David Lynch agreed to be in a scene in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans for a bag of Cheetos.
Lynch — the iconic director known for Twin Peaks, 1977’s Eraserhead, 2001’s Mulholland Drive, and many more titles — appears in the final moments of 2022’s The Fabelmans. In the movie, Lynch plays real-life director John Ford in the short but memorable scene, which sees him offer some advice about shooting horizons to a young Sammy Fabelman (a character, played by Gabriel LaBelle, who is based on Steven Spielberg).
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Lynch said that he didn’t want to film the scene at first. “And the reason is, when it comes to acting, I’ve purposely tried to stay away from it, giving the likes of Harrison Ford and George Clooney a chance at their careers,” he explained.
He eventually agreed to do it, though, not just because he “really liked the scene” but also because his main requirement for taking the role was met: A bag of Cheetos in his dressing room.
John Ford on Cheetos: ‘It’s incredible flavor’
“Well, Cheetos, number one, I love them,” Lynch said. “And any chance I can, I get them. But I know that they’re not exactly health food. So when I do leave the house and I get a chance to… But I don’t get them that often, honestly. If I do get them, I want a big bag. Because once you start… you need to have a lot before you could slow down and actually stop. Otherwise, with a small bag, then you’d be prowling for days to find more […] It’s incredible flavor.”
What kind of Cheetos (be it regular, Flamin’ Hot, Cheetos Puffs, etc.) Lynch requested and is most fond of remains unclear at this time.
The Fabelmans isn’t the only time that Lynch has acted. While he’s cameoed in a number of his own movies (including 1980’s The Elephant Man and 1984’s Dune), he also played a supporting role in 2017’s Lucky, which was directed by John Carroll Lynch and starred the late Harry Dean Stanton.
The Fabelmans is currently streaming on Showtime.
