Kyle MacLachlan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle 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)​
Children	1

Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (born February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Dale Cooper in the TV show Twin Peaks (1990–1991; 2017). This role earned him an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe award. He also starred in the movie prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992).

Kyle MacLachlan has worked with director David Lynch on other films too. These include Dune (1984) where he played Paul Atreides, and Blue Velvet (1986) as Jeffrey Beaumont.

His other well-known movie roles include Lloyd Gallagher in The Hidden (1987), Ray Manzarek in The Doors (1991), and Cliff Vandercave in The Flintstones (1994). He also voiced Riley's father in the popular Inside Out animated movies (2015, 2024).

On television, MacLachlan has had many important roles. He played Trey MacDougal on Sex and the City (2000–2002) and Orson Hodge on Desperate Housewives (2006–2012). He was also "The Captain" on How I Met Your Mother (2010–2014) and How I Met Your Father (2022). More recently, he played the Mayor of Portland on Portlandia (2011–2018), Calvin Johnson on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014–2015), and Hank MacLean on Fallout (2024–present).

Early Life and Education

Kyle MacLachlan was born in Yakima, Washington. His birth name was Kyle Merritt McLachlan, but he later changed the spelling to honor his Scottish family history. His mother, Catherine, was involved in community arts. His father, Kent Alan McLachlan, was a stockbroker and lawyer. Kyle has Scottish, Cornish, and German family roots.

He grew up in Yakima as the oldest of three brothers. His younger brothers, Craig and Kent Jr., live near Seattle. Kyle went to Eisenhower High School in Yakima.

Kyle's mother first introduced him to acting. She directed a youth theater program for teenagers in Yakima. He also took piano lessons and studied classical singing. In high school, he performed in plays and musicals. He acted in his first play when he was 15. For his senior year, he played the main role in Black Comedy and also Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady.

In 1982, he graduated from the University of Washington (UW). He earned a degree in drama. He was part of the Professional Actor Training Program. He first thought about studying business. He also studied classical singing at UW before focusing on acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1980s

Kyle MacLachlan's first experience on a film set was as an extra in The Changeling (1980). This movie was partly filmed at the University of Washington. He earned $10 for this small role.

In the summers during college, he performed in plays. He acted at the Old Lyric Repertory Theatre in Logan, Utah, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

MacLachlan made his big movie debut in Dune (1984). He played the main character, Paul Atreides. While still in college, a casting agent for Dune saw him acting in a play. Many people suggested Kyle for the role. After several screen tests, he connected well with director David Lynch. They both came from the Pacific Northwest, which helped. He won the part.

Dune did not do well and got bad reviews. This made it hard for MacLachlan to find new acting jobs. He moved to Los Angeles in 1985. He tried out for many films, including Top Gun, but didn't get any roles.

Later, David Lynch cast MacLachlan as Jeffrey Beaumont in Blue Velvet (1986). This movie was much more successful. Kyle has said that David Lynch "plucked me from obscurity." He feels Lynch had a huge impact on his career. Lynch often lets actors have a lot of say in their roles. Kyle even asked Lynch to change some scenes in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, and Lynch agreed.

In 1987, he starred as FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher in the science fiction action film The Hidden.

Success in the 1990s

Kyle MacLachlan at the 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 1991.

MacLachlan worked with David Lynch again on the TV series Twin Peaks (1990–91). He played Special Agent Dale Cooper. He also played this role in the 1992 movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. David Lynch once said that Kyle plays "innocents who are interested in the mysteries of life." He sees Kyle as someone you can trust to explore strange worlds with.

Kyle MacLachlan at the 1991 Emmy Awards.

In 1991, MacLachlan played musician Ray Manzarek in Oliver Stone's film The Doors. He had previously turned down a role in Stone's 1986 movie Platoon. In 1993, he played the main role of Josef K. in The Trial, based on Franz Kafka's book.

In 1994, MacLachlan co-starred in the HBO film Against the Wall. This movie was about the Attica prison riots. That same year, he was in The Flintstones. He played Cliff Vandercave, the main bad guy, alongside John Goodman. He also appeared in an episode of Tales from the Crypt in 1991.

