Steven Soderbergh, Questlove, Ron Howard and more pay tribute to David Lynch

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This article was published 16/01/2025 (626 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reactions to the death of David Lynch, the visionary filmmaker behind “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Drive,” whose death at 78 was announced Thursday.

— “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.” — Director Steven Soderbergh, in an interview with The Associated Press.

— “I am astounded and heartbroken I can’t express with any words the profound loss of the great David Lynch my friend.” — Director Francis Ford Coppola, via Instagram.

— “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.” — Actor Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks,” via Instagram.

— “The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease. How did he even ‘see me’ when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?!” — Actor Naomi Watts, via Instagram.

— “Truly saddened to hear of the passing of David Lynch. Working with him was like a dream out of one of his movies, and I treasure the times I got to speak with him and hear first-hand his vision for a film. I truly encourage anyone who loves movies and television to watch all that David produced. He was a true artist, through and through.” — Musician Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, via Instagram. Smashing Pumpkins contributed to the soundtrack for Lynch’s “Lost Highway.”

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— ”#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.” — Director Ron Howard, via X.

— “Lynch was the first human/creative that stressed the importance of not overworking and taking time out to breathe & meditate and searching for creative avenues not in my comfort zone.” — Musician and producer Questlove, via Threads.

— “RIP David Lynch. You inspired so many of us.” — Director James Gunn, via X.

— “Like Kafka, like Bacon, he dedicated his life to opening a portal. He was the first to show me another world, a beautiful one of love and danger I sensed but had never seen outside sleep. Thank you David your gift will reverberate for the rest of my life.” — Director Jane Schoenbrun, of “I Saw the TV Glow,” via X.

— “Across the decades, David’s impact on cinema proved indelible in his films and his art — and he always gave back to AFI — supportive of the storytellers who wrote their own rules and reached for something different.” — The American Film Institute, via Instagram.