Visionary writer-director David Lynch has died at age 78.
“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” his family posted on Facebook Thursday. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”
While his family did not reveal a cause of death, Lynch said last year that he’d been diagnosed with emphysema and needed to use an oxygen tank after a lifetime of smoking.
The pioneering filmmaking was known for dark and surrealistic movies like “Eraserhead,” “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive.” He was also behind the ’90s TV show “Twin Peaks,” which ran for just two seasons but has achieved cult-classic status among fans.
Lynch received an honorary Academy Award in 2019.
He was married four times and is survived by four children, according to Variety.