David Lynch reveals he started smoking at the age of 8, uses supplemental oxygen now to walk
File image of David Lynch
Filmmaker David Lynch has spoken out about the dangers of smoking, revealing that he started smoking at the age of eight and now needs supplemental oxygen to walk even small distances.In August, the Twin Peaks director revealed that he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath.
Lynch took to X and wrote, “I enjoyed smoking very much … but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema.”
Now, the life-long smoker is urging others to quit and giving his own example. While speaking to People magazine, Lynch revealed the exact extent of his emphysema, saying he needs supplemental oxygen for most activities. “I can hardly walk across a room. It’s like you’re walking around with a plastic bag around your head," the director revealed.
Lynch told People that smoking had been “a big important part of my life … it was part of being a painter and a film-maker for me.”
Lynch was often photographed in public outings and press interactions smoking – and his love also played out on screen with characters in Twin Peaks and films such as Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive regularly lighting up.
The director had quit smoking 'many, many times' over the years. “But when it got tough, I’d have that first cigarette, and it was a one-way trip to heaven. Then you’re back smoking again.”
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Even after he was diagnosed with emphysema in 2020, the director admitted he didn't quit for two more years. “I saw the writing on the wall and it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop,’” Lynch told People. “I could hardly move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice.”
At present, Lynch is mostly homebound due to his illness and is wary of catching infection which may aggravate the disease.
It has made working on a film set impossible, though he has said he is open to directing remotely in the future. His last feature was 2006’s Inland Empire, and his last major screen project was 2017’s Twin Peaks reboot, though he continued to make webisodes, short films and music videos, most recently as part of his collaboration with the US singer Chrystabell.
Lynch admits he has paid the price for smoking but he did not regret it but wanted others to learn from his experience. “I really wanted to get this across: Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you.”
