Kyle MacLachlan reveals why David Lynch never explained any of his work
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MacLachlan collaborated with Lynch on numerous films and TV shows since the 1980s. Kyle MacLachlan has explained why David Lynch never chose to explain any of his films and television shows, despite being constantly asked by reporters and fans alike. In the wake of his death, numerous tributes have been paid to Lynch by those who worked with him closely, including Naomi Watts, Nicolas Cage, Madchen Amick and Lara Flynn Boyle.
In the opening lines of his article, MacLachlan admitted that he “didn’t always understand what we were making” but eventually “realised it didn’t matter”. The 65-year-old actor said Lynch often found words “insufficient” and “not up to the job”.
MacLachlan then explained that this is why Lynch never wanted to reveal the meanings behind his work. “He wasn’t trying to be surly or obtuse,” he wrote. “That was never David’s way. He loved connecting with people, meeting them where they were, sharing time or space or consciousness. It’s just that explaining his art after the fact seemed antithetical to the very point of making it.”.
“I sat in interviews and on panels next to him and could see him struggling with questions about what things meant. Often I felt compelled to pick up the baton and talk in circles for a bit until the questioner moved on. David knew that anything he said would be putting his thumb on the scale. And he wanted people to experience his work on their own and take away what they wished.”.
