Celebrities including Ron Howard and James Gunn have paid tribute to Hollywood icon David Lynch following his death aged 78.
The family of the four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker announced the devastating news via social media on Thursday.
Famous for directing his iconic television series Twin Peaks and the film Blue Velvet, Lynch had recently been battling health issues and was housebound due to emphysema.
In a post shared on Facebook, his loved ones wrote: “It is with deep sadness that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and artist David Lynch.”
‘We would appreciate some privacy at this time. “There is a big hole in the world now that he is no longer with us.”
‘But, as he would say, “Keep your eyes on the donut and not the hole.” “It is a beautiful day with a golden sun and a blue sky at all times,” they concluded.
Celebrities have paid tribute to Hollywood icon David Lynch following his death at age 78; seen in 2019
Ron Howard and James Gunn paid tribute to the visionary director
Happy Days icon and director Ron Howard wrote: “#RIPDavidLynch, a kind man and fearless artist who followed his heart and soul and proved that radical experimentation could produce unforgettable cinema.”
DC Studios boss James Gunn wrote: ‘RIP David Lynch.’ “You inspired many of us.”
Patton Oswalt, who previously cited Lynch’s 1977 film Eraserhead as one of his defining films, wrote: ‘David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse with the fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish).’
Director Jason Zada wrote: “David Lynch was a huge inspiration to me as a kid. I remember watching Eraserhead on VHS and watching it over and over again.
‘His movies, his voice, his TV show Twin Peaks shaped me when I started. He was a fearless director, a visionary and an icon. Rest in strange peace, Mr. Lynch.
Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine remembered Lynch on IndieWire, saying, “David Lynch was one of our great artists, a Mount Rushmore-level director, truly a GOAT.” It changed the lives of many people. There will never be another like him, because he made films at a time in history when something like this had never been experienced before.
‘We live in a time when everything has been seen. Lynch invented a new language. He was a once-in-a-generation talent who absorbed the embers of America’s savagery.
‘He accepted his own internal logic and filtered it through subconscious magic. He created unmatched worlds and vibrations. He stumbled upon things that were inexplicable, sacred, and beyond all articulation. He is a treasure. His work will live forever.’
Famous for directing his iconic television series Twin Peaks and the film Blue Velvet, Lynch had recently been battling health issues and was housebound due to emphysema.
Lynch is survived by his wife Emily Stofle and their three children, Jennifer Lynch, Austin Jack Lynch and Riley Lynch.
In an interview with Sight and sound In August, Lynch said he contracted the disease “from smoking for so long.”
Lynch said, “I’m housebound whether I like it or not.” I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen.’
The Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks director was candid in saying that his love of cigarettes put him in this position.
Lynch said: “Smoking was something I loved, but in the end it bothered me.”
‘It was part of artistic life for me: tobacco and the smell of it, lighting things and smoking and coming back and sitting and smoking and looking at your work, or thinking about things.
‘Nothing like this in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to quit.’
Although his illness has prevented him from working on projects in person, he doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of directing in the future.
He said: ‘I like to be among things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if necessary.”
Lynch was referencing his animated project, called Snootworld, which was released and ultimately greenlit by Netflix.
Famous for directing his iconic television series and film Blue Velvet, Lynch had recently been battling health problems and was housebound due to emphysema (pictured in 1990).
In November, he said People that he needed supplemental oxygen for most activities and that he “could barely walk across a room.”
“It’s like you’re walking around with a plastic bag around your head,” he said of his battle with emphysema.
Despite having no regrets, Lynch hopes his devastating health update will encourage other smokers to quit.
He also told the outlet: ‘Think about it. You can leave these things that will end up killing you.’
Lynch admitted he had had to pay a “huge price” for his lifelong habit, but said he had no regrets.
When he gave up cigarettes, the father of four “could barely move without gasping for air.”
“Resigning was my only option,” he said.
In an interview with Sight & Sound in August, Lynch said he contracted the disease “from smoking for so long” (seen in 1984).
Some of Lynch’s other landmark projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (seen above in 2001) and Inland Empire (2006).
His most recent big project before his health problems was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017.
The original series aired from 1990 to 1991 as it followed the investigation into the murder of prom queen Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) that took place in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.
When it first aired in the early 1990s, the series had developed a cult following after airing on ABC, which later resulted in the 1992 prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk.
Previously, Lynch revealed she had emphysema after ‘many years of smoking’ on X
For two decades, Lynch’s signature franchise returned with Twin Peaks: The Return.
Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny, who starred in the original, returned for the revival.
Other stars were also added to the mix, including Laura Dern, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Szohr, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain and Trent Reznor.
Lynch’s other landmark projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).