David Lynch says he 'will never retire' despite emphysema

David Lynch has emphysema that limits his directing. He proclaims, ‘I will never retire’

David Lynch looking tight-lipped while posing in a black jacket and tie and white collared shirt

Aug. 5, 2024 Updated 2:12 PM PT

David Lynch, the iconic screenwriter and director behind surrealist staples “Twin Peaks” and “Eraserhead,” has been diagnosed with emphysema — and he says it has taken a toll on his ability to direct.

The 78-year-old filmmaker, artist and musician revealed in a recent interview that he has “gotten emphysema from smoking so long” during his life. He told Sight and Sound magazine in a cover story published Monday that as a result, “I’m homebound whether I like it nor not.”

“It would be very bad for me to get sick,” Lynch told the magazine, according to the Independent.

Lynch earned mainstream notoriety in the late 1980s and early ’90s with projects including the iconic TV series “Twin Peaks” and films “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” but in recent years he has turned his attention to shorter projects — including music videos, his daily weather reports and the Netflix short “What Did Jack Do?” — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The director, who received an honorary Oscar in 2019, said he is cautious about his health as COVID-19 (which affects the respiratory system) continues to linger. Nearly 20 years after his last feature film (2006’s “Inland Empire”), Lynch said his health is now a factor in whether he will pursue a new project and how he will go about doing so.

“I would do it remotely if it comes to it,” he said. “I wouldn’t like that so much.”

Emphysema is a lung condition that causes shortness of breath and is caused by long-term exposure to airborne irritants including tobacco smoke, according to the Mayo Clinic. People who have emphysema also are likely to develop heart problems, a collapsed lung and large empty spaces or “bullae” in the lungs.

Lynch also is known for the 1980 film “The Elephant Man,” his divisive 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s sci-fi epic “Dune” and “Twin Peaks: The Return,” Showtime’s 2017 revival of his and co-creator Mark Frost‘s series starring Kyle MacLachlan.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) Monday afternoon, Lynch went into more detail about his emphysema and how he enjoyed smoking and tobacco “very much.”

“The smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them — but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” he wrote.

Lynch said he hasn’t smoked for more than two years and that he is “in excellent shape” despite the lung condition. He also clarified that his career isn’t as uncertain as some might think.

“I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire,” he said. “I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern.”