Two Reflections on the Legacy of David Lynch
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/03/03
Scott Hamm Duenas is an American actor and producer based in Southern California. He co-wrote, starred in, and produced the award-winning film ReBroken. With over 15 years in SAG-AFTRA, his career includes roles on Bold and the Beautiful. A martial artist, he integrates physicality into his performances and filmmaking.
Chris Hite is a filmmaker, screenwriter, animator, and film historian specializing in European cinema. His research on Italian film history appears in TransAtlantic Visions (2023), and he has presented at major academic conferences. His films have screened at over 80 international festivals, and his documentary FireStorm ’77 won “Best U.S. Documentary” at the Big Bear Film Summit.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How do you see your artistic identity evolving over the decades? Was David Lynch an influence on this?
Scott Hamm Duenas: David Lynch’s work is known to be unconventional. His ability to mix the plain with the bizarre has encouraged me to take chances, especially when I’m auditioning for roles. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but I never have any regrets afterward if I know I’ve made a bold choice.
Jacobsen: How has Lynch’s legacy influenced your artistic or philosophical approach to storytelling?
Duenas: Lynch’s work has always inspired me to trust my instincts and embrace the unknown. If you’re scared to take a chance or make a strong choice, how will you ever know how good you can really be?
Jacobsen: What did David Lynch mean to artists, producers, and directors in the Hollywood landscape who followed his work?
Duenas: To many artists, David Lynch represents creativity and thinking outside the box. His willingness to go against conventional storytelling and create unique films has no doubt inspired others. People love that Lynch will take risks and not compromise his artistic integrity just for commercial success.
Jacobsen: What is your favorite Lynch quote?
Duenas: My favorite David Lynch quote is: “Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper.” I love this quote because it’s so true for me when it comes to anything in life. Certainly in the entertainment business, but I also apply it to my family, fitness, and martial arts journey all the time. It serves as a reminder to be persistent in your pursuits, but make sure you challenge yourself because it’s the only way you will get better.
Jacobsen: What was Lynch’s overall influence?
Hite: David Lynch’s influence on the artistic community is legendary.
Pioneers like Lynch, Stan Brakhage, Luis Buñuel and more were considered avant-garde and experimental during their time, but their explorations have since been co-opted into mainstream filmmaking, and more so, marketing strategies as an extension of style.
Lynch, perhaps more than any modern filmmaker, challenged Hollywood dogma and proved that a film can have commercial appeal, name actors, and still delve into the realms of surrealism.
The Hollywood mentality, at least from the executives’ perspective, was very narrowly defined through most of the 20th century. They only considered film a business and felt that overly artistic approaches would alienate audience members. Filmmakers like Lynch made them uncomfortable by foregrounding the artistry of the medium but proved that audiences enjoy boundary pushing approaches.
As a commercial director, Lynch’s year 2000 Play Station ad demonstrated that product shots were dispensable and that a unusual narrative with a defined mood and tone was just as valuable in creating interest and demand.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time.
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