HEALTH
David Lynch confessed that ‘what you sow is what you reap’ when discussing his smoking habit, which led him to develop emphysema.
Nov. 16 2024, Published 4:59 p.m. ET
David Lynch is urging cigarette lovers not to go down the same path he did.
In a new interview, the Twin Peaks director, 78, opened up about his emphysema battle as a lifelong smoker.
Article continues below advertisement
David Lynch said, ‘a big important part of my life was smoking.’
Article continues below advertisement
“A big important part of my life was smoking,” Lynch admitted. “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.”
The star, who now is facing debilitating health issues due to his cigarette habit, noted, “What you sow is what you reap.”
Article continues below advertisement
The Mulholland Drive director now relies on supplemental oxygen in his day-to-day activities.
“In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it’s healthy, so you’re literally playing with fire,” he explained. “It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”
Article continues below advertisement
David Lynch was forced to quit smoking when he was told, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop.’
Article continues below advertisement
Lynch, who began smoking at the age of 8 while growing up in rural Idaho and Washington, had been lighting up for 68 years before he was forced to quit due to his emphysema. Lynch even shared that he saw smoking as part of the brooding art-house persona he developed throughout his career.
The filmmaker noted that he tried quitting “many, many times, but when it got tough, I’d have that first cigarette, and it was a one-way trip to heaven. Then you’re back smoking again.”
Article continues below advertisement
In 2020, he was diagnosed with emphysema, though he couldn’t kick the habit until 2022.
“I saw the writing on the wall. And it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop,’” the father-of-four said. “I could hardly move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice.”
Article continues below advertisement
David Lynch is famous for directing ‘Twin Peaks.’
MORE ON:
celeb health
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Article continues below advertisement
Lynch shared that transcendental meditation really helped him finally become smoke-free.
“I have a positive attitude focused on the body healing itself,” Lynch stated, “it’s tough living with emphysema. I can hardly walk across a room. It’s like you’re walking around with a plastic bag around your head.”
Article continues below advertisement
Because the disease makes him much more vulnerable to catching respiratory illnesses, he is confined to his home.
“I never really liked going out before, so it’s a nice excuse,” he quipped. However, it also keeps him from doing what he is passionate about.
Article continues below advertisement
David Lynch told other smokers, ‘You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you.’
Article continues below advertisement
“I love being on set,” he remarked. “I love being right there, able to whisper to people.”
Lynch said the consequences of smoking have been a “big price to pay,” but he confessed, “I don’t regret it. It was important to me. I wish what every addict wishes for: that what we love is good for us.”
Article continues below advertisement
As for if he has remorse for including cigarettes in so many of his works, he said, “I never thought about it as glamorizing it. It was a part of life. Some characters would be smokers, just like in real life.”
The celeb concluded by encouraging those not to make the same mistake he did.
“I really wanted to get this across: Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you,” he shared. “I owe it to them — and to myself — to say that.”