Jack Nance
Nance on the poster for Eraserhead (1977)
Born	Marvin John Nance (1943-12-21)December 21, 1943 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	December 30, 1996(1996-12-30) (aged 53) South Pasadena, California
Other names	John Nance
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–1996
Spouses	Catherine E. Coulson ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1976)​ [1] Kelly Jean Van Dyke ​ ​ (m. 1991; died 1991)​

Marvin John Nance (December 21, 1943 – December 30, 1996), known professionally as Jack Nance, was an American actor. A longtime collaborator of filmmaker David Lynch, Nance portrayed the lead in Lynch's directorial debut Eraserhead (1977). He continued to work with Lynch throughout his career which included a recurring role as Pete Martell on Twin Peaks (1990–1991).

Early life

Marvin John Nance was born in Boston to Hoyt and Agnes Nance; he grew up in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.^[2][3] Hoyt Nance was a Neiman Marcus executive.^[4] In early childhood, Nance was struck by a car, injuring his back.^[5] He graduated from South Oak Cliff High School and attended the North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) studying journalism. He took up acting at university and later left to concentrate on acting; he joined the Dallas Theater Center. He was a student of Paul Baker, the theater's founder.^[3]

In 1964, Nance headed for California and worked for some time with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He had success and landed the lead role in a play based on the life of Thomas Paine which was directed by David Lindemann.^[5]

Career

Nance was considered for the role of Benjamin in The Graduate (1967), a role which went to Dustin Hoffman^[5] and for Robert Blake in Richard Brooks' neo-noir crime film In Cold Blood (1967).^[6] He played twin brothers Benny and Tony Rebozo in the Doo Dah Gang, a performance group that staged 1920s-style gang fights at nontraditional venues. When one of his characters died, Nance spent three days lying in a coffin at the staged wake.^[6]

Nance met David Lynch in 1972 after an introduction by Lindemann. Lynch was a fellow at the American Film Institute and creating a $10,000, 20 minute short film in Beverly Hills. Lindemann had recommended Nance for the role of Henry Spencer in Eraserhead (1977).^[5][7] Filming took five years due to a lack of funding.^[8]

Eraserhead was deemed a failure with low attendance rates in the theaters. However, the film became a midnight movie, leading to its cult classic status.^[9] Nance's performance has since been praised for its theatrics. The New York Times wrote in 1980, "[Nance's] minimalist features, unchanging expression, tight dark suit, and short, almost crippled steps suggest many silent-film comedians."^[10] The film became a favorite of Stanley Kubrick, and he required the cast of The Shining to watch it before filming.^[8]

After Eraserhead, he remained on good terms with Lynch, who cast him in almost all of his subsequent projects during Nance's lifetime: Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988), Wild at Heart (1990), Twin Peaks (1990–91), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), and Lost Highway (1997). While none of Nance's scenes in Fire Walk with Me appeared in the film's theatrical cut, they were later compiled in the feature-length Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014).^[11]

Nance appeared with actress Mary Woronov in Suicidal Tendencies' music video for "Institutionalized".^[12] After gaining sobriety in 1986 and in need of more than an actor's salary, he took courses in hotel management. He began working as a clerk at Hotel Hollywood. While there, Nance refused a role in Miracle Mile (1988), due to it conflicting with his job schedule.^[5][7]

Dennis Hopper, who Nance had worked alongside in Blue Velvet, hired him to appear in Colors (1988). He also had a brief appearance as the doctor in Chuck Russell's 1988 sci-fi horror film, The Blob.^[13] In 1990, Nance was offered the role of Pete Martell in Lynch's Twin Peaks, appearing throughout the show's original run.^[14][15]

After a relapse in 1993, Nance's life took another turn. He had smaller roles in films that did not perform as successfully. He lived in a hotel and was kicked out for firing a gun at the television.^[4] He guest-starred on a 1995 episode of My So-Called Life entitled "Weekend", in which he played an innkeeper. Nance continued in smaller roles until his death in 1996.

Nance appeared in Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) in footage featuring Pete Martell from the pilot episode of the original series. "Part 17" of The Return was dedicated in his memory.^[16]

His final film, Michael Moriarty's Of Things Past, was released in 2023. The original filming took place in 1985 and includes additional footage shot in 2022.^[17]

Personal life

Nance married Catherine E. Coulson in 1968; they divorced in 1976.^[1]

Nance met his second wife, Kelly Jean Van Dyke, the daughter of Jerry Van Dyke and niece of Dick Van Dyke, in 1982 while in rehab. They married in May 1991.

Alcoholism

It is unknown when Nance's alcoholism began, but Lynch recalled that during the filming of Eraserhead, he would send Nance "back to his dressing room to sleep off the booze. He'd get drunk and sometimes end up sleeping in vacant lots."^[4] Lynch would also later claim that he once had to drive Nance to the emergency room for a distended abdomen.^[6]

Due to his drinking, Lynch gave Nance the minor role of Nefud in Dune (1984). While filming in Mexico City, his alcoholism became worse due to having extra time given his small role.^[7]

In 1986, while filming Blue Velvet, Nance told the newly sober Dennis Hopper that if he did not help him, he would jump from the window. Hopper traveled back to Los Angeles with Nance, tempting him with alcohol and drugs. When the two arrived, Hopper checked Nance into a rehabilitation centre, where Nance went cold turkey. Nance met Van Dyke here and the two began a relationship, with Nance believing he could help her become clean.^[7][18]

Nance started drinking again in 1993, after a depressive episode following Van Dyke's death, and suffered two strokes from 1995 to 1996.^[4] He was cast in the film Joyride (1997) but sent home after one day of filming due to drunkenness on set.^[18]

Van Dyke's suicide

Van Dyke died by suicide on November 17, 1991. Nance, who was in Bass Lake, California, filming Meatballs 4 at the time, called her to tell her that he was thinking of leaving her due to her drinking and drug-taking and she threatened suicide. He attempted to console her but a lightning storm knocked out the phone line in Bass Lake. Nance and the director, Bobby Logan, found a deputy sheriff who contacted the Los Angeles Police Department. They broke in and found that she had hanged herself. Nance claimed she was four months pregnant.^[18]

Death

On December 29, 1996, Nance lunched with friends Leo Bulgarini and Catherine Case. Nance had a visible "crescent-shaped bruise" under his eye; and, when asked about it, he relayed to them a story about a brawl outside a Winchell's Donuts store that morning.^[1][18] He went home, complaining of a headache.

Nance had developed a subdural hematoma, resulting in his death the following morning. Bulgarini found his body on the bathroom floor of his apartment in South Pasadena, California, later that day. An autopsy revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.24% at the time of his death. His death was initially ruled as resulting from blunt force trauma.^[7][18][14]

After an investigation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office could not find evidence of the fight and therefore could not list the death as accidental or a homicide. The case is still open.^{[4][needs update]}

Legacy

The song "I Gotta Move" by Frank Black and the Catholics, from their 1997 eponymous debut album, refers to the circumstances of Nance's death and the murder of Peter Ivers, who composed and performed the song "In Heaven" from Eraserhead (which Black's previous band Pixies had covered).^[19]

A documentary about Nance funded by Lynch, titled I Don't Know Jack, was released in 2002.^[5]

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos