What Happened to the “Twin Peaks” Cast? See the Stars 36 Years After the Crime Show Premiered
What Happened to the “Twin Peaks” Cast? See the Stars 36 Years After the Crime Show Premiered
Ariana Quihuiz, Emily KrauserWed, April 8, 2026 at 11:15 AM UTC
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From left: Joan Chen as Jocelyn Packard, Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper and Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell on 'Twin Peaks'Credit: Everett -
Twin Peaks premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990
The show was co-created by Mark Frost and David Lynch and led by Kyle MacLachlan as FBI special agent Dale Cooper
Twin Peaks was canceled in 1991 after two seasons; however, it returned for a third season as a Showtime limited series in 2017
It's been 36 years since we were given a present: Twin Peaks.
The mysterious, genre-defying crime drama, created by Mark Frost and the late David Lynch, premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990. Set in the fictional logging town of Twin Peaks, Washington, the show followed FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as he investigated the murder of local teenager Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).
Mädchen Amick, Sherilyn Fenn, Peggy Lipton, Lara Flynn Boyle and Ray Wise also led the ensemble cast. Lynch even guest-starred on a few of the episodes as FBI regional bureau chief Gordon Cole.
Despite being canceled in 1991 after two seasons and 30 episodes, Twin Peaks forever changed TV with its surrealist tone and cinematic storytelling. It also gained a cult following over the years, leading to the concept getting revived in 1992 with the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and again in 2017 with the Showtime limited series Twin Peaks: The Return, which served as the show's third season.
Fenn, who played Audrey Horne, credited fans for the seminal series' success and lasting impact.
"When it came out then, I didn't know that people would ultimately like it," Fenn told Glamour in May 2017. "They saw the pilot, and it wasn't going to be picked up, but it was the fans who wrote in. They got [David] to write seven episodes. Again [with the revival] it was the fans."
Pour yourself a damn fine cup of coffee, sit back and discover what the cast of Twin Peaks has been up to since the acclaimed revival.
01 of 16
Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper
From left: Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper on 'Twin Peaks'; Kyle MacLachlan attends the 26th 'GQ' Men of the Year Awards at the Grosse Orangerie Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin on Nov. 28, 2024Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ; Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty
MacLachlan worked with Lynch on two films, 1984's Dune and 1986's Blue Velvet, before landing the role of Special Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks.
He later reprised his role in the 1992 movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and all episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
"I would love playing Cooper forever and ever. It's just one of those characters who seems to fit," MacLachlan told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2017 after the series finale of Twin Peaks: The Return. "David and I have worked to make this amazing world and character. I love it. I hate saying goodbye. I hate not seeing him every week on the television."
The actor went on to star on several other successful TV shows, including Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Portlandia and Fallout. He has also appeared in films such as Inside Out (2015), Capone (2020), Blink Twice (2024) and Echo Valley (2025).
MacLachlan shares one child, son Callum, with his wife Desiree Gruber, whom he married in April 2002.
02 of 16
Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson
From left: Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer on 'Twin Peaks'; Sheryl Lee attends the premiere of 'Twin Peaks' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on May 19, 2017Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Lee played murdered teen Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks, and later on in the series, she also took on the role of Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson. She reprised her role as Laura in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and on 16 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
She starred on the series L.A. Doctors, which ran for one season, and appeared on several TV shows like One Tree Hill, House, Perception and Limetown. Her other film credits include Jersey Girl (2004), Winter's Bone (2010) and White Bird in a Blizzard (2014). Since the 2017 revival, the actress led the cast of 2018's Deadly Scholars and 2025's I Live Here Now.
Lee shares one son, Elijah, with her ex-husband Jesse Diamond, the son of Grammy Award-winning singer Neil Diamond.
03 of 16
Ray Wise as Leland Palmer
From left: Ray Wise as Leland Palmer on 'Twin Peaks'; Ray Wise attends the premiere of 'Grace Point' at Regal Live LA in L.A. on Jan. 30, 2025Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Michael Tullberg/Getty
Wise portrayed respected attorney and Laura's father, Leland Palmer, and made a return for the subsequent movie and 2017 reprisal.
The actor went on to build an extensive TV career, appearing on Reaper, How I Met Your Mother, Fresh Off the Boat and The Young and the Restless. He's also starred in films such as Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Lazarus Effect (2015), Poolman (2023), Good Grief (2024) and The Napa Boys (2025).
Wise married Kass McClaskey in 1978. They later welcomed two children together, son Gannon and daughter Kyna.
