Kyle MacLachlan

Plucked from obscurity, clean-cut Kyle MacLachlan became a movie star overnight when he landed the lead in the epic space opera "Dune" (1984), but the film's disastrous critical reception nearly consigned him to the role of "has been" just as quickly. Luckily for MacLachlan, he had a guardian angel in David Lynch, the visionary director who had cast him in the adaptation of the classic science fiction novel. Lynch would give MacLachlan the starring role in his next film, "Blue Velvet" (1986) and a lead role on the surrealistic television series "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91). The former would eventually be regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, while the latter became an instant sensation during its first season. Big box office success, however, continued to elude MacLachlan with overlooked vehicles like the sci-fi thriller "The Hidden" (1987) and Oliver Stone's Jim Morrison biopic "The Doors" (1991), as well as co-starring in the laughing stock that was "Showgirls" (1995), which later developed a rabid cult following. MacLachlan would make a modest return to notoriety on television with recurring parts as the wealthy, impotent husband of Charlotte York on "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), and later on Marc Cherry's campy "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 2004-12). While MacLachlan became known as a respected working actor, continuing to appear in film and episodic television, a sense of unfinished business remained for years, until Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost announced "Twin Peaks: The Return" (Showtime 2017), a complex and at times divisive "movie in 18 parts" that featured MacLachlan in multiple roles associated with his signature character of FBI special agent Dale Cooper.