The year was 1983, and 24-year-old Kyle MacLachlan had scored the lead role in the movie adaptation of the beloved science-fiction epic DUNE. There was a lot of buzz around the project, as noted director David Lynch would be behind the camera, and the production crew was suffused with veterans and talented newcomers. Lynch saw the potential in MacLachlan, and they bonded instantly. For a neophyte like MacLachlan, playing the heroic Paul Atreides was a heady experience, a dream come true for the young man from Yakima, Washington.

The shoot in Mexico City was often grueling and troubled, yet the cast and crew persevered in completing Lynch’s vision of Frank Herbert’s work. The box office and critical reaction to Dune introduced MacLachlan to the fickle nature of audiences.

"When the last word has been read and the book has been put down, you will feel like you have become more acquainted with not only an exceptional actor but also a genuinely decent individual."

As a boy growing up in the Pacific Northwest, MacLachlan had spent the majority of his youth trying to fit in amidst the bullies, athletes and class clowns. Theater offered a way for him to break out of his shell, and he acted in a number of productions from junior high all the way through college. While the various roles he took could be fun and challenging, the first test as an actor came at the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington School of Drama when he was asked to perform a personal monologue, which proved to be painful. However, as he would experience firsthand, the education of an actor is perpetual.

Despite the box-office disappointment of his first feature film, a friendship had formed between MacLachlan and Lynch that opened the door to future collaborations. Blue Velvet was an unusual story about a college student who returns home and soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery involving a severed ear, a torch singer and her unhinged gangster boyfriend. While he initially passed on the film after discussing the project with his mother, MacLachlan eventually agreed to take on the role of Jeffrey Beaumont, which allowed him to tap into his dark side. He starred with relative newcomer Laura Dern, along with Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper, in the brooding mystery that while initially received with tepid responses soon caught the eye of critics and noir fans alike.

MacLachlan’s signature role was FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper in “Twin Peaks,” an iconic series that became a cultural juggernaut in the early 1990s. Its untimely cancellation and a certain typecasting meant that work was harder to come by. But his unquestionable talent led to parts in movies such as Against the Wall, The Flintstones and Showgirls. Thanks to his ability to adeptly play offbeat characters, he joined “Sex and the City” and “Desperate Housewives,” and had memorable appearances on “How I Met Your Mother” and “Portlandia.”

However, the town of Twin Peaks beckoned for a reunion with Lynch and a tour de force performance where MacLachlan played three roles. The 18-episode series riveted audiences in 2017. As of 2026, he continues to be a distinguished presence on TV shows and in movies.

The first thought that comes to mind when reading FICTIONAL SELVES is how forthright MacLachlan is in his recollections of over 40 years in show business. There are more than a few funny moments of self-deprecation to be appreciated. The remembrances of roles won and lost are told in equal measure, with the possible casting in a John Hughes film (Some Kind of Wonderful) and a Francis Ford Coppola epic (Dracula) providing an illuminating backstory to his acting career.

In relating the fascinating stories about his experiences on the big and small screens, the respect MacLachlan holds for many of his co-stars is evident, along with the esteem for the art of acting. There are both funny and warm moments here that will evoke more than a smile or two, as well as those that will tug at your heartstrings. When the last word has been read and the book has been put down, you will feel like you have become more acquainted with not only an exceptional actor but also a genuinely decent individual.