David Lynch was born in a quintessential small-town American setting, a setting that would later become a staple in his films. However, his childhood was marked by frequent relocations as his research scientist father's work required him to move from one place to another. This nomadic upbringing would later influence his unique perspective on the world.
Lynch attended various art schools, where he met his future wife, Peggy Lynch. The couple married and had a daughter, Jennifer Lynch, who would also go on to become a film director. This experience, combined with Lynch's time at art school in a particularly violent and run-down area of Philadelphia, would inspire his debut feature film, Eraserhead (1977).
Eraserhead was a film that Lynch began working on in the early 1970s and would obsessively work on for five years. The final product was initially deemed almost unreleasable due to its weird and unconventional nature. However, thanks to the efforts of distributor Ben Barenholtz, the film secured a cult following and enabled Lynch to make his first mainstream film.
Lynch's next film, The Elephant Man (1980),was a collaboration with Mel Brooks, and despite being shot through with his unique sensibility, it was a critical and commercial success. This success led to Lynch being approached to direct Dune (1984),a film that was hugely expensive but ultimately a commercial disaster.
Lynch redeemed himself with the critically acclaimed Blue Velvet (1986),a film that is widely regarded as his most personal and original work since his debut. He went on to win the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival with the dark and violent road movie Wild at Heart (1990) and achieved a huge cult following with his surreal TV series Twin Peaks (1990).
Twin Peaks was later adapted into a feature film, but Lynch's comedy series On the Air (1992) was less successful. In addition to his work in film and television, Lynch also draws comic strips and has devised multimedia stage events with his regular composer, Angelo Badalamenti.
Lynch's personal life has been the subject of much scrutiny, including a highly publicized affair with Isabella Rossellini in the late 1980s. Despite the ups and downs of his career, Lynch remains a beloved and respected figure in the world of film and entertainment.
