Key Points
Long-time collaboration between Dern and Lynch spanning multiple iconic films
Emotional Instagram tribute marking Lynch's posthumous birthday
Heartfelt remembrances from Lynch's close collaborators
Oscar-winning actress celebrates legendary filmmaker's legacy
The legendary filmmaker died last week at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking cinema.
Dern took to her Instagram account on Monday to share an adorable picture of the two, along with a caption that read, "Happy birthday, tidbit. I will love and miss you every day for the rest of my life."
Dern and Lynch enjoyed a long-standing partnership, starting in 1986 when the filmmaker cast her in his mystery thriller Blue Velvet at just 17 years old. Over the years, the duo collaborated on several projects, including Wild at Heart (1990), where Dern starred opposite Nicolas Cage, Industrial Symphony No. 1 (1990), Inland Empire (2006), and Lynch's Twin Peaks revival in 2017.
The filmmaker also campaigned for Dern's Oscar consideration in 2006 for her performance in Inland Empire by sitting with a live cow on a Los Angeles street corner, holding a sign praising her work.
Dern joins a list of Lynch's frequent collaborators who are mourning his loss, including Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, and Isabella Rossellini. MacLachlan, who appeared in several Lynch projects like Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet, remembered the filmmaker on Instagram, writing:
"While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I've lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own."
Lynch is survived by his four children, and his creative legacy lives on through his iconic work. Dern, whose recent projects include Lonely Planet and Palm Royale, is set to appear next in Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach.
