Mr. Reindeer wrote:None of us knows for sure, but I could certainly envision Donna/LFB in the “rhinocerus/turquoise” scene with Steven. I wouldn’t put it past L/F to conceive that scene as a loving tour de force comeback for LFB, if she felt she was up to it. Again, I’ll note that DKL is no stranger to redeeming pariah/washed-up actors (Dennis Hopper), and also frequently seems to rejoice in getting incredible performances from actors (and musicians) widely viewed as incapable of delivering “serious” acting. Ultimately, I’m glad Alicia Witt got to do it—I’ve been a little bit in love with her since seeing the “Blackout” episode of Hotel Room, and she completely kills it on TP:TR. But I think in terms of obvious character progression and narrative/thematic significance, the damaged and Laura-obsessed Donna probably would have slotted into that role in a more meaningful fashion than Gersten. I don’t have any idea if the role was actually written for LFB, but I can envision her doing it, and the thought of her popping up unexpectedly and actually pulling it off gives me chills.
This is all very well said! Thank you for the post.

I forgot about David Lynch's comments on Lara Flynn Boyle's absence. The way he answers it, particularly "you can go talk to [her]," indicates to me Sabrina was telling the truth and that Lara was approached (not that Sabrina would have any reason to lie or ever given the impression that she is someone who lies regularly):
https://tvline.com/2017/05/19/twin-peaks-revival-lara-flynn-boyle-donna-showtime-david-lynch/
TVLINE | One thing you did release ahead of time was a very lengthy list of all the cast members participating in the revival. Of course, my eyes immediately focused on the names that were missing, like Lara Flynn Boyle. I was a big fan of the Donna character and was disappointed to see that she wouldn’t be in it. Why isn’t she in it?
These days people love strange Hollywood side stories that have nothing to do with the film. You can go talk to Lara Flynn Boyle. This is a story that takes place without her.