in the Northwest. We talked about our mutual love of red wine. We just kind of rambled. You know what we did when we were kids riding our bikes around, what it was like at night. The sound, the smell, the feels of the vibe of being in the Pacific Northwest. And I think he just felt really comfortable.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[David Lynch]

And I think when he gave me the script, I don't think he really, you know, he still didn't know if this guy can act and, you know, it's not that important. But anyway. But we. We did a screen. I did a screen test with him. And that screen test is when the bond really established itself and we just. We just. And I'd never been in front of a camera before. This is the first time.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Wow.

[David Lynch]

With a movie script, looking at camera, someone doing my makeup and hair. Because I was from the theater, we did our own stuff. You know what I mean? I was like, what are these people doing? And they were like, oh, we're just going to do that. I was like, okay, that's fine. So it's all new. And he was right there for me. And he was pretty new for him, too. I mean, he'd done some shorts and he'd done Eraserhead and he'd done Elephant man, of course, Brilliant films. But he was still pretty. Pretty new as well.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

But I love that he had that intuition to just be like, listen, he can act, but do I want to spend time with this person? Is this a person I want to spend time with on this set?

[David Lynch]

See, I think it was more than that. You're very perceptive. I think it was more than just, oh, but there was a connection there.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[David Lynch]

And that was there through our entire relationship, which was long.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

I mean, we collaborated for a long time.

[David Lynch]

3 Until just recently, this year, so.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

So watching something Lynchian, some of it is. Is not accessible really, to some people.

[David Lynch]

Yeah.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

And it becomes apparent, or I would imagine that it wasn't always clear to you what was happening.

[David Lynch]

I was clueless most of the time.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

But, I mean, you had. Did you. Over those many years, though, did you start to learn the signs or the language, shorthand or kind of.

[David Lynch]

I kind of knew where he was going. Puzzle in the moment. Yeah, I got that. But the pieces, the assemblage, the putting together of the film was all David, you know, all here. And why one thing would lead to the next and why he chose a particular angle, a particular lens, the rhythm of a scene, what music he was thinking that was going to go in. What was the sound going to be behind everything, you know, and that was his genius. He just knew. And he also really loved happy accidents, you know, of something happened during filming. Someone made a mistake or did something different, and he'd be, no, no, no, no, keep that. You know, keep that. He loved when that happened. When we were filming Twin Peaks, there was a scene and we talked about it in the hospital room and the lights were flickering and there wasn't anything that the electrics could do about it. So they said, well, just when you walk in, the guy was sort of flicking the light switch. And he said, we've got some problems with the electricity. So we're just. And he was like, we're trying to fix it. There it was, okay, now it's in the scene, you know, and he did a weird. There was another weird thing. This guy was so funny because he was like. I asked him a question, like, you know, is this room available for us or something? Some kind of just question, like that really kind of fast and blurby. And he went, jim. He thought. I asked him his name. David said, we're keeping that. It's like life, right? That was the thing about David. He. It was really about the realness of life. Yeah. You know, the unexpectedness of life.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

And there are bizarre, surreal, random things that happen all the time.

[David Lynch]

All the time. You know, and the tendency on film is, oh, that's too weird. You know what I mean? David loved that, you know, but that's art, you know, I say David, he is a true artist. And people, we talk, you know, people talk about the fact that he followed his muse. You know, he followed what was happening inside, how he felt. Nobody. There was no other guide for him but what was coming out from his, from his unconscious and his belief in that really powerful stuff. It's really powerful as a, as an actor working with him, looking at that, going, God, you know, it's inspirational. Foreign.

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[Kyle McLaughlin]

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[Kyle McLaughlin]

You wrote the most beautiful New York Times essay. Oh, that is after his passing.

[David Lynch]

It really.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

It's worth looking up.

[David Lynch]

Thank you. I was so honored to be. To be asked, you know, to say, write something for the New York Times, you know, nice about your friend. And I said, I would love to. I would love to.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

You describe him as a lifelong mentor, though, for you. Can you sum up like what or what is guidance he gave you that you. That you still hearken back to?

[David Lynch]

Black coffee really just comes down to.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Black coffee fixes all your ills.

[David Lynch]

All your ills go right away. And some cherry pie occasionally. That's pretty good.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

I mean, it's just one of the best characters.

[David Lynch]

He was one of.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

In entertainment.

[David Lynch]

One of the greatest characters. One of the greatest introductions, too. Driving up the mountain. Yes. You know, I mean, with the takeover.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

What's her name?

[David Lynch]

Diane. Diane. How could you forget Diane, for God's sake.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Tell me about the last time you saw him. He was with Laura Dern, right?

[David Lynch]

Yeah, with Laura Dern. Yeah, we were. So David lived close to me, actually, and he had. He was suffering from emphysema at the time. So he. When you went over for a visit, he liked to be outside, which in la, you can do harder here. So we would be sitting on his back. He had like kind of a back, kind of a patio and a long table. And he. And because of the emphysema, he didn't want to have close contact with anybody, just in case he didn't want to catch anything. Which was true. Which was Right. So we would sit at one end of the table, Laura and I, and he would sit at the other, and we would just talk. And he'd be there sitting, remembering, reminiscing, laughing, talking about some things that we wanted to do still. He was very much about the next thing and trying to figure out a way to direct, but. But to do it remotely. And that was going to be an option. And it was. And it was no, like, certainly he was in. Not in the best of health and, you know, but there was like, you know, we got more work to do.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[David Lynch]

And that was how we left it. And we would. He loved a chocolate croissant and a big cup of coffee. So I went over to. We'd go to Porto's, which is this really great bakery in the valley, and get some croissant there and bring him back and, you know, open up the box. And he'd be like, yeah, it was like. Like a donut. You know, you'd think the donut would be. But it was always a croissant. He would just stuff the donut. So much fun. So much fun.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Okay, last question. So for a lot of people, Twin Peaks did define, like this part of Washington, you know, culturally, for. For a while. But this is home. Home to you.

[David Lynch]

Yeah.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

How have you seen this place change? What keeps you coming back?

[David Lynch]

I. You know, Washington is. It's. It's two states for me. You know, it's the, it's the west side, east side. I grew up in the east side, you know, much different, obviously. And then the traverse between Yakima and Seattle, which I did many times back and forth between going to school at the U and going through North Bend. When you had to drive through North Bend, you know, before the circum circumvented and, you know, it's the same, but it's, you know, it's just a little bigger, a little faster, a little more populated than when I was. When I was here, you know, but the beauty remains. The people remain just so friendly and so nice. And then this just beautiful forests. When you drive through there, you know, when the mist comes down off the trees, it's like, this is one of the most beautiful drives in the. In the, in the world. And I was a kid, I was like, ah, can't wait to get there.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Trees.

[David Lynch]

So much. God, we're talking trees.

[Kyle McLaughlin]

I know.

[David Lynch]

Stop talking about the trees. But they're so beautiful. Yeah. I guess we grow up and mature, right?

[Kyle McLaughlin]

If you like this episode, you should definitely go back and listen to the David lynch episode of Wild Card if you haven't already. It is just an amazing experience. And if you haven't listened to our full episode with Kyle McLaughlin, be sure to check that out as well. This episode was produced by Romel Wood with help from Lee Hale and Taylor Hutchison. It was edited by Dave Blanchard and mastered by Kwesi Lee. Wildcard's executive producer is Yolanda Sangweni and our theme music is by Ramtin Arablui. We'll be back in your feeds on Thursday with a conversation with former first lady Michelle Obama. We'll talk to you then.

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