Jack Nance
Encyclopedia
Marvin John Nance known professionally as Jack Nance and occasionally credited as John Nance, was an American
actor
of stage
and screen, primarily starring in offbeat or avant-garde productions. He was known for his work with director David Lynch
, particularly for his roles in Eraserhead
, Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks
.
. He graduated from South Oak Cliff High School
. His father retired from Neiman Marcus. He worked for some time with the American Conservatory Theater
in San Francisco. In the 1970s, Nance met David Lynch, who cast him as the lead in Eraserhead
. At the time, Nance was married to the actress Catherine E. Coulson
(the future Log Lady in Twin Peaks
), but they divorced in 1976.
, Nance remained on good terms with Lynch, who cast him in nearly all of his projects:
Nance also guest-starred on a 1995 episode of My So-Called Life
entitled "Weekend." He played an innkeeper. Jack Nance also made a cameo appearance with actress Mary Woronov
in the 1983 Suicidal Tendencies
Institutionalized music video.
star Jerry Van Dyke
. Kelly Van Dyke committed suicide
by hanging on November 17, 1991. According to his younger brother Richard Nance, Jack, who was in Oregon filming Meatballs 4
at the time, attempted to console her on the phone as she threatened suicide. A lightning storm knocked out the phones in Oregon, subsequently taking over 45 minutes for Nance and the director, Bobby Logan, to find a deputy sheriff who contacted LA police and the apartment manager. They broke in and found that she had hanged herself.
on December 30, 1996 under mysterious circumstances. Nance claimed to have been involved in a brawl outside a Winchell's Donuts
on the morning of December 29. It is unclear if he was still drunk from the previous night, or if he had already begun drinking
that morning, but it is certain that he was intoxicated at the time. He would later tell friends that he had "'popped-off' to a couple of beaner
s" in the parking lot at 5am that day. "He told them to get a haircut and a job. One of them socked him in the eye, his glasses flew off and he went down."
Later that day, he lunched with friends Leo Bulgarini and Catherine Case. Nance had a visible "crescent shaped bruise" under his eye and when asked about it, related to them the story about the fight. He soon went home, complaining of a headache
. The injuries he received caused a subdural hematoma
, resulting in his death the following morning. Nance died alone in his apartment. His body was discovered on the bathroom floor by Bulgarini. An autopsy revealed that the actor's blood alcohol level was .24 percent at the time of his death.
A documentary about Nance funded by Lynch, titled I Don't Know Jack, was released in 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and screen, primarily starring in offbeat or avant-garde productions. He was known for his work with director David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
, particularly for his roles in Eraserhead
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
, Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
.
Early life
Nance was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was raised in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. He graduated from South Oak Cliff High School
South Oak Cliff High School
South Oak Cliff High School is a public secondary school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas...
. His father retired from Neiman Marcus. He worked for some time with the American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater is a large non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. A.C.T. was founded in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Tech by theatre and...
in San Francisco. In the 1970s, Nance met David Lynch, who cast him as the lead in Eraserhead
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
. At the time, Nance was married to the actress Catherine E. Coulson
Catherine E. Coulson
Catherine E. Coulson is an American stage and screen actress who also works behind the scenes on various independent films. She is best known for her role as the Log Lady in the David Lynch TV series Twin Peaks....
(the future Log Lady in Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
), but they divorced in 1976.
Later career
In his later years, Nance grew a small white moustache and was a distinctive presence in many films with his peculiar twisted smile and bug eyes. After EraserheadEraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
, Nance remained on good terms with Lynch, who cast him in nearly all of his projects:
- DuneDune (film)Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
(1984): a small role as the HarkonnenHouse HarkonnenHouse Harkonnen is a powerful noble family in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. The Harkonnens are featured prominently in the original 1965 novel Dune, and are also a major presence in both the Prelude to Dune and Legends of Dune prequel trilogies by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
Captain Iakin Nefud. - Blue Velvet (1986): a supporting role as Paul, a friend of Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
's villain character. - The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988): plays Pete, one of the cowboys.
- Wild at HeartWild at Heart (film)Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
(1990): a small role as '00 Spool'. - Twin PeaksTwin PeaksTwin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
(1990–1991): co-starring role as Pete MartellPete MartellPeter Martell is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.Pete , born on June 28, 1943, is a lumberjack who married his boss' sister Catherine. What started as a "summer's indiscretion", developed into a marriage on the rocks, a marriage that from...
