Kyle MacLachlan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyle MacLachlan
MacLachlan in 2017
Born	Kyle McLachlan (1959-02-22) February 22, 1959 (age 66) Yakima, Washington, U.S.
Education	University of Washington (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979–present
Spouse(s)	Desiree Gruber ​ (m. 2002)​
Partner(s)	Linda Evangelista (1992–1998)
Children	1

Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (/məkˈlɒklən/ mək-LOK-lən; né McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is famous for working with director David Lynch. Kyle played Dale Cooper in the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017). This role won him a Golden Globe award. He also starred in Lynch's movies like Dune (1984) as Paul Atreides and Blue Velvet (1986) as Jeffrey Beaumont.

Kyle MacLachlan has also been in many other popular films. These include The Hidden (1987), The Doors (1991), and The Flintstones (1994). He also voiced Riley's dad in the Inside Out animated movies (2015, 2024).

On television, Kyle has played important roles. He was Trey MacDougal on ... and the City (2000–2002). He also played Orson Hodge on Desperate Housewives (2006–2012). Other roles include The Captain on How I Met Your Mother (2010–2014) and How I Met Your Father (2022). He was also the Mayor of Portland on Portlandia (2011–2018). More recently, he played Hank MacLean on Fallout (2024–present).

Early Life and Education

Kyle MacLachlan was born in Yakima, Washington. His mother, Catherine, was a public relations director for schools. She also helped with community arts programs. His father, Kent Alan McLachlan, was a stockbroker and lawyer. Kyle has Scottish, German, and Cornish family roots. He grew up in Yakima as the oldest of three brothers.

Kyle went to Eisenhower High School. His mother introduced him to acting when she directed a youth theater program. He also took piano lessons and studied singing. In high school, he acted in plays and musicals. He played the main role in Black Comedy and Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. In 1982, he graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in drama. He first thought about studying business, but then chose acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1980s

Kyle MacLachlan's first film experience was as an extra in The Changeling (1980). He was paid $10 for this small part. In college, he performed in plays in Utah and Oregon during the summers.

His first big movie role was as Paul Atreides in Dune (1984). A casting agent for the movie found him while he was acting in a play in Seattle. He connected well with director David Lynch. This was the start of a long working relationship between them.

After Dune did not do well, Kyle found it hard to get new roles. He moved to Los Angeles in 1985. He tried out for many films, including Top Gun, but did not get any parts.

David Lynch then cast Kyle in Blue Velvet (1986). This movie was much more successful. Kyle has said that David Lynch helped him become known. He felt that Lynch saw him as a "boy-next-door-cooking-up-something-weird-in-the-basement." Kyle also starred as FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher in the science fiction film The Hidden.

Success in the 1990s

Kyle MacLachlan and Lara Flynn Boyle at the 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 1991

Kyle continued working with David Lynch on the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–91). He played Special Agent Dale Cooper. He played this role again in the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). David Lynch said that Kyle plays characters who are innocent and curious about life's mysteries. Kyle felt Lynch was a mentor who had a huge impact on him. Lynch often let Kyle help shape his characters.

Kyle MacLachlan at the 1991 Emmy Awards

In 1991, Kyle played musician Ray Manzarek in the film The Doors. He had previously turned down a role in the movie Platoon. He also appeared in an episode of Tales from the Crypt. In 1993, he played Josef K. in the film The Trial.

In 1994, Kyle was in the HBO film Against the Wall. He played a new prison guard. That same year, he was in The Flintstones movie. He played Cliff Vandercave, the main bad guy.

In 1995, Kyle starred in Showgirls. This movie received many negative reviews. Kyle later said he found the movie "inadvertently funny." He did not go on the press tour for the movie, but he did watch the whole film.

Roles in the 2000s

From 2000 to 2002, Kyle had a repeating role in ... and the City. He played Dr. Trey MacDougal. In 2000, he played King Claudius in the film Hamlet. He also voiced Donald Love in the video game Grand Theft Auto III in 2001. In 2002, he acted in a play in London called On an Average Day.

