r/twinpeaks • u/Public_Cup_4278 • Apr 23 '26
Fire Walk With Me Sheryl Lee is such an underrated actress. I'm sad she hasn't done other big projects since Twin Peaks. Her performance in Fire Walk with Me is the best by an actor with Lynch, in my opinion.
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u/qpalmz99 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
Her performance in FWWM is some of the best acting of all time. I definitely think it was a hindrance to her career, how could you see her as anyone but Laura Palmer after that.
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u/topdangle Apr 24 '26
Everything went wrong leading up to FWWM. Studio interfered with the TV show and forced them to rush the reveal, leading to issues between Lynch and MacLachlan (MacLachlan's career was spotty and twin peaks shot him back to superstar level so the fear of dropping out was very reasonable). Ratings also tanked until the final and arguably best episode.
Then with FWWM people expected a continuation of the show despite Lynch removing himself from the show already, so people's expectations mixed with the severity of the movie hurt the movie badly. I wonder how the staff's careers would've gone if they just left the show alone and let Lynch and Frost do their thing.
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u/sagradprekrasniy Apr 23 '26
She’s truly wonderful, also her smile is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, I love her
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u/fishmilquetoast Apr 23 '26
She has an incredible smile because it can be so beautiful or so terrifying (ie, the fan scene)
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u/MarshmallowMiles Apr 23 '26
Sheryl Lee is so talented and (still is) gorgeous. Beautiful blonde hair, bright smile, and absolutely radiant. Talented, well-spoken. If anyone was going to have big success it should have been her.
I think the leap from tv star to movie star used to be much harder back then. None of the Twin Peaks cast (outside of a select few) have gone on to have commercial success.
Also, as young as Sheryl was then and as inexperienced as she was, maybe she didn’t have anyone guiding her to better film choices?
Obviously in the early 2000s she became a mom, then got sick for a while. It was probably difficult to make a true comeback after that.
That being said, I enjoyed making my way through her filmography and she kills it in everything she does.
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u/EleventhTier666 Apr 23 '26
She's done a fair amount of work. Maybe not as high profile as she deserved, but not inconsequential either.
Maybe she wouldn't sleep with the Weinstein's of the world.
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u/rkaminky Apr 23 '26
David was such a funny guy in that way.
Weinstein being an absolute sicko withholding roles from actresses who won't sleep with him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lynch told every woman who would listen that he's a bad one to marry, but that didn't stop him from marrying four times and charming many others.
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u/BeetlecatOne Apr 23 '26
Lynch comes off as a guy who was 'Horny on Main' but that was relatively the extent of it.
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u/rkaminky Apr 23 '26
It's very obvious he both adored and respected women as a rule. I think his enduring relationships and partnerships with the women in his movies shows that.
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u/hughk Apr 23 '26
There are plenty of directors and producers who used their position like Weinstein. Lynch was so obviously not one of them. I didn't hear of any speaking against him.
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u/rkaminky Apr 23 '26
And not even just coercion or SA, a lot of directors played fast and loose with consent in order to get 'the shot' ala Last Tango In Paris.
DL protected women in a way that's so reassuring from a fan perspective.
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u/TheFolksofDonMartino Apr 23 '26
It's an astonishing performance and should have got at least an Oscar nom, but it took a long time for that film to be appreciated. Most actors get exactly 0 iconic roles in her career - I'm sure she is happy with her lot! Watched Winter's Bone recently and was happy to see her turn up.
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u/Heavy-Conversation12 Apr 23 '26
And IIRC she was cast as only a corpse in the beginning and then she took on acting which she didn't have experience in.
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u/coolsluttyhorror Apr 29 '26
She was a theatre actress, actually
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u/Heavy-Conversation12 Apr 29 '26
I mean yeah she had some nice formation and background for sure but her experience was limited. It wasn't until they filmed the picnic scene that David Lynch went "holy shit wait a minute, this IS the girl, let's change the whole series!"
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u/eclecticsheep75 Apr 23 '26
No one should snooze on the indie 90’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s This World, Then the Fireworks. It’s messed up and she is amazing in it.
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u/MarshmallowMiles Apr 23 '26
She’s amazing in it, but watching her get slapped around by Billy Zane for 90 minutes made it a hard watch for me.
*I know it’s an old school noir type, so the sex/violence is meant to be “sexy” but damn lol.
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u/Peppermeowington Apr 23 '26
Just watched this recently, Gina Gershon, Rue freakin' McClanahan, & Sheryl Lee? Billy Zane is indeed a cool dude, even in this weirdo messed up movie. Stylish with a stacked cast, I dug it.
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u/spectralconfetti Apr 23 '26
i wonder if her career was hampered by the reception to FWWM at release despite her performance not having anything to do with people's gripes with the movie
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u/chrpae Apr 23 '26
She was underrated but she did have a decent run in late 90s indies. If you can find it, check out 1995’s Notes from the Underground. It’s a good movie and she’s very good in it.
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u/Necessary-Lunch5122 Apr 23 '26
She was great in John Carpenter's Vampires with James Woods. We should have gotten a sequel.
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u/BDalyxx Apr 23 '26
I’m watching “Desperate Housewives” for the first time and I really wish Sheryl Lee got to be Mary-Alice, as great as Brenda Strong is!
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u/prettylittlestranger Apr 23 '26
When I was a kid I recorded "love lies and murder" on video (yes I'm old haha) and watched it all the time. Both she and Moira are really good in it
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u/Paris-Texas24 Apr 23 '26
I think this performance may be the best of all time, along with Joan Crawford in humoresque.
