Jack Nance is a talented actor, whose existence the audience learned through the films of director David Lynch. “Blue Velvet”, “Highway to Nowhere”, “Twin Peaks”, “Criminal History”, “Drunk”, “Dune” - famous films and series with his participation. Jack died in 1996, but his name will forever remain in the history of cinema. What can you tell about the actor?
Jack Nance: The Beginning of the Way
One of David Lynch's favorite actors was born in Boston, it happened in December 1943. Jack Nance was born in a simple family, there were no movie stars among his relatives. The first years of the boy’s life passed in Dallas, where his parents moved soon after the birth of his son.
Jack showed interest in drama as a child. He played his first roles in school productions. Performances with his participation were successful with the audience, which helped the guy believe in his talent. Shortly after graduation, the aspiring actor moved to San Francisco, joined the creative team of the Conservatory Theater. For eight years, the young man participated in the productions of this theater, he especially liked the avant-garde plays. Jack Nance was able to attract public attention thanks to the play “Tom Payne”.
First roles
The first aspiring actor was on the set in 1970, he played a cameo role in the drama "Fools". His character in this picture was a hippie guy. Then Jack got a small role in the action movie "Leap", whose stars were Tom Leagon and Logan Ramsey.
It is not known how his career would develop further if it were not for an accidental acquaintance with the director David Lynch. The charismatic actor conquered the master, thanks to which he got the opportunity to star in his film "The Eraser Head." Surprisingly, the director immediately offered the little-known actor the main role.
Jack brilliantly played in this film, his character was a nervous man named Henry, who dreams of moving away from the bustle of the industrial town in which he was born and raised. Instead, Henry is forced to agree to marry his girlfriend, as she is expecting a baby. The actor’s girlfriend gives birth to a mutant child, with which the most interesting begins.
Film career
The surreal drama “The Eraserhead” impressed the audience, although it was shot in just six weeks. The star of the cult film began to actively offer film roles. The peak of demand for Jack came in the 70-80s. “Offender”, “Hammett”, “Goblins”, “Trouble in the City”, “Dangerous Johnny” - the pictures with his participation came out one after another.
In 1984, Jack Nance again met on the set with David Lynch. The master offered him a small role in his new film "Dune", with which the aspiring actor did an excellent job. Then Jack starred in "Blue Velvet", "Drunk", "Crime Story", "Flowers." The director did not forget about his favorite actor and while working on the series “Twin Peaks”. In this television project, Nance embodied the image of Pete Martell. It is his character that discovers the body of Laura Palmer, with which the mysterious story begins.
Life behind the scenes
Jack Nance is an actor who could hardly call himself the darling of fate. This also concerns his personal life. For the first time, he decided to tie his knot in 1968, choosing the actress Katherine Coulson. In 1976, the couple broke up, the reasons for which remained a mystery. Divorce had virtually no effect on the friendship of Katherine and Jack, the former spouses continued to communicate after the separation.
For the second time, Jack Nance, whose films and biography are discussed in this article, married in 1991. His wife was actress Kelly Jean Van Dyke, who specialized in adult films. The actor did not have time to enjoy family happiness, since after a few months the wife laid hands on herself.
Death
Jack could not recover from the death of his beloved wife, which prompted him to become addicted to alcohol. Once Nance, being intoxicated, got into a fight, resulting in a severe blow to the eye. The next morning, the actor passed away. Doctors say that the reason for this was a hemorrhage in the brain. Jack Nance left this world in December 1996, he was only 53. The actor's body was cremated, and the urn with ashes was delivered to South Pasadena, where his grave is located. For many, the death of an American movie star has remained an unsolvable mystery.