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Prolific director David Lynch has been outspoken about how decades of smoking led to a emphysema diagnosis.

Lynch rose to fame for directing critically acclaimed movies such as Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and Mulholland Drive. He built an even bigger fanbase with the release of Twin Peaks in the early ’90s, which developed a cult following after its brief run on ABC and the release of the prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

Lynch returned to the Twin Peaks world for the 2017 revival for Showtime. Three years later, Lynch was diagnosed with emphysema.

“Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me,” Lynch, who started smoking at 8 years old, told Sight & Sound in August 2024. “It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things.”

Emphysema is a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath and is known as a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lynch admitted it took two more years after his initial diagnosis before he was able to quit smoking for good.

“I saw the writing on the wall. and it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop,’” Lynch, who is the father of four children, told People in November 2024. “I could hardly move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice.”

Lynch hoped his own experience would be a lesson for others, adding, “I really wanted to get this across: Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you. I owe it to them — and to myself — to say that.”

Keep scrolling for Lynch’s most candid quotes about his deteriorating health:

Unable to Leave the House

Lynch told Sight & Sound he got the disease from “smoking for so long,” adding, “I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”

Taking a Break From Working

The illness prevented Lynch from being able to work on projects that required him to go outside. While he didn’t rule out directing altogether, Lynch admitted that the opportunities had to work around his inability to leave his home.

“I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it,” he shared with Sight & Sound in August 2024 before referencing an animated project he pitched to Netflix called Snootworld.

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Twin Peaks has ended, but the show’s stars, including Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn and Lara Flynn Boyle, have remained on our screens. The series, which ran from 1990 to 1991, followed an investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The series developed a […]

Needing Oxygen Daily

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Lynch has to rely on supplemental oxygen for anything more serious than a walk across the room.

“In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it’s healthy, so you’re literally playing with fire,” he explained to People in November 2024. “It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”

Lynch recalled “many, many times” attempts over the years to give up smoking, saying, “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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Dealing With Limitations

Lynch joked that he “never really liked going out before” so emphysema was a “nice excuse” to stay home since the disease makes him more vulnerable to other respiratory illnesses.

“I love being on set. I love being right there, able to whisper to people,” he told People about the consequences of smoking have been a “big price” to pay. “I don’t regret it. It was important to me. I wish what every addict wishes for: that what we love is good for us.”

Lynch was asked whether he regretted including cigarettes so frequently in his projects, to which he replied, “I never thought about it as glamorizing it. It was a part of life. Some characters would be smokers, just like in real life.”