David Lynch

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The death of David Lynch has rocked Hollywood at a time when it is already feeling tender from the Los Angeles wildfires. After decades of defying all the conventions of filmmaking to deliver some of the most surreal and unsettling movies of a generation, including Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and Lost Highway, as well as the impossible to explain or replicate Twin Peaks, it is not surprising that there were many of his peers lining up to pay their own personal tributes.

One of the first to offer their words was another Hollywood legend, Nicolas Cage , who starred in Lynch’s Wild at Heart with Laura Dern. Sharing a statement with Deadline, Cage said:

“[David Lynch] was a singular genius in cinema, one of the greatest artists of this or any time. He was brave, brilliant, and a maverick with a joyful sense of humor. I never had more fun on a film set than working with David Lynch. He will always be solid gold.”

Mulholland Drive star Lee Grant recalled becoming fascinated by Lynch’s incredible work on Twin Peaks, and continued to recall her joy at being able to work with when the chance arose. She said,

Lynch’s legacy was also praised by several of his fellow directors. Steven Spielberg , arguably one of the greatest directors of all-time, said that Lynch was He continued:

“I got to know David when he played John Ford in ‘The Fabelmans.’ Here was one of my heroes—David Lynch playing one of my heroes. It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies. The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will.”

Ron Howard called Lynch DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn simply said:

“RIP David Lynch. You inspired so many of us.”

Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins recalled the dream of working with Lynch on some of his movies. He wrote, “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.”

There are some celebrities who leave a legacy that can never be matched. David Lynch’s unparalleled vision as a filmmaker stands head and shoulders above all but a very small number of other directors. Many people may have left theaters after watching a Lynch movie without any idea of what they had just witnessed, but it was always a movie they would also never forget. As an inspiration and pioneer of fearless movie making, Lynch was completely unmatched, and leaves behind a gap that it will be impossible to truly fill.