In 2003, Kyle performed on Broadway in the play The Caretaker. In 2004, he played the spirit of Cary Grant in the film Touch of Pink. He also had a guest role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In 2006, Kyle joined the cast of Desperate Housewives. He played the mysterious dentist Orson Hodge. He was a main character from season three. In 2007, he was a presenter at the Live Earth concert in London. He also appeared in the film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 in 2008. He voiced "Marius" in the animated film Free Jimmy.

Busy Years in the 2010s

Kyle MacLachlan at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2010, Kyle left Desperate Housewives because it was hard to travel from his home in New York City to Los Angeles. However, he returned as a guest star for the final season in 2012. He also played George "The Captain" Van Smoot in How I Met Your Mother from 2010 to 2014. He played this role again in How I Met Your Father in 2022.

From 2011 to 2018, he played the Mayor of Portland in the comedy show Portlandia. He also appeared in The Good Wife as prosecutor Josh Perotti. In 2014 and 2015, he was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the villain Calvin Johnson. In 2015, he voiced Riley Anderson's father in the animated movie Inside Out. In 2017, Kyle returned as Special Agent Dale Cooper for the new Twin Peaks: The Return series.

In 2018, Kyle starred as Isaac Izard in the fantasy-horror film The House with a Clock in its Walls. In 2019, he was in High Flying Bird and Carol's Second Act.

Recent Work in the 2020s

In 2020, Kyle reunited with his Hamlet co-star Ethan Hawke. Kyle played Thomas Edison in the film Tesla. He also had a small appearance in How To with John Wilson. In 2021, he played Franklin D. Roosevelt in the TV series Atlantic Crossing.

In 2022, Kyle co-starred with Jon Hamm in Confess, Fletch. He also played Chief Justice Earl Warren in Miranda's Victim. From 2023 to 2024, he did more voice acting. He was a guest star on Futurama and voiced Riley's dad again in Inside Out 2 and Dream Productions.

Kyle also co-hosted a podcast called Varnamtown. It is a true crime series about Varnamtown, North Carolina and its links to Pablo Escobar.

In 2024, he received the Canal+ Icon Award at Canneseries. This was before his role in Amazon's Fallout, a show based on the popular video game. Fallout was quickly renewed for a second season. In August 2024, he had a supporting role in Blink Twice, a movie directed by Zoë Kravitz.

In September 2024, he was cast in Overcompensating, a comedy series. In January 2025, Kyle MacLachlan presented an award to David Lynch, who had passed away earlier that month. Kyle often spoke about his friendship with Lynch, saying he was always willing to follow Lynch on their "journey of discovery."

Personal Life

Kyle MacLachlan with actress Lara Flynn Boyle at the 1990 Emmy Awards

Kyle MacLachlan's mother passed away in 1986. His father passed away in 2011.

Relationships and Family

Kyle dated his Blue Velvet co-star Laura Dern from 1985 to 1989. Then, he was in a relationship with Twin Peaks co-star Lara Flynn Boyle from 1990 to 1992. After that, he dated supermodel Linda Evangelista from 1992 to 1998. They were engaged for a few years.

In 1999, he met publicist Desiree Gruber. They got married on April 20, 2002. Their son was born on July 25, 2008. The family lives in both Los Angeles and New York.

Winemaking Hobby

Kyle MacLachlan loves wine. In 2005, he started his own wine company called Pursued by Bear. He co-founded it with winemaker Eric Dunham in Walla Walla, Washington. The name comes from a famous stage direction in a play by Shakespeare. Pursued by Bear is known as one of Washington's best wine labels. They make five different types of wine.

Social Media Presence

In 2024, Kyle MacLachlan's Instagram and TikTok accounts became very popular. He often shares posts that use trending music and ideas from popular artists. His posts have received positive reactions from these artists. Many people have praised how he connects with a younger audience.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Theatre Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kyle MacLachlan para niños

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
• List of Golden Globe winners