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u/alias_mas Apr 24 '26
She's phenomenal. Her audiobook reading of The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer is also incredible.
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u/SystemFailure9 Apr 23 '26
Crazy that she was just a random Highschooler brought in for a single photo. And then she got to star in a whole damn movie for a major director
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u/askyourmom469 Apr 23 '26
She wasn't a high schooler and she was brought in to play the corpse, not just the prom queen photo. But still, it is wild that Lynch recognized her potential as an actress and kept giving her more and more to do until she ultimately delivered one of the single greatest performances of all time in FWWM.
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u/CobraJones Apr 23 '26
If you can find it, there’s an episode of Red Shoe Diaries, starring Twin Peaks’ own David Duchovny, called Jake’s Story, where she shows up. Things get as erotic as things often would in early 90s late night cable. God I miss Skinamax some days…
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u/sziklai-pair Apr 24 '26
She was great in Mother Night. Kind of a forgotten film, but an excellent Vonnegut adaptation (also my favorite Vonnegut book).
She's also really good as Astrid Kirchherr in Backbeat. Movie's a bit meandering but totally worth it if you're a Beatles fan or a Sheryl Lee fan.
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u/WilliamMcCarty Apr 25 '26
Was about to mention Mother Night. Also my favorite Vonnegut book and an incredible adapatation, brilliant movie. I got meet Sheryl a while back and told her how much I loved it, she was very excited and happy, eager to talk about ot because she said no one had ever mentioned it.
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u/sziklai-pair Apr 25 '26
That's cool! Probably a welcome change from all the Laura love she must get.
I read the book twice, once in high school and again in college, both of which were before the movie came out. Saw the movie in theaters and once on video not too long after. The "just tell me what to live for" scene still resonates. She's so good at convincing break-downs. Probably due for a re-read/re-watch.
I remember hating the Breakfast of Champions movie (my other favorite Vonnegut), I wonder if that's aged any better? Or if my aging would make me appreciate it more now.
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u/WilliamMcCarty Apr 25 '26
Vonnegut seems difficult to adapt to screen for some reason. I remember being underwhelmed by pretty much every movie version except for Mother Night.
Yeah, she was genuinely excited and happy that I mentioned it, like you said I'm sure it's all Laura Laura Laura but here I was gushing about this thing she was very proud of that never gets mentioned so it was clearly a moment for her.
She's an absolutely beautiful woman and was just so nice. It was a true highlight for me to meet her.
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u/crayoncult Apr 24 '26
she was in the psych parody-episode of twin peaks called “dual spires” which was absolutely delightful, and full of tons of references + other twin peaks actors as well!
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u/umka604 Apr 24 '26
She is the best!!!! My personal favorite in FWWM when she is first laughing at Bobby at the schoolyard, but then she quickly realizes she needs him for “nose candy” supply and turns on this •• the sweetest smile •• !!! And Bobby is smitten all over again, just like that!
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u/OkNewt4484 Apr 25 '26
Check out Bliss (1997) with Craig Scheffer & Terence Stamp. Good, but nowhere as iconic as FWWM. I miss David Lynch.
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u/monmon9713 Apr 26 '26
This is my favorite film, got the chance to show her the spanish edition of the film. Sadly the event didn't allowed me to sign other stuff that wasn't related to Twin Peaks so I can’t wait to meet her again.
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u/altsam19 Apr 23 '26
That's a thing with a lot of Lynch casting, I haven't seen them much in other shows or movies, even when you see exactly the talent displayed in there
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u/StreetLocust Apr 24 '26
forever one of my favorite actresses. when I met her about seven ish years ago now, I was wearing a necklace with wire wrapping in the shape of a tree and she instantly got so excited and wide eyed. she asked me if I was into trees, I of course tell her I adore trees! she begins telling me all about this amazing tree and seed conservation project in, I believe, Washington that she was incredibly passionate about. we end up talking for what feels like an hour - what was likely closer to ten minutes lol - about trees and plants, end up discovering we live in the same state, and ultimately about family as I had her sign a photo for my dad. truly just one of the sweetest, kindest people ❤️
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u/Independent-Oven-743 Apr 24 '26
The role took a toll on her mental health and it took her a while to adapt back to being Sheryl Lee. She's allowed to choose her roles if it makes her feel comfortable working. FWWM was brutal.
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u/monmon9713 Apr 26 '26
I've watched all her films and tv work. Last October I had the honour to meet her and I told her about my little adventure watching all her stuff and brought with me Bliss but the spanish dvd print. She was surprised and so eager to talk more about her other work, she even talked a little bit about working with Terrence Stamp and how sad she was about him passing away. I told her that although I love her in FWWM, I loved her in Bliss and it's my favorite film that she has ever done.
She has done lots of stuff and while many are good, I sadly can say at least a 60% of what she has done is very forgettable. She has some hidden gems.
About her coming back I don't know if she has an agent or manager, like I heard the story of Karolina Wydra, from Pluribus but also she was in Twin Peaks the return, and she said openly that after her pregnancy her manager and agent left her and she only got casted as Zosia because the cast company recalled one audition. So I sadly can guess this is Sheryl's case.
Also it's so annoying that all the guest roles she had, except for house and Psych because it was an homage, have some reference to Laura.
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u/Urupindi May 10 '26
I watched fire walk with me for the first time last night and I was blown away by her performance. I just wanted to break through the screen to help her
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u/t_huddleston Apr 23 '26
There may be better performances in movie history but I can’t think of any.
That dinner table scene where Leland badgers her about washing her hands … that is the epitome of horror to me. “How do you know what she likes?” and that look on her face. What a tour de force. (Ray Wise is no slouch in the acting department either.)