Twin Peaks
Marlena says: There’s an unabashed fan of something lurking in all of us. Soap fans understand this very well. So today we salute the joys of fandom by sharing this report of a fan event as related by our colleague Mike Poirier. The object of his abiding admiration is the iconic series “Twin Peaks,” a spooky horror mystery devised by the late David Lynch and his co-creator Mark Frost. The original series on ABC lasted only two seasons, from 1990 to 1991. It returned in 1992 as a prequel feature film, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” and in 2017 as a limited series on Showtime. Since then, it’s often been described as one of the greatest series of all time. And its cult following is as devoted as ever. Are you a “Twin Peaks” fan? If so, this is for you.
By Michael Poirier
The quirky community of “Twin Peaks” has fascinated millions since the series first aired on April 8, 1990. Was it some type of soap opera? The creators David Lynch and Mark Frost seemed to think so. Lynch was quoted as saying it was “a soap opera with a murder mystery.” Soap Opera Digest dutifully covered the show with synopses of the strange goings on as the search for beauty queen Laura Palmer’s killer took many twists and turns.
Now, 35 years later, a team of “Twin Peaks” original cast and crew members is on the road, offering visitations with diehard fans who would like to meet them, be photographed with them, collect some autographs and hear some inside stories of the making of this still cult classic. I was thrilled to learn from my cousin Ken, a diehard fan, that the East Coast leg of the national tour was headed to a town nearby. The event was slated for Aug. 23. Would I like to join him? The tickets were quite reasonable at $55 for the talk session alone (!) and $100 if the autographs and photos with the star of your choice were included (!!). Well, how could I say no?
A roster of stellar show alumni was assembled to greet us: Ray Wise (Leland Palmer), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran), Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan), Dana Ashbrooke (Bobby Briggs), and Sabrina Sutherland, who was a production coordinator on the original series and executive producer of the 2017 limited series.
The event started with the airing of one of David Lynch’s favorite episodes from the limited series. Following an intermission, the moderator asked the team such questions such as how they came to be on the series. One of the best answers came from Sabrina Sutherland who said she was a fan but was busy working on a different production. As soon as our session ended, she put in a call to her current production office, and after their chat, she said they had told her to come right in.
Key scenes were discussed. Harry Goaz was asked what he was thinking when he first saw the dead body of Laura Palmer. He said that what really made the tears roll was the thought of having to go back to working two jobs if the “Twin Peaks” gig didn’t work out! It did work out, at least for a couple of years.
Ray Wise’s long career has included extended stays in soap land, including an Emmy-winning guest performance as Ian Ward on “The Young and the Restless.” We persuaded him to sing for us. He belted out familiar “Twin Peaks” tunes. As everyone who watched the show knows, Ray’s character Leland killed his daughter when he was possessed by an evil spirit. Ray said the scene upset him. He had a very young daughter at that time and being called upon to enact such an evil deed was difficult. As an actor, it meant going into a dark place, he said. Eventually Lynch and Frost called him up to an office that contained nothing but a lava lamp. Everyone sat on the floor, pretending to be in a seance. Lynch tapped his leg and said, “You’re the killer.” Wise said “the ambiance of the situation” gave him “the peace he needed” to get on with the scene.
Kimmy Robertson described how for almost every scene, Lynch would pull her aside and ask her, “What would Lucy do?” She felt like she was doing more than just following orders. It’s very clear, the late director/producer/writer wanted actor input, which is rare.
Dana Ashbrook, who played one of the hunks on the show, reminisced about the various romantic entanglements of his character, including his longstanding friendships with Madchen Amick and Sheryl Lee. In fact, Lee was the one who told him that the limited series was a go and that Lynch told her that Ashbrook was definitely being asked to come back.
A short, loving tribute to David Lynch was shown on the screen with some touching behind the scenes footage of him in action. It was moving for the audience as well as those on the stage.
Those of us who paid to meet the stars were taken to a VIP room around the corner. My cousin Ken was excited to meet Dana Ashbrook. I was in reporter mode, wanting to ask Ray Wise about his performances as Jamie Rollins on the long-ago soap, “Love of Life.” As one can imagine, many “Twin Peaks” fans are like “Trekkies” and some in the crowd were dressed in show memorabilia, vaguely resembling some of the stranger denizens of the fictional town.
Wise talked to me, as much as time allowed, about his pals on the show. These included Christopher Reeve, fresh out of Juilliard. He said that Jerry Lacy made an appearance on the show. Best of all, so did Sammy Davis Jr. Wise recalled how Davis became a big fan while recovering from an illness. That day in the studio, Davis was chatting with all of them who played his favorite characters. With Wise, it was a case of each being a fan of the other. “I know you” and “I know you” while shaking hands and talking. He remembers the legendary crooner sang two songs on the show.
It was a magical evening for fans of “Twin Peaks.” The tour is headed for the West Coast in October. I highly recommend checking out the event if it is coming to a theater near you. Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer/Maddie) is expected to join the team for those visits. For more information, go to https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/twin-peaks-2025/
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