In 1995, MacLachlan starred in Showgirls. The movie received very bad reviews. MacLachlan later said he found the movie "inadvertently funny." He embraced its "campiness," meaning it was so over-the-top it became enjoyable.

Roles in the 2000s

From 2000 to 2002, MacLachlan had a recurring role in Sex and the City. He played Dr. Trey MacDougal, the husband of Charlotte York (Kristin Davis). In 2000, he played King Claudius in the film Hamlet. In the video game Grand Theft Auto III (2001), he voiced the character Donald Love. In 2002, he performed in a play called On an Average Day in London.

Kyle MacLachlan at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con.

In 2003, MacLachlan made his Broadway debut in Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker. In 2004, he played the spirit of Cary Grant in the film Touch of Pink. People had often said he looked like Cary Grant. That same year, he also had a guest role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He returned to the show as a guest star in 2011.

In 2006, MacLachlan joined Desperate Housewives. He played the mysterious dentist Orson Hodge. He became a regular cast member in season three. In 2007, he was a presenter at the Live Earth concert in London. He appeared in the 2008 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. He also voiced "Marius" in the English version of the Norwegian animated film Free Jimmy (2008).

Projects in the 2010s

In 2010, after four years, MacLachlan left Desperate Housewives. He found it hard to travel from his home in New York City to the set in Los Angeles after becoming a father. However, he came back as a guest star in 2012 for the show's final season. He also guest starred as George "The Captain" Van Smoot in How I Met Your Mother from 2010 to 2014. He played this role again in the spinoff How I Met Your Father in 2022.

From 2011 to 2018, he played the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, in the IFC comedy show Portlandia. After starring in the 2012 series Made in Jersey, he was a guest star in The Good Wife. In 2013 and 2014, he played prosecutor Josh Perotti in four episodes of The Good Wife.

From 2014 to 2015, he appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He played the supervillain Calvin Zabo / The Doctor. In 2015, he voiced Riley Anderson's father in the Pixar animated movie Inside Out. In January 2015, it was announced that MacLachlan would return as Special Agent Dale Cooper for the new Twin Peaks series, which started in May 2017. Kyle has said he doesn't fully understand all of Twin Peaks himself!

In 2018, MacLachlan played the main bad guy, Isaac Izard, in the fantasy-horror film The House with a Clock in Its Walls.

Work in the 2020s

In 2020, he worked again with Ethan Hawke (from Hamlet). Kyle played Thomas Edison in the movie Tesla. Later that year, he made a short appearance in How To With John Wilson. He then played Franklin D. Roosevelt in Atlantic Crossing, which aired in 2021.

In 2022, MacLachlan co-starred with Jon Hamm in Confess, Fletch. He was also cast as Chief Justice Earl Warren in Miranda's Victim. From 2023 to 2024, he did more voice acting. He had a guest role on Hulu's Futurama. He also returned to voice Riley's dad in Pixar's Inside Out 2 and Disney+'s Dream Productions.

MacLachlan also helped create and host a podcast called Varnamtown. This true crime series explores a town's connections to Pablo Escobar.

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

In September 2024, he was cast in a new comedy series called Overcompensating.

Winemaking

Kyle MacLachlan loves wine. He is partners with winemaker Eric Dunham in a wine label called Pursued by Bear. This company started in 2005 in Walla Walla, Washington. The name comes from a funny stage direction in Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale: "Exit, pursued by a bear." Their wines are considered some of the best in Washington. Pursued By Bear sells five types of wine: Twin Bear, Pursued by Bear, Baby Bear, Blushing Bear, and Bear Cub.

Personal Life

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

He met publicist Desiree Gruber in 1999. She runs her own public relations company. She also became an executive producer for the show Project Runway in 2004. Kyle moved to New York City because he was filming Sex and the City and Desiree lived there. They got married on April 20, 2002. Their son was born on July 25, 2008. The family has homes in Los Angeles and New York.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

Kyle MacLachlan has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting.

Images for kids

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

See also

In Spanish: Kyle MacLachlan para niños

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards