Had the immense honor of speaking with Kyle MacLachlan about his friend and collaborator David Lynch for @gqmagazine.bsky.social. I got misty when Kyle told me about the last time they hung out together, the risk-taking art they made, and David’s boundless creative energy www.gq.com/story/kyle-m…
— Paula Mejía (@yeehawcheeseburger.bsky.social) Jan 21, 2025 at 3:40 PM
A grieving Kyle MacLachlan had a long, beautiful conversation with GQ about his frequent collaborator David Lynch. The whole thing is worth a read.
Some excerpts of the conversation, I’ve left his answers as is:
• “[David and I] live pretty close to each other. Part of me still imagines him at the house, puttering around, painting, doing his woodwork, his music. I know all the spaces, his creative spaces, and I just think he’s there doing his thing. But then another part of me goes, You’re gonna go over there, Kyle, and you’re not gonna [hear] that wonderful shout, that he would do when he’d see me — ‘Kale!’ — in that very particular voice. And that’s just never gonna happen again. That’s when I think the finality of what’s happened hits you with a thud. That’s when the sadness comes.”
• “It’s this back and forth. I think that’s pretty common, having lost my mom, lost my dad. It’s a similar thing. Part of you is like, “No, they’re there, they’re alive, they’re doing their thing.” And part of you is like, “I am never going to hold them. I’m never going to talk with them. I’m never going to have a moment like that.” And that’s really hard for me. I think part of the way we keep them alive — my parents, certainly, and David as well — is when we talk with people who are also within the orbit. They share that. And then we talk about it, and we remember, and we smile and we laugh, and we have that warm feeling, Which I think helps. But it’s never the same.“
• “And so much joy, Paula. I mean, that’s the one thing that I think all of the people that have worked with him can talk about, was just the atmosphere he created on set. The joy of creation. The encouragement to the actors to find their way through, in their own way, to this humanity. Not that he was saying, “You gotta do it this way.” It’s very unusual. And I think people that have worked with David will say: “I felt like I really contributed to something.” And as an actor, that’s really all you’re trying to do. You’re just trying to make the story as great as it can be. He was that way in life. Of course, he touched so many people, and he really engaged and he wished for the best in you. It’s a rare quality.”
• “We had a party here at my house a few years ago. It was pre-COVID, and it was a birthday party for me, actually, and I invited a lot of my friends. I invited David, and I said, “He doesn’t really like to go out that much, but, well, maybe he’ll come.” And he was the first to arrive, and he brought a bottle of wine. He came in, and he sat kind of on the little back porch here. And as people came and arrived, I thought, “Maybe he’ll be annoyed or bothered.” And he was like, so happy, Paula. Some people didn’t even know who he was, and he would just talk and enjoy it. He said, “That was the most fun I’ve had in so long.” He was just communing with people, having a glass of red wine, enjoying an evening. It was such a wonderful night. I always feel like I’m somewhat protective of David. I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable. I want him to always be taken care of. And in this case, he came and he just was so happy. And it made me so happy.”
• The finality is the hard part. Part of me is like, “David is there.” He’s so strong in my mind and in my memory, and he’s such a vivid person. He’s so present. He’s always been. He was always so present, that to think that he’s not present now is just not possible yet. It’s not possible.
