On what would have marked the celebrated 79th birthday of her long-time collaborator and cherished friend, David Lynch, Laura Dern is immersed in mourning. The visionary filmmaker passed away at the age of 78, as announced by his family on Thursday, January 16th. In response to this heartbreaking loss, Dern posted a poignant tribute on Instagram on January 20th.
"Happy birthday, tidbit," the Oscar-winning actress captioned a heartwarming photograph of them together, employing the endearing nickname that Lynch had bestowed upon her. She continued, "I will cherish your memory and miss you deeply every single day for the rest of my life."
Dern was one of Lynch's most frequent collaborators, a distinguished group that also included Harry Dean Stanton, Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, and Isabella Rossellini. The four-time Oscar nominee first cast Dern in the 1986 mystery thriller "Blue Velvet" when she was just 17 years old. Their partnership blossomed, leading to collaborations in the 1990 film "Wild Heart," where Dern starred alongside Nicolas Cage. That same year, she and Cage also featured in "Industrial Symphony No. 1," an avant-garde concert performance. Dern further lent her talents to Lynch's experimental feature "Inland Empire" in 2006 and his 2017 revival of the iconic series "Twin Peaks."
During an interview with Greta Gerwig on "Inside the Actors Studio" in 2019, Dern revealed how Lynch had played a pivotal role in preventing her from being typecast in films. "It was an extraordinary gift from a filmmaker who truly understood me," Adopting Lynch's tone, she reminisced with a hint of mischief in her voice, saying, "'This time, I challenge you to embody the polar opposite of what you portrayed last. Let's see how far you can stretch your acting muscles.'"
In 2006, Lynch famously rallied for Dern to receive an Oscar nomination for her outstanding performance in "Inland Empire." He made a striking statement by sitting with a live cow on a Los Angeles street corner, holding a sign praising her performance for the benefit of passing pedestrians. Lynch is survived by his four children, and numerous collaborators took to social media on Thursday to express their grief over his loss.
Kyle MacLachlan, who worked closely with Lynch on "Blue Velvet," "Dune," "Twin Peaks," and other projects, shared an emotional Instagram post. "While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I've lost a dear friend who envisioned a future for me and enabled me to explore realms beyond my wildest imagination," he wrote.
Following her roles in last year's "Lonely Planet" and "Palm Royale," Dern will next star in "Jay Kelly," directed by Noah Baumbach and penned by him.
