Before cementing his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most stylistic directors, David Lynch tried to impress executive producer Mel Brooks at the helm of the 1980 movie The Elephant Man. He eventually did—but not without some significant pitfalls.
The drama made a star out of surrealist filmmaker Lynch, who died at age 78. His family announced his death in a Facebook post on Thursday. “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,’” the statement read. A cause of death wasn’t provided, though Lynch shared in 2024 he was diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking.
Later known for acclaimed movies such as Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001), Lynch broke into the mainstream with the biographical Elephant Man. The drama is loosely based on the life of Joseph Merrick, a British artist with severe physical deformities. While the film would prove a critical and commercial success, it also tested Lynch’s resolve. The director worried he might not make it through production.
Lynch’s originality impressed producer Brooks
Lynch first showcased his filmmaking potential with the experimental 1977 horror flick Eraserhead. The black-and-white feature about a man caring for his deformed child took more than five years to make and polarized audiences with its imagery but is now considered a cult classic.
The movie grabbed the attention of comedy icon Brooks, who was searching for a director to lead The Elephant Man. Wanting to learn more about the talent behind Eraserhead, Brooks discussed the project with Lynch at a hamburger restaurant in California. “It was way out in the Valley and I wasn’t expecting him to be so polite, but I was rather impressed,” Brooks told The Guardian in 2008. “He made sense and was very savvy about the changes he wanted.”
Brooks, who purposely left his role uncredited to avoid the misconception Elephant Man might be comedic, helped assemble a star-studded cast for Lynch, including Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, and John Hurt in the titular role.
Lynch thought he would be fired over makeup
As director, Lynch wanted to do the makeup and prosthetics for Hurt’s character, whose name in the movie, John Merrick, is altered from the real man. But when the actor tried the prototypes on two weeks before filming, he could barely move due to their rigidity.
All of a sudden, the production team scrambled to find an experienced makeup artist to complete the movie. They did, making a deal with Christopher Tucker, who would later go on to create the face masks for the West End production of the musical The Phantom of the Opera.
Still, Lynch was devastated and thought Brooks was going to fire him for the blunder. “The day after I realized that the makeup was not going to work, I bought a ticket. I was ready to leave—to go home,” Lynch said, according to The Pennsylvania Gazette. He also called the experience “one of the darkest times of my life.”
However, Brooks reassured the young director. “All Mel said was, ‘David, you shouldn’t have even worried about that. You should just be thinking about directing,’” Lynch recalled.
The director clashed with Hopkins during filming
Once filming did begin, the focus shifted from the special effects to Lynch’s relationship with the cast—specifically Hopkins, who portrayed Merrick’s doctor Frederick Treves.
According to a 2018 interview with The Irish Times, Lynch butted heads with Hopkins between takes. Already an established screen and stage star coming off the creepy 1978 ventriloquism thriller Magic, Hopkins called Brooks to vent his frustration with Lynch. The Irish Times also reports Hopkins asked the producer to fire him outright, though Brooks said he doesn’t recall such an explicit request.
Both Lynch and Hopkins finished the movie, and the latter has since admitted he was too harsh on the young director. “In those days I was younger and I was impatient because he liked to do a lot of takes,” Hopkins told The Wrap in 2010. “I said, ‘I don’t want to do all that.’ Many years later I wrote him a letter apologizing for my behavior ’cause I saw Elephant Man and it was really a terrific movie.”
The Elephant Man received 8 Oscar nominations
Most people who saw The Elephant Man agreed with Hopkins’ assessment. The movie received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Lynch, and Best Actor for Hurt. Surprisingly, it didn’t win any.
Ironically, Lynch’s prosthetics blunder ended up proving highly influential. At the time, the Oscars didn’t have a category honoring makeup design. Largely due to complaints that The Elephant Man wasn’t recognized for this work, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced a new award the following year.
Lynch went on to direct Dune (1984), an adaptation of the Frank Herbert book series, and followed that with Blue Velvet. The noir thriller earned him the second of his eventual three Oscar nominations for Best Director.
More than 40 years later, The Elephant Man remains one of Lynch’s most significant projects and a testament to his talent behind the camera.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
