Hollywood lost a true legend today, as it was announced that David Lynch had died at the age of 78. The experimental and incredibly creative filmmaker was deeply beloved, and his films and shows have influenced so many over the decades. Now, as we mourn this loss, Steven Spielberg, Kyle MacLachlan, Nicolas Cage and more are posting their tributes to the director and honoring the impact he left on film and television.
Both Steven Spielberg and David Lynch are legendary filmmakers, and the Jaws director admires the Twin Peaks creator greatly. In fact, he cast Lynch as John Ford in The Fabelmans back in 2022. In a statement published Variety, Spielberg noted that role and his relationship with the director, saying:
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. 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.
Like Spielberg, Nicolas Cage honored the late filmmaker with a statement about how brilliant he was. The actor worked with Lynch on the 1990 movie Wild at Heart, and in a statement published by Deadline, he called the director a “singular genius in cinema.” Also referring to Lynch as “one of the greatest artists of this or any time,” Cage explained:
He was brave, brilliant, and a maverick with a joyful sense of humor. I never had more fun on a film set than working with David Lynch. He will always be solid gold.
Along with Cage, Kyle MacLachlan shared kind words about his frequent collaborator. Posting a series of images that seemingly span across decades, the actor reflected on his decades-long relationship with Lynch in a long Instagram post. The two worked together on the 1984 underappreciated adaptation of Dune, one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Blue Velvet, and one of the best sci-fi shows ever, Twin Peaks.
To commemorate all of that and what the director meant to him, MacLachlan wrote, in part:
While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own. I can see him now, standing up to greet me in his backyard, with a warm smile and big hug and that Great Plains honk of a voice. We’d talk coffee, the joy of the unexpected, the beauty of the world, and laugh. His love for me and mine for him came out of the cosmic fate of two people who saw the best things about themselves in each other. I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.
Overall, the outpouring of love for Lynch and his filmography has been immense. He made such a big impact and influenced so many filmmakers, and his legacy will live on forever through his work.
An example of that work is Blue Velvet, which James Gunn posted a photo of as he wrote the following tribute to the Eraserhead director on Instagram:
RIP David Lynch. You inspired so many of us. ❤️
Iconic director and actor Ron Howard noted his love for Lynch too. The Apollo 13 director specifically mentioned the Mulholland Drive director’s love for experimentation, writing the following in a tribute on X:
#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.
Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh also paid tribute to Lynch by focusing on his “influential but impossible to imitate” work. In an interview with The AP, he complimented the director’s brilliant mind and filmography, writing:
He’s one of those filmmakers who was influential but impossible to imitate. People would try but he had one kind of algorithm that worked for him and you attempted to recreate it at your peril. As non-linear and illogical as they often seemed, they were clearly highly organized in his mind.
The tributes aren’t even close to stopping there either. Many actors, performers, directors and more took to social media to share their love for David Lynch while grieving his death. Here are some of them:
- “David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish)” – Patton Oswalt via X
- “This is a monumental loss. One of the most influential artists of all time. Nobody ever did it like David Lynch and nobody ever will again.” –Kat Dennings via Instagram
- “Never been so sad about someone I never met I really loved him” –Colin Jost via Instagram
- “Visionary rebel David Lynch died today. His films changed the way many of us see the world. His lens, his choices, and the groundbreaking way he approached film have left an indelible imprint on this world.” –Mayim Bialik via Instagram
Overall, the outpouring of love for David Lynch is immense, and there’s no denying just how big of an impact he left on the world of film, television and those who worked with him and loved his work.
We here at CinemaBlend send our condolences and thoughts to Lynch’s loved ones during this difficult time.