Perhaps influenced by great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch has made cameos in his own television shows and movies. David Lynch’s directing style is most often surreal, melodramatic, eerie and humorous. His unique style includes distinctive cinematography and elements of horror mixed with soap opera camp. Of course he would want to make a cameo in his artistic work.
The 71 year old David Lynch was born in Montana, traveled the country and studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he learned the art of filmmaking. He ventured to Los Angeles where he honed his filmmaking craft producing short films. His first feature film 1977’s “Eraserhead” remains a cult classic. Lynch gained mainstream popularity with 1980’s “Elephant Man”, the biographical film about deformed Joseph Merrick. Lynch made a cameo appearance during a mob scene.
David Lynch would go on to make several successful movies. Some were hits but many became cult classics because of the unique artistic style of Lynch. His films include “Dune”, “Blue Velvet” and “Wild at Heart”. In 1990, Lynch worked with Mark Frost to create the television drama series “Twin Peaks” which he often appeared in as a quirky FBI director.
Here are the top 5 David Lynch cameos of all time.
Twin Peaks
David Lynch appeared 7 times during the first 2 parts of “Twin Peaks” on ABC. The original season aired from 1990 to 1991. Lynch followed up the following season with a prequel. This year a new “Twin Peaks” appears on Showtime. Lynch’s character on “Twin Peaks” is FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole. The quirky Cole is cheerful yet is hard of hearing and speaks very loudly. He is in charge of the agents investigating a small town murder of the town’s homecoming queen. He also has an obvious crush on main character Shelly Johnson. Lynch reprises the role in the 2017 Showtime series.
The Cleveland Show
David Lynch had a recurring role in the animated series “The Cleveland Show”. Gus is the owner of The Broken Stool, the bar that Cleveland and his friends patronize. Although Gus is jovial and relaxed with the Cleveland crew, he seems to have a dark side. It turns out, Gus has a creepy room above the bar filled with skulls and a guillotine. Eventually it’s revealed that Gus serves human meat in his sandwiches. He also drives a hearse low rider. Lynch brings Gus alive on the series with his unique style and mix of macabre and camp.
Family Guy
David Lynch reprised the role of Gus the bar owner on the animated series “Family Guy”. He makes a second cameo on “Family Guy” as himself. He appears as himself in the episode titled How the Griffin Stole Christmas. In the 2016 episode David Lynch appears from the chimney and frightens a kid. In typical David Lynch surreal style, he asks the kid for a plate of coffee in the future and the past. There are some other “Twin Peak” references embedded in the episode.
Louie
David Lynch made a memorable cameo as late night guru Jack Dahl on comedian Louis C.K.’s television series in its third season. When Louie discovers he could be a replacement for David Letterman’s late night talk show, he seeks advice, some good, some bad and some confusing. Louie C.K. has long admired David Lynch so it’s not much of a surprise he asked the director to appear on his show. When Louie goes to Dahl for advice and training in the “art of Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson”, Dahl humorously tells him “Comedy is all about timing, son” after timing Louis reading a cue card from 1972. Dahl not only has a stop watch in his desk drawer, but we also see a stack of foreign bills and a gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwUmXT3RJCM
Zelly and Me
David Lynch appears in a minor role in his 1988 drama “Zelly and Me”. The movie us about a girl Phoebe whose parents ide in a plane crash. She goes to live with her grandmother Co-Co and a nanny Zelly who compete for Phoebe’s affection. When Co-Co grows jealous, she fires her staff leaving Phoebe alone. Although a minor role in the film, Lynch’s Willie, a rich suitor, is Lynch’s first speaking role in a film.
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