“The thing about acting that’s important to me is— I don’t have to agree with everything a character does, but I have to understand why they do what they do. I have to understand where it comes from. We’re all connected as people.”
-Kyle MacLachlan, episode 362 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
In celebration of Dune’s 40th anniversary, we have a damn fine cup of coffee with actor (and now podcaster) Kyle MacLachlan.
We discuss his new true crime podcast Varnamtown (7:08), MacLachlan’s small-town upbringing (15:36), and what inspired him to pursue acting after college (18:15) before landing his debut role in Dune (21:16). Then, he describes the film’s momentous premiere (27:42), his second collaboration with David Lynch in Blue Velvet (32:40) and the personal challenges he faced while making the film (34:08).
On the back-half, we talk through Twin Peaks (41:25), Showgirls (46:57), how he taps into raw emotion as an actor (50:22), his recent foray into social media (58:25), and to close, a poignant George Price cartoon (1:01:00).
For questions, comments, or to join our mailing list, reach me at sf@talkeasypod.com. This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles.
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Show-notes:
- Listen to the new true crime podcast Varnamtown, co-hosted by Kyle MacLachlan and Joshua Davis.
- Watch Dune (1984), Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Showgirls, and Twin Peaks: The Return.
- Follow Kyle on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.
- For more, hear our talks with Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Lily Gladstone, and Steven Soderbergh.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
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Original illustration by Krishna Shenoi. Reference Photograph by Sophy Holland.
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