Birthdate
February 22, 1959
Birthplace
Yakima, Washington, United States
Nationality
United States
Professions
Actor
Companions
Laura Dern, Desiree Gruber
Plucked from obscurity, clean-cut Kyle MacLachlan became a movie star overnight when he landed the lead in the epic space opera "Dune" (1984), but the film's disastrous critical reception nearly consigned him to the role of "has been" just as quickly. Luckily for MacLachlan, he had a guardian angel in David Lynch, the visionary director who had cast him in the adaptation of the classic science fiction novel. Lynch would give MacLachlan the starring role in his next film, "Blue Velvet" (1986) and a lead role on the surrealistic television series "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91). The former would eventually be regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, while the latter became an instant sensation during its first season. Big box office success, however, continued to elude MacLachlan with overlooked vehicles like the sci-fi thriller "The Hidden" (1987) and Oliver Stone's Jim Morrison biopic "The Doors" (1991), as well as co-starring in the laughing stock that was "Showgirls" (1995), which later developed a rabid cult following. MacLachlan would make a modest return to notoriety on television with recurring parts as the wealthy, impotent husband of Charlotte York on "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), and later on Marc Cherry's campy "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 2004-12). While MacLachlan became known as a respected working actor, continuing to appear in film and episodic television, a sense of unfinished business remained for years, until Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost announced "Twin Peaks: The Return" (Showtime 2017), a complex and at times divisive "movie in 18 parts" that featured MacLachlan in multiple roles associated with his signature character of FBI special agent Dale Cooper.Born Feb. 22, 1959 in Yakima, WA, MacLachlan attended Eisenhower High School prior to graduating from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program in 1982. After the requisite stint in summer stock, he joined Seattle's Empty Space Theater for a mounting of "Tartuffe" later that year when suddenly everything changed for the young actor. Idiosyncratic director David Lynch was conducting a nationwide audition for the lead in his big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction tome, Dune. Adopting a "what have I got to lose" attitude, MacLachlan tried out for the part, reading a few lines on video tape. Lynch clearly liked what he saw, as MacLachlan - who had never before acted on screen - was soon cast in the epic fantasy film. "Dune" (1984) was a lavish feast for the eyes, but critical and box office reception was poor, with many critics viewing MacLachlan's debut performance as stilted and lacking the gravitas the role demanded. "Dune" would go on to achieve a degree of cult status, but upon its release was considered a spectacular failure. Despite the film's disappointing reception, David Lynch had found in MacLachlan a leading man with whom he wanted to collaborate again.In "Blue Velvet" (1986), Lynch's neo-noir journey into the rotten underbelly of American suburbia, MacLachlan played college student-turned-amateur sleuth, Jeffrey Beaumont. The violent, surrealistic thriller starring Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini shocked and offended many critics and theater goers alike upon its release. Over time, however, it would go on to be considered by many to be the pinnacle of Lynch's career as well as one of the most influential films of the 1980s. It was on the set of "Blue Velvet" that MacLachlan met co-star Laura Dern, daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, with whom he would remain romantically involved until the end of the decade. With his next project MacLachlan stepped out from under the wing of Lynch, starring in the sci-fi thriller "The Hidden" (1987) as an intergalactic lawman disguised as an FBI agent sent to capture an alien criminal capable of inhabiting host bodies here on earth. MacLachlan followed with the television family drama "Dream Breakers" (CBC, 1989), and the barely seen romantic comedy
