12 Wonderful David Lynch Women...

Sherilyn Fenn
Last trip to Lynch-land: As volatile sex-fox Audrey Horne in Twin Peaks TV series (1990-1991) and the sticky-brained crash-girl in Wild At Heart (1990). Or, for a more lateral Lynch connection, Boxing Helena (1993) was directed by daughter Jennifer...
Since then: Dated Prince, called off engagement to Johnny Depp, various TV movies and guest spots on the likes of House, Outer Limits, CSI), played Elizabeth Taylor in an NBC special... Someone, please, give this woman a second career act.



Madchen Amick
Last trip to Lynch-land: As waitress Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks TV series (1990-1991) and feature-length version Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992).
Since then: Shonky TV movies, straight-to-DVD sci-fis and cancelled sitcoms. Enjoyed a reasonable stint in Dawson's Creek as the substitute teacher. Recent (slight) re-emergence as a regular in the second series of Californication. [page-break]



Virginia Madsen
Last trip to Lynch-land: As Princess Irulan Corrino, eldest daughter of the 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV and Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank or something in Dune (1984).
Since then: Broke out in Candyman (1992), typecast for most of the '90s as a femme fatale (The Hot Spot, Third Degree Burn). Career rekindled after ace, sexy but soulful turn as a wine-geek in Sideways (2004)



Sheryl Lee
Last trip to Lynch-land: As murdered prom queen Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks TV series (1990-1991) and feature-length version Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Since then: Mostly TV and cable movies, with the odd feature appearance (John Carpenter's not-very-good Vampires in 1998. Dated David Duchovny for a bit. She was the original choice to play suicidal suburbanite Mary-Alice Young in Desperate Housewives but lost out to Brenda Strong. [page-break]



Laurel Near
Last trip to Lynch-land: As the Lady In The Radiator in Eraserhead (1977).
Since then: "In Heaven, everything is fine..." Post-Eraserhead, Near ditched professional acting and now runs a kids' drama school.



Laura Dern
Last trip to Lynch-land: As cursed, umm, double-actress Nikki/Susan in Inland Empire (2006). See also: Lula Fortune in Wild At Heart (1990), all-American gal Sandy in Blue Velvet (1986).
Since then:
Big-time break as Dr Ellie Satler in Jurassic Park (1993). Engaged to Billy Bob Thornton, who broke it off to marry Angelina Jolie. Won a Golden Globe for her role in 2000 US election drama Recount - and used her acceptance speech to show support for Obama. [page-break]



Isabella Rossellini
Last trip to Lynch-land: As the porcelain-skinned, doll-like Dorothy - doormat to oxygen-puffing sicko-psycho Frank - in Blue Velvet (1986). Also, the spooky silver dollar-delivering sister in Wild At Heart (1990).
Since then: Dated Lynch for a while, then drifted away from mainstream films in favour of Italian indies and various flavours of activism (conservation, UNICEF...). Attended the 2008 Sundance festival to promote a series of shorts in which she re-enacts the mating rituals of various insects.



Laura Harring

Last trip to Lynch-land: As crash-surviving amnesiac 'Rita' in Mulholland Drive (2001)
Since then: Bit of a sporadic film career. Her biggest role post-Lynch is as John Travolta's missus in The Punisher (2004). She also popped up in The King (2005) and Mike Newell's Love In The Time Of Cholera (2007). [page-break]

Heather Graham
Last trip to Lynch-land: As wholesome diner-girl Annie in Twin Peaks TV series (1990-1991). How's Annie? HOW'S ANNIE? Aaaand so forth...
Since then: One of the most immediately successful Lynch-lasses, Graham bagged big roles in Swingers (1996), Boogie Nights (1997) and Scream 2 (1997) but then drifted to more mid-level film work and TV cameos.



Naomi Watts
Last trip to Lynch-land: As aspiring actress Betty in Mulholland Drive (2001).
Since then: The one true bona-fide A-Lister on the Lynch-list, Watts' career has grown and grown. She's one of the few actresses who can convincingly flit from arthouse (21 Grams, Funny Games) to box office-busters (King Kong). Soon to appear - rumour has it - in Martin Campbell's remake of The Birds.[page-break]

Patricia Arquette
Last trip to Lynch-land: As the possibly-cheating possibly porno-actress wife of Bill Pullman in surreal-o-noir Lost Highway (1997).
Since then: On-off relationship with Nicolas Cage (they finally divorced proper in 2000) and roles in tosh like Stigmata (1999). Her starring turn as psychic Allison DuBois in NBC's successful supernatural drama Medium has, like most of Lynch's women, established her as more TV than movie star.



Catherine Coulson
Last trip to Lynch-land: As tree-hugging seer/mentalist Log Lady in Twin Peaks TV series (1990-1991) - and feature-length version Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Since then: Mostly theatre acting. Still a big fan of flashing the lights on and off...

Liked This? Then see:

Plus!

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Get the latest movie news, features and reviews delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here!

Follow us on Twitter

Instant updates, chat with us and join in the conversation. Start here!