Laura Dern Reacts to David Lynch’s Death on What Would Have Been His 79th Birthday: ‘I Will Love and Miss You Every Day’

Mar. 15, 2025

David Lynch and Laura Dern.Photo:Matthew Simmons/WireImage

Matthew Simmons/WireImage

Laura Dernis mourning the loss of her longtime collaborator and friendDavid Lynchon what would have been his 79th birthday.

The filmmakerdiedat 78, his familyannouncedon Thursday, Jan. 16. Dern reacted to his death in a Jan. 20Instagramtribute.

“Happy birthday, tidbit,” the Oscar winner wrote in the caption of a photo of them together, using the“Tidbit” nicknamehe bestowed upon her.

Dern added, “I will love and miss you every day for the rest of my life.”

Dern was among many of Lynch’s frequent collaborators, a group that includedHarry Dean Stanton,Naomi Watts,Justin TherouxandIsabella Rossellini. The four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker first cast Dern in 1986 mystery thrillerBlue Velvetwhen she was 17 years old.

The actor-director pair then reunited for 1990’sWild Heart, in which Dern played a leading role oppositeNicolas Cage. That same year, she and Cage starred inIndustrial Symphony No. 1, an avant-garde concert performance. She also appeared in Lynch’s experimental featureInland Empirein 2006 and his 2017 revival of the hit seriesTwin Peaks.

David Lynch and Laura Dern in 1990.Anthony Barboza/Getty

Anthony Barboza/Getty

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During an interview with Greta Gerwig onInside the Actors Studioin 2019, Dern said it was Lynch who helped her avoid being typecast in films.

“It was an amazing gift that a filmmaker who knows you would say,” she said at the time, perEntertainment Tonight, adding with an impression of Lynch, “‘Now I want you to play the complete opposite of what you did last time.’”

David Lynch, Laura Dern and Mark Ruffalo in 2010.MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty

MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty

source: people.com