Kyle MacLachlan admits he doesn’t “pretend to understand” David Lynch’s movies
In a new interview, Kyle MacLachlan, the actor and longtime collaborator of the great David Lynch, has admitted that he doesn’t “pretend to understand much” of what the filmmaker does.
First collaborating for the science fiction epic Dune in 1984, co-starring Patrick Stewart and Sting, the actor would become a favourite of Lynch’s, with the two again working together on the director’s magnum opus, Blue Velvet, in 1986. Mere years later, MacLachlan would help to catapult the TV series Twin Peaks to success as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, a character often considered to be among the greatest TV icons of all time.
In conversation with AV Club about his collaborations with the filmmaker, MacLachlan was asked about the impact of his role in Blue Velvet. Responding, the actor remarked, “I don’t think that I was that conscious of it, to be honest. I was fresh out of school and just learning my chops, and suddenly I’m working with one of the great filmmakers, surreal filmmakers in the world”.
Continuing, he adds, “I don’t pretend to understand much of what David does, but I do recognise that I’m his conduit through these worlds, and that’s a challenge—and also, I feel pretty good about that. There’s a confidence that I understand what’s necessary for me to do with David”.
Admitting that his movies are very experimental and that he doesn’t necessarily have to understand each and every moment of them, the actor is thankful for his time working with Lynch and recognises his importance in the industry. “Oh, I think he knows exactly what he’s doing and what he wants to create,” he tells the publication, adding, “but I don’t think I always understand why. I think there are things in his films that are there just to put you in a frame of mind, and he’s sort of saying, ‘stop thinking and just exist in this time now.’ So I just pretty much give over control honestly to him.”
Having worked with Lynch on Dune, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and the recent Twin Peaks: The Return, let’s hope the two effervescent creatives collaborate once more.
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