Jack Nance

Marvin John Nance (December 21, 1943 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor. A longtime collaborator of filmmaker David Lynch, Nance portrayed the lead in Lynch's directorial film debut Eraserhead (1977). He continued to work with Lynch throughout his career, including as a series regular on the ABC mystery drama Twin Peaks (1990–1991). Early life Nance was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Hoyt and Agnes Nance and was raised in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from South Oak Cliff High School and attended North Texas State University studying journalism. He took up acting at university and quit studying to concentrate on acting, joining the Dallas Theater Center. In 1964, Nance headed to California and worked for some time with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He had success playing the lead role in a play based on the life of Thomas Paine. David Lindemann, the director of Tom Paine, moved to Los Angeles and began a fellowship at the American Film Institute where he suggested Nance (who had also moved to LA) to AFI fellow David Lynch, who cast Nance as the lead in his student film Eraserhead. Later career After Eraserhead, he remained on good terms with Lynch, who cast him in nearly all of his projects: Dune (1984): a small role as the Harkonnen Captain Iakin Nefud. Blue Velvet (1986): a supporting role as Paul, a friend of Frank Booth (played by Dennis Hopper). The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988): plays Pete, one of the cowboys. Wild at Heart (1990): a small role as "00 Spool". Twin Peaks (1990–91): as Pete Martell, the henpecked sawmill gaffer. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): reprised his role as Pete Martell, but his scenes were deleted and rereleased as The Missing Pieces in 2014. Lost Highway (1997): a small role as a garage mechanic named Phil (his final acting role). Twin Peaks (2017): footage featuring Nance from the pilot episode of the original series was used in "Part 17", which was dedicated to Nance.