Kyle MacLachlan on his relationship with David Lynch, Showgirls, and viral stardom

Louis Theroux· Host0:00

[upbeat music] Hello, Louis Theroux here. Welcome back to the Louis Theroux Podcast. [gentle music] I'm joined for this episode by American actor and internet babygirl, that's a term apparently, Kyle MacLachlan. Kyle is perhaps best known for his collaborative relationship with iconic American auteur, David Lynch. Over the course of 30-odd years, Kyle starred in many of Lynch's best-known works. "Twin Peaks," surely you've seen "Twin Peaks," the surrealist neo-noir TV series co-created by Mark Frost, where he plays Special Agent Dale Cooper. "Damn good coffee" is his catchphrase. But before that, he was in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" in 1986. That was the first thing I saw him in as a young 16-year-old, or maybe I was 17. And his first movie role, which was in Lynch's adaptation of "Dune" in 1984. Other notable pictures include Oliver Stone's "The Doors," that comes up in the chat, Paul Verhoeven's "Showgirls," and many more. He's also been a mainstay of the small screen, playing characters in mammoth hits like "Sex and the City," "Desperate Housewives," and "Portlandia." I watched some "Portlandia" episodes in the run-up to doing the interview, and you'll be pleased to know that one of the standout