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Kyle MacLachlan Proves That Cool Has No Age Limit

The ‘Portlandia’ and ‘Twin Peaks’ actor talks about his new memoir, cross-generational podcasting and the best way to wear a kilt

5-minute read

As told to

Chris Nashawaty,

AARP

Published September 29, 2026

Kyle MacLachlan has been one of Hollywood’s most distinctive and enduring actors since kicking off his big-screen debut in the 1984 version of Dune. He then put together a thrilling string of performances in films such as Blue Velvet and The Doors and beloved television shows like Sex and the City and Portlandia.

Kyle MacLachlan is embracing his next act with a new memoir, a cross-generational podcast and a growing legion of younger fans.

Anthony Avelllano/Contour by Getty Images

Of course, he made his biggest TV splash for his indelible turn as the cherry-pie-loving Special Agent Dale Cooper in director David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, for which MacLachlan earned a Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations.

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Today, the 67-year-old is the host of the cross-generational podcast What Are We Even Doing?, the author of a new memoir, Fictional Selves, and a Gen Z fave on Instagram and TikTok.

The actor spoke with AARP’s Movies for Grownups about writing for his son, interviewing Gen Z musicians and keeping up with longtime friends.

Recording his life

“Fictional Selves: A Memoir” is MacLachlan’s gift to his son. “I wanted him to have an understanding of my life.”

Courtesy Kyle Maclachlan

At the time I started writing my memoir, my son was coming up on 17, and I wanted him to have an understanding of my life — something he could revisit later, because he’s not interested now. I lost my dad in 2011, and I often think about how I would love to just ask him a couple questions. So I just sort of laid some things down so Callum can understand my journey, the good and the bad.

Love for the kids

On my podcast, I talk to artists and musicians from Gen Z and millennials. I think there’s a tendency for people to look at the generations behind them and be dismissive: They don’t do things the way we did, and that’s somehow bad. But I’ve found them to be tremendously hardworking and supportive of each other. They just have a different approach, and you just have to go, OK, they’re entitled to do it that way.

Cultivating beauty

I grew up in Yakima in eastern Washington. It’s not Seattle. It’s not green and rainy and moody. It’s agricultural. It’s bright sun, hot summers and cold winters. It’s all about growing things. I grew up working with my dad and my brothers in our backyard. We had apple trees. It was pretty idyllic. We tended to all of this stuff. And to this day, where I’m happiest is in short pants and tennis shoes, out in the garden just puttering around, trying to create a little environment, something beautiful to look at.

Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini in a scene from Blue Velvet.

“‘Blue Velvet’ came out in 1986, and I still keep in touch with Isabella Rossellini,” MacLachlan says of his costar, pictured here.

Courtesy De Laurentiis Group/Courtesy Everett Collection

Forty years later ...

Blue Velvet came out in 1986, and I still keep in touch with Isabella Rossellini and Laura Dern. I visited Isabella at her farm out on Long Island [in New York] — she is a remarkable, resilient entrepreneur. And Laura is one of my favorite actors. You can’t take your eyes off of her, because you don’t know what she’s thinking or where she’s going to go. At the same time, she allows you to see everything. She’s translucent.

Owning who you were and who you are

When I watch an early film of mine like Blue Velvet, I look at the performance and I cringe. But if I could give that younger me any advice — even though he certainly wouldn’t have listened to me — it would be: Put more trust in yourself. Know that you can’t do everything, and be OK with that. You’re not going to be right for everything, but you’re going to be really right for some things.

Flower power

My dad was a great person but was a little bit closed off and more sensitive than he wanted to be. He loved beauty. We had extraordinary flowers in our backyard, dahlias. He would cut flowers and put them in a vase in the room — never demonstrative, just as a gesture. It was his way of saying, “I love you, I’m thinking about you, and I don’t need to make a big deal out of this.” I’ve always thought that was a beautiful quality.

Kyle MacLachlan in a scene from Portlandia.

“Over time, as my career’s gone different directions, I’ve done different things,” says MacLachlan, who played the mayor of Portland for all eight seasons of “Portlandia.”

Courtesy IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection/Everett Collection

A man of many talents

I can make a willow whistle from willow bark, which I learned while working on a golf course with a friend. I can juggle bowling pins — not well, but that was part of my training in school. And I can sing. Or I could sing. When I went to acting school, my goal was to go to New York and do musical theater. So I’ve taken classical voice lessons. Then I auditioned for Dune and my trajectory changed completely.

Kilt glam, a.k.a. channeling his Scottish heritage

Sherilyn Fenn and Kyle MacLachlan in a scene from Twin Peaks.

Sherilyn Fenn, Kyle MacLachlan and that famous diner pie on “Twin Peaks,” the early-’90s cult TV show.

Everett Collection/Everett Collection

I’ve been known to wear one. And this is probably sacrilege, but I always think it looks best when you pair it with a T-shirt. Yes, it looks great when you’re all dressed up in the traditional, formal style, but I like it more as an everyday look. So a T-shirt or maybe a bulky sweater or nice thick turtleneck. And since my calves are nonexistent, I think you’ve got to have a thick sock and maybe a Doc Martens boot. It’s a rugged, flattering look.

The balance of good and bad

While filming Showgirls, I felt pretty good. And then I saw it. I’ll never forget that moment: the sinking feeling that comes with watching something that you know is just awful. I look like I was on rolling logs in the water and I have no footing. You know, cut to a few years later and people now enjoy it and love it. I’ve made my peace with it. You know, over time, as my career’s gone different directions, I’ve done different things — some great, some regular. And that all balances out somehow.

About Movies for Grownups

AARP’s advocacy work includes fighting ageism in Hollywood and encouraging the entertainment industry to tap into the unique perspectives and talents that actors, writers and producers who are 50 or older bring to their work. AARP’s annual Movies for Grownups Awards, telecast on PBS, celebrates the achievements of the 50-plus community in film and television. This year’s honorees included best actress Laura Dern, 59 (Is This Thing On?), and best actor George Clooney, 64 (Jay Kelly).

Chris Nashawaty, former film critic for Entertainment Weekly, is the author of Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story and a contributor to Esquire, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

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