On January 16, local time, the famous American director David Lynch passed away at the age of 78. Many actors who had worked with him, his friends in the circle, and filmmakers inspired by his works posted messages to mourn him.

David Lynch. Image courtesy of Visual China

Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in David Lynch's 1986 film "Blue Velvet" and later played Agent Cooper in the TV series "Twin Peaks," posted:

“Forty-two years ago, for reasons I cannot fathom, David Lynch cast me, an unknown, in his first and last big-budget film. He clearly saw something in me that I didn’t even realize. I owe my entire career, and even my life, to his vision.”

“He was a mysterious and intuitive man with a surging ocean of creativity inside him. He tapped into something that the rest of us long to be close to.”

Kyle MacLachlan posted.

Naomi Watts, who has worked with David Lynch in "Mulholland Drive", "Twin Peaks Season 3" and "Inland Empire", published a long article on her personal social media, saying that her acting career was able to turn around because of David Lynch. "He put me on that map, which is the world I have been trying to enter for more than ten years. Before that, I had failed in auditions again and again."

"It wasn't just his art that influenced me, it was his wit, humor, and love that gave me a confidence I had never felt before. Every moment I spent with him was filled with a presence I have rarely seen or felt. This was probably because he seemed to live in a world like no other, and I was so lucky to be a small part of it. David invited everyone to peek into that world through his exquisite storytelling, and his work elevated the art of cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers around the world. I really can't believe he is gone. I am heartbroken, but I will always be grateful for our friendship."

Naomi Watts posted.

"I love David's movies. Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man define him as a unique, visionary dreamer whose films are full of a handmade feel," Steven Spielberg, a famous Hollywood director, wrote in his eulogy. "Because he played John Ford in my film Dream House, I got to know him - my hero David Lynch played another hero of mine. The feeling was quite surreal, as if it was a scene from David's own movie. The world will miss such a unique voice. His films have stood the test of time and always will."

Stills from Dream House

"I am shocked and heartbroken. There are no words to express the profound sorrow I feel for the loss of my great friend David Lynch," said director Francis Ford Coppola, a longtime friend of David Lynch.

Francis Ford Coppola posted.