David Lynch dies: Tributes pour in

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

— “He’s one of those filmmakers who was influential but impossible to imitate. People would try, but he had a kind of algorithm that worked for him, and you tried to recreate it at your peril. So non-linear and illogical as they often seemed, they were clearly very organized in his mind.” — Director Steven Soderbergh, in an interview with The Associated Press.

– “I am stunned and devastated, words cannot express 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 from obscurity to star in his first and last big-budget film. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my whole career, and really life, his vision.” – Actor Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks,” via Instagram.

– “The world won’t be the same without him. His creative mentorship was really powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for over ten years, blowing auditions left and right. Finally sitting me in front of a curious man beaming with light spoke words from another era which made me laugh and feel good How could he even see me when I was so well hidden and I had even lost myself out of sight?!” – Actress Naomi Watts, via Instagram.

– “Really sad to hear about David Lynch’s passing. Working with him was like a dream out of one of his movies and I treasure the times I got to talk to him and hear his vision for a movie at first hand. I really encourage anyone who loves film and television to see everything David produced. He was a true artist through and through.” — Musician Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, via Instagram Smashing Pumpkins contributed to Lynch’s “Lost Highway” soundtrack.

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

– “Lynch was the first human/creative to emphasize the importance of not overexerting myself and taking time to breathe and meditate and search for creative avenues that are 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 that I sensed but had never seen outside of sleep. Thank you David, your gift will resonate for the rest of my life.” — Director Jane Schoenbrun, of “I Saw the TV Glow”, via X.

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