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The Louis Theroux Podcast
The Louis Theroux Podcast

S7 EP2: Kyle MacLachlan on his relationship with David Lynch, Showgirls, and viral stardom

March 10, 2026 • 1h 17m

Summary

⏱️ 13 min read

Overview

Louis Theroux interviews Kyle MacLachlan about his legendary collaborations with David Lynch, his journey through Hollywood's highs and lows, and his unexpected renaissance as an internet icon. The conversation explores Twin Peaks' cultural phenomenon, the making of Blue Velvet, working with challenging directors like Paul Verhoeven, and Kyle's current success with Fallout while reflecting on Lynch's recent passing.

Twin Peaks Phenomenon and David Lynch Partnership

Kyle discusses how Twin Peaks became a cultural phenomenon in 1989-1990, filming all episodes before airing with no idea of its impact. The show combined Lynch's visionary neo-noir sensibility with mainstream network television in an unprecedented way. Kyle reflects on his wife Nancy's teenage crush on him during this peak period and the show's enduring appeal across generations.

  • Twin Peaks filmed 7-8 episodes completely before airing, unusual for the time - they had no sense of what they had until it was already out
  • ABC took a risk putting David Lynch on mainstream network television - Bob Iger was head of ABC at the time
  • The show had a backdoor pilot setup allowing ABC to repurpose it as a TV movie if it failed
  • Twin Peaks' rhythms were feature film rhythms, not television rhythms, which made audiences uncomfortable in a way Lynch enjoyed
" The idea that David Lynch was going to do something for mainstream network television was in and of itself absolutely remarkable, unheard of at that particular moment in time. "

Nancy's Teenage Crush and Baby Girl Energy

Louis reveals his wife Nancy had a massive crush on Kyle as a teenager during Twin Peaks, reading from her diary where she called him 'the most handsome witty kind gentle being in the world.' They discuss Kyle's status as 'internet baby girl' - a term for safe, non-threatening male energy - and how his good looks are slightly unconventional. The conversation touches on Kyle's Scottish heritage and how he fits in better in the UK than America.

  • Nancy wrote in her diary at 15: 'I love Kyle MacLachlan' in capitals and bolded, calling him 'the most handsome witty kind gentle being in the world'
  • Kyle describes his looks as 'odd a little bit, a little not traditional' with things slightly out of proportion
  • The term 'baby girl' refers to being the center of attention with safe, non-threatening male energy
  • Kyle's Scottish/English heritage means the UK is the only place people can spell and pronounce his name correctly
" I think they're odd a little bit, a little not traditional. Yeah, it's a little different. Go on. Well, I feel that part of that is just slightly off... I just said, chin's too big, things are a little out of proportion. "

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