04 of 16
Mädchen Amick as Shelly Johnson
From left: Mädchen Amick as Shelly Johnson on 'Twin Peaks'; Mädchen Amick attends the Film Independent's Live Read of 'Jennifer's Body' at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 11, 2023Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ; Amanda Edwards/Getty
Amick portrayed waitress Shelly Johnson on Twin Peaks before reprising her role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and seven episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
She went on to join the cast of the CW series Riverdale, which ran for seven seasons, as former newspaper editor Alice Cooper. The actress also appeared on Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, Freddie, Gossip Girl, Witches of East End and American Horror Story: Hotel and on an episode of Brilliant Minds in 2025.
Amick has been married to her husband, David Alexis, since 1995. They share two children, daughter Mina and son Sylvester.
05 of 16
Lara Flynn Boyle as Donna Hayward
From left: Lara Flynn Boyle as Donna Hayward on 'Twin Peaks'; Lara Flynn Boyle attends AMT's D.R.E.A.M. Gala at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 11, 2017Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Michael Tullberg/Getty
Boyle portrayed Laura's best friend, Donna Hayward.
While Boyle didn't return to any Twin Peaks follow-ups, she went on to star on the legal drama series The Practice, which ran for eight seasons and earned her an Emmy nomination. She's also starred in several films, including Wayne's World (1992), Happiness (1998), Men in Black II (2002) and Mother, Couch (2023).
Boyle has been married to Donald Ray Thomas since 2006.
06 of 16
Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne
From left: Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne on 'Twin Peaks'; Sherilyn Fenn attends The Hollywood Show in L.A. on Oct. 21, 2017Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ; Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Fenn rose to fame as Laura's classmate Audrey Horne, reprising the part on four episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
"It changed my career completely. I had an Emmy nomination, a Golden Globes nomination, and there was so much press around [the show]," Fenn told Glamour in 2017 about starring on the series. "The character kept growing and evolving — those characters don’t come along often. Doors opened all of a sudden."
Fenn has appeared in guest roles on several TV shows, including Gilmore Girls, Ray Donovan, Shameless, S.W.A.T. and Shining Vale. She also played the lead character, Billie Frank, on the sitcom Rude Awakening, which ran for three seasons. Fenn's film credits include Of Mice and Men (1992), Boxing Helena (2023), Immortalist (2021) and Upon Waking (2023).
The actress is a mom of two. She shares son Myles with ex-husband Toulouse Holliday and son Christian with ex-boyfriend Dylan Stewart.
07 of 16
Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs
From left: Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs on 'Twin Peaks'; Dana Ashbrook attends the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 30, 2019Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Steven Ferdman/Getty
Dana Ashbrook's first major TV role was portraying Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend. He later reprised his role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and on seven episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
Ashbrook has guest-starred on several TV shows, including Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Chicago P.D., Insatiable and on an episode of High Potential in 2025, and was a series regular on the second season of Crash. He also appeared in films such as Getting Grace (2017), Framing John DeLorean (2019) and Please Baby Please (2022).
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The actor has been married to his wife Kate Rogal since 2015.
08 of 16
Peggy Lipton as Norma Jennings
From left: Peggy Lipton as Norma Jennings on 'Twin Peaks'; Peggy Lipton attends the premiere of Netflix's 'Quincy' at the Linwood Dunn Theater in L.A. on Sept. 14, 2018Credit: Everett; Getty
Lipton portrayed diner owner Norma Jennings in both show iterations of Twin Peaks and the movie.
She went on to appear in films such as The Postman (1997), When in Rome (2010) and A Dog's Purpose (2017).
The actress died from colon cancer in May 2019 at age 72. She shared two daughters, Kidada Jones and Rashida Jones, with ex-husband Quincy Jones, with whom she was married from 1974 to 1990. Lipton and Rashida worked together on the TBS sitcom Angie Tribeca and a 2002 play called Pitching to the Star.
09 of 16
Michael Ontkean as Harry S. Truman
From left: Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman on 'Twin Peaks'; Michael Ontkean attends the first annual Project A.L.S. Benefit Gala at Raleigh Studios in L.A. on Feb. 11, 1999Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Michael Ontkean portrayed Sheriff Harry S. Truman on Twin Peaks. He did not appear in any revivals of the series.
After Twin Peaks, Ontkean had guest roles on a few series, including North Shore and Sophie. His most recent role was in the 2011 film The Descendants. According to The New York Times, Onktean has retired from acting.
10 of 16
Richard Beymer as Benjamin Horne
From left: Richard Beymer as Benjamin Horne on 'Twin Peaks'; Richard Beymer as Benjamin Horne on 'Twin Peaks: The Return' in 2017Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Suzanne Tenner/©Showtime/courtesy Everett Collection
Richard Beymer played local businessman Benjamin Horne, who was also Audrey's father. After a 16-year hiatus, he returned to acting by reprising the role on Twin Peaks: The Return, which also marked his last on-screen role.