, the henpecked sawmill gaffer. - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): reprised his role as Peter Martell, but his scenes were deleted.
- Lost Highway (1997): a small role as a garage mechanic named Phil (his final acting role).
Nance also guest-starred on a 1995 episode of My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
entitled "Weekend." He played an innkeeper. Jack Nance also made a cameo appearance with actress Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov is an American actress and writer. She is primarily known for her roles in independent and cult films. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider.-Early life:Woronov was born in the...
in the 1983 Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
Institutionalized music video.
Wife's suicide
Nance was married to Kelly Jean Van Dyke (who worked in the adult film industry under the name Nancee Kelly), in May 1991. Kelly was the daughter of CoachCoach (TV series)
Coach is an American television sitcom that aired for nine seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1997. The series starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, head coach of the fictional Division I-A college football team, the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles...
star Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
. Kelly Van Dyke committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by hanging on November 17, 1991. According to his younger brother Richard Nance, Jack, who was in Oregon filming Meatballs 4
Meatballs 4
Meatballs 4 is a 1992 film that was the fourth and final installment to the Meatballs franchise. It was shot in its entirety at Bass Lake, California in the late summer of 1991.-Synopsis:...
at the time, attempted to console her on the phone as she threatened suicide. A lightning storm knocked out the phones in Oregon, subsequently taking over 45 minutes for Nance and the director, Bobby Logan, to find a deputy sheriff who contacted LA police and the apartment manager. They broke in and found that she had hanged herself.
Death
Nance died in South Pasadena, CaliforniaSouth Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
on December 30, 1996 under mysterious circumstances. Nance claimed to have been involved in a brawl outside a Winchell's Donuts
Winchell's Donuts
Winchell's Donuts is an international doughnut company founded by Verne Winchell on October 8, 1948, in Temple City, California. , there are over 170 stores in 12 western states, as well as Guam, Saipan, and Saudi Arabia. Several stores also operated in Nagoya, Japan in the past, with most stores...
on the morning of December 29. It is unclear if he was still drunk from the previous night, or if he had already begun drinking
Drinking
Drinking is the act of consuming water or a beverage through the mouth. Water is required for many of life’s physiological processes. Both excessive and inadequate water intake are associated with health problems.-Physiology:...
that morning, but it is certain that he was intoxicated at the time. He would later tell friends that he had "'popped-off' to a couple of beaner
Beaner
Beaner is a slang term, widely regarded as derogatory, that refers to people of Mexican descent. The term originates from the prevalence of frijoles pintos and other beans in Mexican food....
s" in the parking lot at 5am that day. "He told them to get a haircut and a job. One of them socked him in the eye, his glasses flew off and he went down."
Later that day, he lunched with friends Leo Bulgarini and Catherine Case. Nance had a visible "crescent shaped bruise" under his eye and when asked about it, related to them the story about the fight. He soon went home, complaining of a headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
. The injuries he received caused a subdural hematoma
Subdural hematoma
A subdural hematoma or subdural haematoma , also known as a subdural haemorrhage , is a type of haematoma, a form of traumatic brain injury. Blood gathers within the outermost meningeal layer, between the dura mater, which adheres to the skull, and the arachnoid mater, which envelops the brain...
, resulting in his death the following morning. Nance died alone in his apartment. His body was discovered on the bathroom floor by Bulgarini. An autopsy revealed that the actor's blood alcohol level was .24 percent at the time of his death.
A documentary about Nance funded by Lynch, titled I Don't Know Jack, was released in 2002.
Filmography
- Fools (1970)
- Jump aka Fury on Wheels (1971)
- EraserheadEraserheadEraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
(1977) - Breaker! Breaker!Breaker! Breaker!-Plot:When a trucker Billy Dawes vanishes during his first solo run, his older brother, J.D. , sets out in search of answers. What J.D. finds, however, is a deadly conspiracy involving a corrupt small-town judge and a ring of thieves who prey upon unsuspecting motorists...
(1977) - Hammett (1982)
- DuneDune (film)Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
(1984) - City HeatCity HeatCity Heat is a 1984 American action-comedy film starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. The film was released in North America in December 1984. The pairing of Eastwood and Reynolds in a Prohibition-era action-comedy seemed to give the film the potential to be a hit...
