When an actor has the opportunity to work with an iconic writer and director for the first time, it can be daunting. However, it’s the job of that actor to rise to the challenge and not let their adoration of the creative get in the way. For Matthew Lillard, a David Lynch fan cast in the iconic director’s Twin Peaks: The Return, that line of thought was the only thing that allowed him to approach the role appropriately.
In the sequel series, Lillard plays the role of Bill Hastings, a high school principal in North Dakota who is arrested for murder. While he’s not one of the show’s main characters, Bill gets involved with the doppelganger of Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and appears in a number of episodes.
Lillard grew up loving Twin Peaks and recalls “scheduling and pushing record on the VCR.” When it came time to show up on set, though, he had to set aside his level of fandom and adoration for Lynch.
“If I was off my pins because I was working with David Lynch, then I’m not coming to the work with the right attitude,” Lillard tells Polygon, “but the pressure of doing that scene in The Return, where he’s being [interrogated] in this police station and this detective [is] asking him questions, and he basically loses his mind and hysterically starts sobbing. If I was overwhelmed about being in the presence [of] David Lynch, I’m never going to do good work.”
Looking back now, after Lynch’s passing in early 2025, the memory brings Lillard pure joy.
“It is a feather in my cap that I wear with pride, having worked with this iconic director and this collection of great actors. I mean, they’re all so sweet,” he says. “[Lynch] was great and lovely, and at the end of the day, you know, I’m lucky to have gotten the chance to work with him.”
