Twin Peaks and Dune star Kyle MacLachlan has revealed his top four favourite movies, citing one performance that continues to inspire him to this day.
In an interview with Letterboxd, the legendary actor, known for his roles in Desperate Housewives, Blue Velvet, and Showgirls, shared his top picks, which include two films from acclaimed director Ridley Scott.
MacLachlan’s love for Ridley Scott’s work is evident in his selections, with one of the films featuring a performance that has had a lasting impact on his own acting career.
The Hollywood actor, who recently appeared in the Fallout TV show adaptation and has become a viral sensation on TikTok with his dances to Charli XCX’s brat and other trends, chose Apocalypse Now, The Duelists, Blade Runner, and Das Boot as his top four favourite films.
Reflecting on his time working with Apocalypse Now star Martin Sheen, MacLachlan recalled being starstruck and even asking Sheen to sign his laserdisc copy of the film.
MacLachlan credited Ridley Scott’s films as a significant influence on his early career and acting education.
He praised Scott’s lighting in The Duelists, saying: “His lighting in that film is extraordinary. It’s the turn of the century, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule and then the French Revolution happens, but it’s really between these two men, Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine.”
The celebrated actor reminisced about his school days, saying: “And I happened to see this when I was in school in my acting training programme and it was all about weaponry, so I was fascinated, of course.”
Expressing admiration for the iconic film Blade Runner, MacLachlan has often spoken fondly of Rutger Hauer’s portrayal of Roy Batty.
He regards the Harrison Ford-led feature with reverence, confessing: “Rutger Hauer’s performance, I studied it, and I’ve borrowed from that performance in my stuff, because I was just so transfixed by it.”
Rising to fame with his role in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune, the 66-year-old actor continued his collaboration with Lynch on projects such as Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, which made a comeback in 2017.
MacLachlan paid heartfelt tribute to Lynch, who passed away earlier this year. He wrote: “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie.
“He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my career, and life really, to his vision.”
Cherishing their time together, he added: “Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met.”
In a moving expression of loss, he concluded: “I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.”