David Lynch Opens Up About Emphysema, Cost of Smoking: “I Got Bit”

David Lynch is known for being the Academy Award-winning director of groundbreaking films, and most often seen with a cigarette in hand. The 78-year-old son of a forestry research scientist for the Department of Agriculture grew up in rural Idaho and Washington, where the future Mulholland Drive filmmaker began smoking at the extremely young age of eight. As the permanence of his smoking addiction grew, so did its presence in his image and films. Now, in an exclusive interview with People, the acclaimed director opens up about his smoking-related disease called emphysema, which he was diagnosed with in 2020, and warns others of the destructive habit.

In 1977, Lynch released his debut film Eraserhead, when smoking was — as he tells it — an integral part of his brooding artist persona and on-screen work. Cigarettes had become a Lynch signature, to the point where smoking was tightly linked to most of his characters and creations — from his 1986 film Blue Velvet, to his industry-changing ’90s TV series Twin Peaks. It was even integral to his dreamy cinematography.

“A big important part of my life was smoking. I loved the smell of tobacco, the taste of tobacco. I loved lighting cigarettes. It was part of being a painter and a filmmaker for me.” – David Lynch, via People

Lynch now lives with a lung condition that is a type of chronic, obstructive pulmonary disease — or COPD — that causes shortness of breath and makes it hard for him to get around. Lynch wants to warn other smokers and artists of the real and present danger of developing the serious disease, which Lynch told People feels like “walking around with a plastic bag around your head.”

“In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it’s healthy, so you’re literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.” – David Lynch, via People

Lynch Doesn’t Regret Smoking, But Asks Other Smokers To Think If They Will

Although the consequences of the director’s lifelong smoking addiction have been detrimental to his health, Lynch told People that he does not regret smoking. He also said that he would not change how often or the ways he included cigarettes in his work, since he never thought about glamorizing smoking, but instead saw that some of his characters would realistically be smokers. However, he still warns other smokers to think about whether smoking is worth the pain it will cause.

“I really wanted to get this across: Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you. I owe it to them — and to myself — to say that.” – David Lynch, via People

The artist now relies on supplemental oxygen for anything more than a walk across the room, which has made him home bound. While the homebody is somewhat grateful for the excuse to not leave his abode, he has been vocal about how his disease will not keep him from directing or make him retire any time soon, resorting to remote methods of directing if needed. He cites his long-time practice of transcendental meditation for helping him quit and keeping him optimistic about his future.