Melissa George has shared a sweet tribute to director David Lynch following his death aged 78.

The auteur’s family announced the devastating news via social media on Thursday that he had died after a battle with emphysema.

George, who starred in Lynch’s 2001 thriller Mulholland Drive took to Instagram on Friday to share her grief over the director’s pᴀssing.

She shared an image from the film that showed her locked in a pᴀssionate embrace with co-star Laura Elena Harring.

Captioning the image, George revealed that working with the lauded director had been the pinnacle of her 30 year acting career. 

‘Such a heavy heart to know you are no longer with us,’ she wrote.

‘Working with you David was the greatest highlight of my career. I will miss you.’

The tribute was met with an outpouring of condolences from friends and followers including George’s former Home and Away co-star Debra Lawrence.

Melissa George has shared a sweet tribute to director David Lynch after his death at 78

‘Thinking of you dear one,’ Debra, who played Pippa Ross from 1990 to 1998 on the iconic soap, said.

Others were quick to praise Lynch’s directorial genius,  particularly evident in the critically lauded Mulholland Drive.

‘Had to watch this iconic film last night. Can imagine what a force it must have been working with him,’ one fan wrote.

Another added: ‘Iconic. So proud of you & that you will always live in the David Lynch universe.’

‘What an incredible creator. I’m sorry for your loss. He was one of the greatest and most inspirational directors of ALL TIME.’

In the iconic thriller, Melissa starred alongside fellow Australian Naomi Watts in the role of the film’s antagonist Camilla Rhodes – or at least the Mulholland Drive dream-world version of the actress.

The role, her third US feature, further propelled the former Home and Away star’s career Stateside, with subsequent big screen role in the likes of 30 Days of Night and LA Confidential.

The auteur’s family announced the devastating news that he had died, aged 78, after a battle with emphysema, via social media on Thursday

George, who starred in Lynch’s 2001 thriller Mulholland Drive took to Instagram on Friday to share her grief over the director’s pᴀssing

George has also appeared in such small screen fare as Friends, Grey’s Anatomy,  he Good Wife and, most recently, The Mosquito Coast.    

Speaking with ᴅᴇᴀᴅline in 2021, George revealed the unusual way she was cast in the film.

‘The way I got that part was I arrived off a flight from Australia, and I went to meet Johanna Ray who’s cast all of his movies, from Blue Velvet, to all of them,’ she revealed.

‘I went into her office. I was 19 years old, and she took a polaroid of me. That was it, there was no casting.

‘David Lynch put the polaroid pictures on a table, and he basically meditated on our faces and he came to my face and said, “This is the girl.”‘

‘I mean, I had the iconic line in the movie, “This is the girl.” I didn’t have to do much.’

Melissa added that she was confused about the plot of the cryptic thriller, and a conversation with the auteur did nothing to clear things up.  

‘At one point, I asked him what the film was about, and he said, “Whatever you think it’s about is what it’s about.”‘

‘Such a heavy heart to know you are no longer with us,’ she wrote. ‘Working with you David was the greatest highlight of my career. I will miss you.’ Melissa is pictured in a scene from Mulholland Drive

In the iconic thriller, Melissa starred alongside felow Australian Naomi Watts in the role of the film’s antagonist Camilla Rhodes – or at least the Mulholland Drive dream-world version of the actress. Melissa is pictured with co-star Laura Elena Harring

“And I’m like, “Yeah that doesn’t help me a lot, but thank you.”‘

In a post shared to Facebook on Thursday, Lynch’s family announced his death, writing: ‘It 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.’

‘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,’ they concluded.

David is survived by his wife Emily Stofle as well as daughter Jennifer, 56, – who he had with his first wife Peggy Reavey – and sons Riley, 42, and Austin, 33, both of whom were a result of his marriage to Mary Fisk.