Characters of Twin Peaks

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The following articles are about the Characters of Twin Peaks.

Contents

[edit] Characters

Grouping Name Description Played by
The FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper Investigates the murder of Laura Palmer using unorthodox methods, falls in love with Twin Peaks and all its rural life, fascinated with the paranormal Kyle MacLachlan
Albert Rosenfield Abrasive forensics expert, whose façade hides a spiritual nature Miguel Ferrer
Chester Desmond Investigates murder of Teresa Banks, mysteriously disappears Chris Isaak
Sam Stanley Forensics specialist, assists Desmond in the investigation of Teresa Banks' murder Kiefer Sutherland
Phillip Jeffries Long-lost FBI agent, who knows of the Lodges and their inhabitants David Bowie
Roger Hardy Agent working for Internal Affairs who temporarily suspends Cooper from the FBI. Clarence Williams III
Gordon Cole Stone-deaf Regional Bureau Chief, known to shout constantly David Lynch
Dennis/Denise Bryson Cross-dressing DEA agent who investigates drug allegations against Dale Cooper David Duchovny
Sheriff's Department Sheriff Harry S. Truman Lover of Josie Packard Michael Ontkean
Deputy Andy Brennan Dorky deputy, lover of Lucy Harry Goaz
Deputy Hawk, Tommy Hill Native American, expert tracker Michael Horse
Lucy Moran Ditzy receptionist, on and off lover of Deputy Andy Brennan Kimmy Robertson
Cappy Rarely-seen young, male assistant at the police station, possibly another deputy Ron Kirk
Palmer family Laura Palmer Murder victim and the center of the story, linked to almost everyone in Twin Peaks Sheryl Lee
Leland Palmer Laura's father, known for his compulsive singing and dancing, lawyer Ray Wise
Sarah Palmer Laura's psychic mother Grace Zabriskie
Maddy Ferguson Laura's identical-looking cousin Sheryl Lee
Hayward family Doctor William Hayward Doctor of Twin Peaks, assists on the autopsy of Laura Palmer Warren Frost
Eileen Hayward Doctor Hayward's wheelchair-bound wife Mary Jo Deschanel
Donna Hayward Laura's best friend, lover of James Hurley Lara Flynn Boyle/Moira Kelly[1]
Harriet Hayward Donna's younger sister Jessica Wallenfels
Gersten Hayward Donna's youngest sister Alicia Witt
Horne family Benjamin Horne Wealthy businessman, owns Great Northern Hotel, Horne's Department Store and a brothel on the Canadian border Richard Beymer
Jerry Horne Ben's playboy brother and business partner David Patrick Kelly
Sylvia Horne Ben's constantly-angry wife Jan D'Arcy
Audrey Horne Ben's sultry teenage daughter Sherilyn Fenn
Johnny Horne Ben's mentally handicapped son, tutored by Laura Robert Davenport/ Robert Bauer[2]
Packard/Martell Family Josie Packard Widowed sawmill owner with a dark past, lover of Sheriff Truman, tutored by Laura Joan Chen
Andrew Packard Late owner of the Packard Sawmill and husband of Josie Dan O'Herlihy
Catherine Martell Sister of Andrew, schemes with secret lover Ben Horne to burn down the sawmill Piper Laurie
Pete Martell Long-suffering husband of Catherine, fishing enthusiast, found Laura's body Jack Nance
Briggs family Major Garland Briggs Intelligent and gifted Air Force officer involved in Project Blue Book, deep-space monitoring, and the woods surrounding Twin Peaks Don S. Davis
Betty Briggs Unassuming and loving wife and mother Charlotte Stewart
Bobby Briggs Rebellious teenager, captain of the football team, boyfriend of Laura Palmer, secret lover of Shelly Johnson Dana Ashbrook
Hurley/Jennings triangle Big Ed Hurley Owner of Big Ed's Gas Farm, secret lover of Norma Jennings Everett McGill
Nadine Hurley Ed's one-eyed, super-strong, curtain drape-obsessed wife Wendy Robie
James Hurley Ed's nephew, secret lover of Laura Palmer, later lover of Donna Hayward James Marshall
Norma Jennings Double-R Diner owner, lover of Big Ed Hurley, organizer of Meals on Wheels with Laura Peggy Lipton
Hank Jennings Norma's husband, criminal on parole, conspirator with Josie Packard Chris Mulkey
Annie Blackburn Younger sister of Norma, an ex-nun with a troubled past Heather Graham
The Johnsons Leo Johnson Brutish trucker and drug-runner, had a sexual relationship with Laura Palmer Eric Da Re
Shelly Johnson Abused young wife of Leo, waitress at Norma's diner, secret lover of Bobby Briggs Mädchen Amick
One Eyed Jack's/ Renault family Jacques Renault Canadian croupier, drug-runner, and bartender at the Roadhouse. Had sexual relationship with Laura Palmer Walter Olkewicz
Bernard Renault Youngest Renault brother, mules drugs over the border Clay Wilcox
Jean Renault Oldest and most dangerous Renault brother, veteran criminal, insurance agent. Michael Parks
Blacky O'Reilly The madame of One Eyed Jacks Victoria Catlin
Nancy O'Reilly Blackie's sister, lover of Jean Renault Galyn Gorg
Other locals Ronette Pulaski former employee of Horne's Department Store and One Eyed Jacks, was with Laura the night she died Phoebe Augustine
Dr. Lawrence Jacoby Eccentric former psychiatrist of Laura with an obsession for Hawaii Russ Tamblyn
Mike Nelson Bobby's best friend, high school wrestling champ, ex-boyfriend of Donna. Gary Hershberger
Margaret Lanterman
a.k.a. "The Log Lady")		 Mystic, widow who divines through a log she carries with her everywhere Catherine E. Coulson
Harold Smith Agoraphobic horticulturist, Laura's Meals on Wheels friend Lenny Von Dohlen
Emory Battis Store manager of Horne's Department Store, recruits girls from the perfume counter to work at One Eyed Jack's Dan Amendola
Dick Tremayne Pretentious employee of Men's Department at Horne's, ex-lover of Lucy Ian Buchanan
The Elderly Room Service Waiter Elderly bellhop at the Great Northern with a link to the Lodges and the Giant in particular Hank Worden
Roadhouse Singer Angelic singer at the Roadhouse, known for her dream-like voice Julee Cruise
Mayor Dwayne Milford Long-time mayor of Twin Peaks, has an ongoing feud with his brother Dougie John Boylan
Dougie Milford Publisher of the Twin Peaks Gazette local newspaper, known to marry often Tony Jay
Lana Budding Milford Seductive fiancée of Dwayne, and widow of Dougie, known to charm almost any man that's around her Robyn Lively
Outsiders Evelyn Marsh Rich woman who James Hurley runs into, and who is beaten by her husband Annette McCarthy
Thomas Eckhardt Former business partner of Andrew Packard, obsessively in love with Josie Packard David Warner
Jones Thomas Eckhardt's assistant Brenda Strong
Teresa Banks First victim, found almost exactly one year before the murder of Laura Palmer Pamela Gidley
Windom Earle Psychotic but brilliant ex-partner of Cooper, desires the powers of the Lodges Kenneth Welsh
Lodge Inhabitants The Man From Another Place Enigmatic dwarf, inhabitant of the Red Room. Michael J. Anderson
MIKE Spirit, former associate and now opponent of BOB, inhabits shoe salesman Phillip Gerard, "The One-Armed Man" Al Strobel
BOB Malevolent spirit, haunts the woods and inhabits humans, killer of Laura. Frank Silva
The Giant A supernatural giant who appears at key moments and provides Cooper with cryptic clues. Carel Struycken
Mrs Tremond/Chalfont Link to the Lodges and intentions unclear Frances Bay
Pierre Tremond/Chalfont Mrs Tremond/Chalfont's grandson, link to the Lodges and intentions unclear Austin Jack Lynch/ Jonathan J. Leppell[3]

