By David Michael Brown
When the character of Richard Horne made his first appearance in the new season of Twin Peaks the internet imploded. All we knew about him was his name from the final credit roll. And that he was evil incarnate. As played with reptilian relish by Eamon Farren, Horne cut a striking pose when he waltzed into the Roadhouse, casually sexually assaulting a young girl while conducting a drug deal. And then there was the insane moment of vehicular mayhem that provoked a mass outpouring of grief for the inhabitants of Twin Peaks. Horne was rapidly becoming the poster (bad) boy of Twin Peaks but we are still in the dark when it comes to his parentage. A brutal meeting with his grandparents gave us a big clue to the scoundrel’s roots but we are still to reacquaint ourselves with Sherilyn Fenn’s Audrey Horne. Assuming she is Richard’s mother the bigger question is who is his father? Who could have possibly spawned such a despicable man. Filmink sat down with the young actor to ask him all these questions and more…
Were you a fan of Twin Peaks? Were you aware of the show before you got this part?
Yeah. I knew about Twin Peaks. I had only seen four episodes that we watched in drama school, way before I got the part. But I have been a big fan of David’s work. I was aware of it. Before I got the role I feverishly watched the first two seasons over three days. It was a pretty intense ride.
How did this part come about for you? You hear various things about David Lynch not auditioning people and just have a coffee and giving them the role. How did it work for you?
David has many strange and amazing ways of doing things. I was doing a play [The Present] at the Sydney Theatre Company with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh and it was coming to the end of its run. It was a matinee day on a Wednesday and I went out in between shows and there was a message on my phone from my agent saying that David Lynch had called to see if I was available and interested in a role in Twin Peaks. So I had to take stock for two seconds. And then I ran towards it, obviously. David and I never spoke about it, actually I should ask him, but I filmed Chained with Jennifer Lynch. I think he saw that movie and kept me in mind. But you never know with David.
When you got the part how much of the script were you allowed to see?
When all the deal was done and we secured the role I had a chat with David on the phone. He just called me up over some coffee and asked if I had any questions. I was like yeah, I have a bunch of questions. Like who am I playing? He said I can’t tell you that but just come over to the forest and make a cool thing with some cool people! That was all I had before I got on the plane. Then when I Ianded I was handed some sides, not every side but just the first couple of scenes. It was always just on the day of the shoot. I never really knew where it was going? It was really good in that sense. To work with David and the rest of the crew on that day, for that day.
Have you been watching the response to the show, and the speculation about your character?
I’ve been watching the show week by week. Just like everyone else does. There was no post work or ADR so we didn’t see anything. It’s really cool. I obviously shot my stuff so I am aware of that but apart from that I get to watch this whole show where I have no idea what is coming next and that’s a privilege. I get to watch a very cool show every week and then I pop up and that’s kind of awesome. The speculation and the mystery is the best thing about the show.
What did you think about Episode 8?
How cool was that episode? I was watching it and then realised there was no dialogue for about thirty minutes! It’s a piece of art. I think the new season is that perfect combination of nostalgia and subversion. It’s something completely new and it’s brilliant. Watching it now, it’s the only way that a new season of Twin Peaks could be done.
The show is the brainchild of David Lynch and his con-conspirator Mark Frost. Can you talk about working with them both?
Mark was on set a lot when I was working. They have a really great simpatico. They also trust each other completely. I know they haven’t worked with each other for years but they still have an intrinsic connection in their writing and their understanding. Their imaginations complement each other. It was really cool to be working with David on a scene and then break and talk to Mark and have all at once different conversations but all driving towards the same theme. I think that’s another example of why that works because they have their own artistic and creative minds but converge in a way that is unique.
Everyone will have a pre-conceived idea of what David is like as a director but what is he like to work with.
[Laughs] He’s super cool. You walk on set but you don’t know much. The first thing he does is put his trust in you and coming from David Lynch that means a lot. As a creative performer, if you have that sort of trust given to you from the very beginning, I think the possibilities are endless. I felt really comfortable from the very beginning and really welcome. He doesn’t use a lot of words, he doesn’t speak a lot. He gives you one word, or maybe a couple of words, that really trigger something in you that you need and then he lets it happen. I only ever shot one or two takes for every scene and that’s a daunting thing sometimes as an actor but I loved that. It puts the pressure on to captures something that exists in that moment and that’s what he tries to do. He’s also there for you if you need to chat through stuff, everything all at once but in his own David Lynch, everything that you expect way!
What was the atmosphere on set?
I first walked on set in upstate Washington in Seattle and it was the most relaxed set I’ve ever been on. Everyone was really happy to be there obviously and I think that is the key. Everyone was excited to be working on this show. It reminded me that filmmaking should always be fun. It was like waking up in the morning and getting to do the best job ever.
What we have seen of the new series so far you’re are being pinned as the bad boy of Twin Peaks, how did you psyche yourself up to play such a dastardly cad?
That’s the genius of David Lynch! He got me on a plane to Seattle and my first day of filming is the big truck scene. He picked me up, popped me down and got me to do something crazy. That set the tone. As an actor, every day was going to be a new experience.
I guess you can’t give us any clues about Richard’s parents yet can you?
Are you kidding dude! [Laughs] Absolutely not! [Laughs] Even if I could I don’t know if I would. People want to discover the truth by themselves and I think that is the coolest thing. I honestly don’t know where half of the show is going myself!
That’s the amazing thing about the show. Social media is being set alight during the show as it happens, not before it. Everyone has kept their secrets and nothing has leaked…
Absolutely! I totally agree. You’re right, they haven’t been any leaks, or significant ones anyway. I think that’s because everyone really respects what Lynch is trying to do. From the beginning he made it very clear that it was going to be a different kind of show. The entirety of the show and the impact of what he is making only would work if you walk into every part unaware. Also how cool is it to sit down and watch a TV show once a week that is four steps ahead of you that you ruminate on for a few days afterwards? That’s what Lynch does, he gets into your psyche and you have to deal with it for the rest of the week until the next episode.
Twin Peaks is streaming on STAN.