(1984) - Johnny DangerouslyJohnny DangerouslyJohnny Dangerously is a 1984 comedy spoof of 1930s' crime/gangster movies. It was directed by Amy Heckerling; its four screenwriters included Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, both of whom previously created the hit TV series Diff'rent Strokes...
(1984) - GhouliesGhouliesThe Ghoulies films are an American horror-comedy series released throughout the 1980s and 1990s and centered on a group of demons usually summoned by Satanic worshippers.-Ghoulies:...
(1985) - Blue Velvet (1986)
- BarflyBarfly (film)Barfly is a 1987 American film which is a semi-autobiography of poet/author Charles Bukowski during the time he spent drinking heavily in Los Angeles. The screenplay by Bukowski was commissioned by the French film director Barbet Schroeder – it was published, with illustrations by the author, in...
(1987) - ColorsColors (film)Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,...
(1988) - The BlobThe Blob (1988 film)The Blob is a 1988 American monster horror film distributed by Tristar Pictures. It is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name, which starred Steve McQueen. The film was written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont and directed by Russell. The shooting took place in Abbeville, Louisiana.-Plot:A...
(1988) - Wild at HeartWild at Heart (film)Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
(1990) - The Hot SpotThe Hot SpotThe Hot Spot is a 1990 American drama film directed by Dennis Hopper and based on the 1952 book Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams. It stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly, and features a score by Jack Nitzsche played by John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal and Roy...
(1990) - WhoreWhore (1991 film)Whore is a 1991 film by British director and screenwriter Ken Russell, starring actress Theresa Russell. While not a financial success grossing only $1,008,404, the film did attract some positive notices, and generated an unrelated sequel.-Plot summary:...
(1991) - MotoramaMotorama (film)Motorama is an American road movie released in 1991. It is a surrealistic film about a ten-year-old runaway boy on a road trip for the purpose of collecting game pieces from the fictional "Chimera" gas stations, in order to spell out the word M-O-T-O-R-A-M-A. By doing so he will supposedly win...
(1991) - Meatballs 4Meatballs 4Meatballs 4 is a 1992 film that was the fourth and final installment to the Meatballs franchise. It was shot in its entirety at Bass Lake, California in the late summer of 1991.-Synopsis:...
(1992) - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (Scenes deleted, 1992)
- Love and a .45Love and a .45Love and a .45 is a 1994 Bonnie and Clyde-esque road movie starring Gil Bellows and Renée Zellweger. The film was originally released by Lions Gate Entertainment.-Plot:...
(1994) - Voodoo (1995)
- The Demolitionist (1995)
- Across the Moon (1995)
- The Secret Agent ClubThe Secret Agent ClubThe Secret Agent Club is a family oriented action film directed by John Murlowski. The film is about a secret spy who steals a laser gun and pretends that it is a toy but gets in trouble when the people find out who he stole the gun from.-Cast:...
(1996) - Little WitchesLittle WitchesLittle Witches is a 1996 horror film directed by Jane Simpson and written by Brian DiMuccio and Dino Vindeni. It has a similar plot to The Craft, released in the same year; though Little Witches had a much smaller budget.-Plot:...
(1996) - Lost Highway (1997)
Television
- Weekend (1984)
- Crime StoryCrime Story (TV series)Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
(1 episode, 1987) - Tricks of the Trade (1988)
- Twin PeaksTwin PeaksTwin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
(27 episodes, 1990–1991) - Another Midnight RunAnother Midnight RunAnother Midnight Run is the first in a series of made-for-TV movies for Universal Television's Action Pack based on the popular feature film Midnight Run put together by MCA TV to resurrect Los Angeles bounty-hunter Jack Walsh, who tasted box office success in 1988...
(1994) - My So-Called LifeMy So-Called LifeMy So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
(1 episode, 1995) - Fallen AngelsFallen Angels (TV series)Fallen Angels was an American neo-noir anthology television series that ran from 1993 to 1995 on the Showtime pay cable station and was produced by Propaganda Films. No first-run episodes were shown in 1994....
(1 episode, 1995) - Assault on Dome 4Assault on Dome 4Assault on Dome 4 is a 1997 American film, starring actors Joseph Culp, Bruce Campbell, Jocelyn Seagrave, and Brion James. The film was directed by Gilbert Po, and written by Hesh Rephun.-Plot:...
(1996)