David Lynch died aged 78 this week after a heartrending health battle that left him barely able to ‘walk across a room.’

The legendary filmmaker, whose work included the movie Mulholland Drive and the series Twin Peaks, had been left homebound by his struggle with emphysema.

Lynch began smoking at the age of eight and was diagnosed with the illness in 2020 before finally giving up cigarettes in 2022.

During his harrowing final decline over the past few months, he gave more than one interview that offered glimpses into his deteriorating condition.

In August he insisted he would ‘never retire’ but acknowledged he could only direct remotely, as making movies in person put him at risk of COVID-19.

By November he shared he was dependent on supplemental oxygen and had such trouble breathing he felt as if he had ‘a plastic bag’ over his head, he told People.

David Lynch died aged 78 this week after a heartrending health battle that left him barely able to ‘walk across a room’; pictured in Beverly Hills in 2019 

Lynch explained his illness to his fans on X this past August, saying that he he was homebound ‘whether I like it or not’ on account of the emphysema.

‘Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – 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,’ the Eraserhead director wrote.

Read More David Lynch tributes: Twin Peaks actor Kyle MacLachlan leads stars remembering director after his death aged 78

‘I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema,’ he added.

‘I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern,’ the Blue Velvet filmmaker concluded.

That month, he recalled: ‘Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me,’ in an interview with the movie magazine Sight & Sound.

Over the course of his career, cigarettes became a visual fixture in his movies, as well as a part of his own persona as an avant-garde filmmaker. 

In August, he said that he still hoped to continue directing remotely, in spite of the fact that working on sets in person was now out of the question.

About three months later, he shared wistfully: ‘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.’

The legendary filmmaker, whose work included the movie Mulholland Drive and the series Twin Peaks, had been left homebound by his struggle with emphysema; pictured in 1999 

Lynch began smoking at the age of eight and was diagnosed with the illness in 2020 before finally giving up cigarettes in 2022; pictured in 2002 

Over the course of his career, cigarettes became a visual fixture in his movies, as well as a part of his own persona as an avant-garde filmmaker; pictured 1984 

Lynch acknowledged that ‘what you sow is what you reap,’ saying: ‘“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.’

He attempted to stop smoking ‘many, many times’ over the years ‘but when it got tough, I’d have that first cigarette, and it was a one-way trip to heaven,’ he reflected. ‘Then you’re back smoking again.’

Only in 2022 – two years after he was diagnosed with emphysema – did he finally kick the habit by falling back on transcendental meditation.

‘I saw the writing on the wall. and it said: “You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop.” I could hardly move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice.’ 

Offering a haunting insight into what turned out to be his last decline, he confessed it was ‘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.’

Despite the ‘big price’ he paid for smoking, he said: ‘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.’ 

His advice to fellow smokers was: ‘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.’

Lynch is survived by his estranged fourth wife Emily Stofle as well as his daughter Jennifer, 56, whom he had by his first wife Peggy Reavey, plus his sons Riley, 42, and Austin, 33, whose mother is Lynch’s second wife Mary Fisk. 

Kyle MacLachlan is pictured with Isabella Rossellini in the 1982 movie Blue Velvet, one of the most enduring films in Lynch’s career

MacLachlan is pictured with Sherilyn Fenn on Lynch’s groundbreaking 1990s TV procedural Twin Peaks, which is regarded as a forerunner of prestige television 

His loved ones broke the news of his death on Facebook this Tuesday, writing: ‘t is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the pᴀssing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us.’

They added: ‘But, as he would say: “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.’

News of his death was greeted by an outpouring of praise from Hollywood figures, including fellow directors James Gunn, Harmony Korine and Ron Howard.

Lee Grant, whom Lynch directed in Mulholland Drive, shared her fond memories of working for the man she described as a ‘one of a kind artist.’ 

Lynch’s longtime friend Kyle MacLachlan, whom he directed on such projects as Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, posted a devastated tribute to the late director. 

‘While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own,’ wrote MacLachlan, whose career was launched by Blue Velvet.