S7 EP2: Kyle MacLachlan on his relationship with David Lynch, Showgirls, and viral stardom

The Louis Theroux Podcast

Spotify Studios

Comedy, Arts, Society & Culture

4.1 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2026

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Louis speaks with Kyle MacLachlan, muse of iconic director David Lynch and internet “babygirl”. Kyle tells Louis about working with Lynch on Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet, why he will never watch Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, and going viral on TikTok. Watch Season 2 of Fallout on Prime Video now. Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. Links/Attachments: TV Show: ‘Fallout’ (2024 - Now) - Prime Video http://amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0FLT3NNDQ/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s2 TV Show: Twin Peaks (1990) - ABC https://www.paramountplus.com/gb/shows/twin_peaks/ Blue Velvet (1986) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/blue-velvet/umc.cmc.33lsrdtequl92bh2q4qufz09j?action=play Easy Rider (1969) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064276/ Apocalypse Now (1979) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/apocalypse-now/umc.cmc.34p6g8esi62ncametagl3s7ao?action=play Eraserhead (1977) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/ The Elephant Man (1980) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678/ Dune (1984) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/dune/umc.cmc.7edgw5obp2gwx0xsyhla10zbc?action=play Instagram Post: Kyle about David Lynch https://www.instagram.com/p/DE5pC5RyH29/?hl=en&img_index=1 Dune (2021) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/dune/umc.cmc.2l7qj9p33t3jww1roxi8cgiw5?action=play White Nights (1985) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090319/ TV Show: Portlandia (2011-2018) - IFC https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1780441/ TV Show: Desperate Housewives (2004 – 2012) - ABC https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/pilot/umc.cmc.1nlhsa37c9fb3k7i79tls86l4?showId=umc.cmc.764fqtvvzfic5cig1ubycwn4&action=playSmartEpisode TV Show: Sex and the City (1989 – 2004) - HBO https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159206/ The Hidden (1988) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/the-hidden/umc.cmc.xpfv9tdbmpijtg30s9sofdq7?action=play The Doors (1991) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101761/ Showgirls (1995) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114436/ Podcast: What Are We Even Doing? With Kyle MacLachlan - IHeartPodcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/4Q0EAcipmnanJtijhZR4Id Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/ Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/ TikTok Post: Kyle’s viral post https://www.tiktok.com/@kyle_maclachlan/video/7561193641553726750 TV Show: ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005 – 2014) - CBS https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/pilot/umc.cmc.3gahlb7gzcf4n4vm56n4et5um?showId=umc.cmc.hrenotb7pqaz2mo61vph1gwj&action=playSmartEpisode RoboCop (1987) https://www.itv.com/watch/robocop/ROBOCOP/CFD2301a0001 Inland Empire (2006) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460829/ TV Show: ‘The Last of Us’ (2023 – Now) - HBO https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3581920/ ‘Dennis Hopper’s Best Moments as Frank’ - Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1CQgHeoe14 M (1931) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/ Credits: Producer: Millie Chu  Assistant Producer: Mark Maughan Production Manager: Francesca Bassett  Music: Miguel D’Oliveira  Audio Mixer: Tom Guest Video Mixer: Scott Edwards Shownotes compiled by Elly Young Executive Producer: Arron Fellows     A Mindhouse Production for Spotify  www.mindhouse.co.uk  Open a Moneybox Cash ISA at https://moneybox.onelink.me/Cqlx/y3xncge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Louis Theroux here.
0:07.5	Welcome back to the Louis Theroux podcast.
0:18.6	I'm joined for this episode by American actor and internet baby girl. That's a term, apparently,
0:26.8	Kyle McLaughlin. Kyle is perhaps best known for his collaborative relationship with iconic American
0:32.6	author David Lynch. Over the course of 30 odd years, Kyle starred in many of Lynch's best-known works.
0:39.7	Twin Peaks?
0:41.1	Surely you've seen Twin Peaks.
0:42.7	The Surrealist Neo-No-T-Vee series co-created by Mark Frost, where he plays Special
0:48.0	Agent Dale Cooper.
0:50.1	Damn good coffee is his catchphrase.
0:53.8	But before that, he was in David Lynch's blue velvet in
0:56.2	1986. That was the first thing I saw him in as a young 16 year old, or maybe it was 17. And his first
1:03.2	movie role, which was in Lynch's adaptation of Dune in 1984. Other notable pictures include
1:09.4	Oliver Stone's The Doors, that comes up in the chat, Paul Verhoeven's
1:13.1	Showgirls, and many more. He's also been a mainstay of the small screen playing characters in
1:19.3	mammoth hits like Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives and Portlandia. I watched some
1:25.3	Portlandia episodes in the run-up to doing the interview, and you'll be
1:28.6	pleased to know that one of the standout moments from the series comes up, that's the moment
1:32.8	when Kyle, who plays the mayor of Portlandia, has to sing the Portland anthem and
1:41.6	improvises it on the spot. So stay tuned for that. Kyle, older man, that he is,
1:50.4	as I am too, so I can say that, has managed, like me, to stay massively relevant by taking
1:58.6	the internet by storm, specifically going viral with his social media accounts where
	...

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