[edit] The creation of BOB

Frank Silva was a set decorator who worked on the pilot episode. One day, when he was moving furniture in Laura Palmer's bedroom, a woman remarked to Silva not to get locked in the (Laura Palmer's) room. The image of Silva trapped in the room sparked something in Lynch, who then asked Silva if he was an actor. Silva replied "Yes", and Lynch told him that he had a part in mind for him on the series. Silva accepted, and Lynch shot footage of him behind Laura's bed with no real idea of what he would do with it.

When Lynch shot the scene of Sarah Palmer's frightening vision, Silva's reflection was accidentally caught in the footage. Silva can be seen in the mirror behind Sarah Palmer's head. Lynch was made aware of this accident, but decided to keep Silva in the scene.

[edit] MIKE, the One-Armed Man

MIKE's appearance in the pilot episode was only originally intended to be a "kind of homage to The Fugitive. The only thing he was gonna do was be in this elevator and walk out."[4] However, when Lynch wrote the "Fire walk with me" speech, he imagined MIKE saying it in the basement of the Twin Peaks hospital – a scene that would appear in the European version of the pilot episode, and surface later in Agent Cooper's dream sequence. MIKE's full name, Phillip Michael Gerard, is also a reference to Lieutenant Philip Gerard, a character in The Fugitive.

[edit] The Man from Another Place

Lynch met Michael J. Anderson in 1987. After seeing him in a short film, Lynch wanted to cast the actor in the title role in Ronnie Rocket, but that project failed to get made. While editing the alternate ending of the foreign version of the pilot episode, an idea occurred to Lynch on his way home one day: "I was leaning against a car — the front of me was leaning against this very warm car. My hands were on the roof and the metal was very hot. The Red Room scene leapt into my mind. 'Little Mike' was there, and he was speaking backwards... For the rest of the night I thought only about The Red Room."[4]

[edit] Laura Palmer

To save on money, Lynch intended to cast a local girl from Seattle "just to play a dead girl".[4] The local girl ended up being Sheryl Lee. "But no one — not Mark, me, anyone — had any idea that she could act, or that she was going to be so powerful just being dead."[4]Indeed, the image of Lee wrapped in plastic became one of the show's most enduring and memorable images. And then, while Lynch shot the home movie that James takes of Donna and Laura, he realized that Lee had something special. "She did do another scene — the video with Donna on the picnic — and it was that scene that did it."[4] As a result, Sheryl Lee became a semi-regular addition to the cast, appearing in flashbacks as Laura, and becoming a recurring character — Maddy, Laura's cousin who also becomes another victim of BOB.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Lara Flynn Boyle portrayed Donna in the television series, while Moira Kelly took over the role in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (IMDb).
  2. ^ Robert Davenport portrayed Johnny Horne in the pilot episode, while Robert Bauer took over the role in later episodes (IMDb).
  3. ^ Austin Jack Lynch, son of David Lynch, portrayed Pierre in the television series, while Jonathan J. Leppell took over the role in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (source: Jack Lynch in the IMDb, IMDb Jonathan J. Leppell in the IMDb).
  4. ^ a b c d e Rodley, Chris. "Lynch on Lynch", Faber & Faber, 1997.