Steven Spielberg pays tribute to David Lynch: “An original and unique voice”
The pair worked together on 'The Fabelmans'
by Victoria Luxford · NMEDirector Steven Spielberg has released a statement paying tribute to David Lynch, after the Twin Peaks creator’s passing was announced yesterday (January 16). He was aged 78.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the Jurassic Park film-maker said: “I loved David’s films. Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and Elephant Man defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade”.
Spielberg then recalled their collaboration on The Fabelmans, Lynch’s last on-screen role. He said: “I got to know David when he played John Ford in The Fabelmans. Here was one of my heroes — David Lynch playing one of my heroes.
“It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies. The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will”.
In a statement on Lynch’s official Facebook page, his family announced: “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’. It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way”.
Last November, Lynch had revealed he required supplemental oxygen to walk due to an emphysema diagnosis, which is he put down to years of smoking and described as “a big price to pay”.
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Lynch was known for a unique and often surreal style of cinema that would make him beloved by fans all over the world. Some of his most beloved works include Eraserhead, Inland Empire, and the show Twin Peaks which spawned a film in 1992’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. He also made an adaptation of Dune, over thirty years before Denis Villeneave’s modern interpretation.
In NME’s obituary, Mark Beaumont described him as “a true visionary” who “leaves behind a legacy of artistic reinvention and cinematic deconstruction for a world growing more Lynchian by the minute”. Twin Peaks and Dune star Kyle MacLachlan paid tribute, saying: “I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision”.
Elsewhere, Oscar nominee Naomi Watts praised Lynch, whom she worked with on Mulholland Drive, crediting him with putting her “on the map”. It has been reported that the director’s death was as a result of being “forced to relocate from his house” during the recent Los Angeles wildfires.