Before Twin Peaks, Beymer made a name for himself with his roles as Peter Van Daan in 1959's The Diary of Anne Frank and Tony in 1961's West Side Story. Following the series' first two seasons, Beymer had guest roles on many other successful TV shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files and Murder, She Wrote.
Beymer became a documentary filmmaker, directing projects like Richard Beymer's Before...the Big Bang (2016) and Behind the Red Curtain (2017). He also released a 2014 film about his trip to India with Lynch called It's a Beautiful World. He is also a photographer, painter and sculptor.
Since the '90s, the actor has spent much of his time in Fairfield, Iowa, per the Des Moines Register.
11 of 16
James Marshall as James Hurley
James Marshall as James Hurley on 'Twin Peaks'; James Marshall attends the premiere of 'Twin Peaks' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in L.A. on May 19, 2017Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
James Marshall portrayed James Hurley, a classmate and friend of Laura and Donna. Like many of his former costars, he returned for both the movie and the 2017 limited series.
Marshall starred in several films following the original series, including Gladiator (1992), A Few Good Men (1992), Luck of the Draw (2000) and Badlands of Kain (2016). In 2022, he appeared on the Roku series The Pact.
The actor has been married to his wife, Renee Griffin, since 1998. They share one child, son James.
12 of 16
Warren Frost as Dr. Will Hayward
From left: Warren Frost as Dr. Will Hayward on 'Twin Peaks'; Warren Frost in 1994Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty (2)
Warren Frost, father of Twin Peaks co-creator Mark, portrayed Dr. Will Hayward — the town's coroner and Donna's dad. He later reprised his role on one episode of Twin Peaks: The Return.
Frost died in 2017 at the age of 91, per The Hollywood Reporter. He shared two children, Mark and Lindsay, with wife Mary Virginia Calhoun, whom he married in 1949.
13 of 16
Everett McGill as Big Ed Hurley
From left: Everett McGill as Big Ed Hurley on 'Twin Peaks'; Everett McGill attends the premiere of 'Twin Peaks' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in L.A. on May 19, 2017Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Everett McGill played James' uncle and gas station owner Big Ed Hurley, reprising his role on two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
Some of his film credits following the first run of Twin Peaks include The People Under the Stairs (1991), My Fellow Americans (1996) and The Straight Story (1999).
McGill appeared on the drama series JAG in 1999, and his only on-screen role since was the 2017 Twin Peaks revival.
14 of 16
Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell
From left: Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell on 'Twin Peaks'; Piper Laurie attends the TCM Classic Film Festival in L.A. on April 23, 2022Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Jerod Harris/Getty
Piper Laurie earned a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of Catherine Martell on Twin Peaks, but she did not appear in any of the series' revivals.
She had already been nominated for three Oscars for her roles in The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976) and Children of a Lesser God (1986) before joining Twin Peaks. In more recent years, she starred in Another Harvest Moon (2010) and White Boy Rick (2018) and had a guest spot on MacGyver.
Laurie died in October 2023 at age 91. She shared one child, daughter Anne, with her ex-husband Joe Morgenstern, with whom she was married from 1962 to 1982.
15 of 16
Jack Nance as Pete Martell
From left: Jack Nance as Pete Martell on 'Twin Peaks'; Jack Nance attends the ABC TV Summer Press Tour in Century City, Calif., on July 22, 1990Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Jack Nance portrayed Catherine's husband, Pete Martell.
The actor appeared in several of Lynch's projects, including Eraserhead (1977), Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart (1990) and Lost Highway (1997).
According to the Los Angeles Times, Nance died in December 1996 at age 53 after suffering an internal head injury. In 2002, Lynch produced a documentary in Nance's honor titled I Don't Know Jack.
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Joan Chen as Jocelyn Packard
From left: Joan Chen as Jocelyn Packard on 'Twin Peaks'; Joan Chen attends 'The Wedding Banquet' Opening Gala at BFI Southbank in London on March 19, 2025Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty ; Jeff Spicer/Getty
Joan Chen played Jocelyn Packard, Catherine's sister-in-law and owner of the Twin Peaks mill. She did not appear in any revivals.
Chen has since starred in several films, including The Sun Also Rises (2007), Tigertail (2020), Dìdi (2024), Montreal, My Beautiful (2025), The Wedding Banquet (2025) and No Other Love (2026). She has also directed various projects such as Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998), Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998) and The Iron Hammer (2020).
Chen has been married to her husband, Peter Hui, since 1992. They share two daughters, Audrey and Angela.
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