Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

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Magica
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Magica »

I'll give it a go. I'm no expert at this, though, so the translation might be a little rough...

The first part is just about how Twin Peaks will be re-run in Norway. Not terribly interesting, so I'll jump right to interview part:

"Sven Jørgensen" was played by Arnie Stenseth, an actor of Norwegian heritage from South Dakota.

He got the part after an audition which ended with him sitting face to face with the eccentric director, who asked him in Norwegian: "How do you do?"

- When I answered him in the same language, which I had learned when I went to school in Norway for one year as a 15-year old, Lynch's response was: "Just what I was looking for!", 71-year old Stenseth recalls.

He is the son of Norwegian immigrants and had been a professional actor for almost 20 years when his agent asked him to go to an audition for "Twin Peaks" in 1988.

The rest of the Norwegians were recruited from the Norwegian-American smalltown Paulsbo in Washington, according to Stenseth, who remembers the shooting of "Twin Peaks" with great fondness.

- Still, I am unsure if the scene really manages to convey what Lynch wanted. He wanted to portray the Norwegians almost like the Japanese, with identical briefcases and great willingness to march in step. This is ironically meant because it is the exact opposite of what Norwegians are like, Stenseth says.

- Just the idea of Norwegians coming to Washington in the US to buy lumber is a joke in itself, he adds.

Originally, "Sven Jørgensen" was meant to appear in two more episodes of "Twin Peaks" but the script was changed and thus the actor's work for David Lynch was over.

- I really don't have any good explanation as for why "Twin Peaks" has achieved cult status. Personally, I think it lost continuity and spanned off in all sorts of directions after Lynch left the director's seat to others. Since the show was cancelled after only two seasons, it never got to complete Lynch's mission, Stenseth thinks.

Stenseth quit acting in 1996. Today he runs his own company in his hometown Sioux Falls in South Dakota, together with his wife. The couple work with criminological investigation.

- My favorite film by Lynch is probably "Blue Velvet". "Dune" is something I'd have to re-watch two or three times to get what Lynch is trying to say with it, Stenseth laughs.

David Lynch himself is not a descendant of Norwegian-Americans but grew up in a similar Norwegian-American colony, which might explain his fascination for the Norwegian. In the very last "Twin Peaks" episode, for example, he nicked some lyrics from an A-ha song (at least that is what Paal Waaktaar-Savoy claims).

Arnie Stenseth remembers that he never throughout his long career in theater and film asked any celebrity for an autograph - except David Lynch. It was his daughter who convinced him to do this.

- So, one day during the shooting of "Twin Peaks", I ended up standing alone next to him during a break. We were waiting for it to stop raining so we could continue shooting, and I worked up the courage to hand him a piece of paper and ask for his signature. He willingly gave it to me, Stenseth says.

- Later when I gave the piece of paper to my daughter I discovered what it said. David Lynch hadn't written his name - only "now it's dark", Dennis Hopper's classic line from "Blue Velvet".
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Jerry Horne »

Majica - BIG thanks!
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by MysteryMan »

Jerry Horne wrote:Holy cow! Thanks Majica! Can anyone translate the interview? I would love to read it!
As I am a Norwegian I have taken the responsability to do a translation for all you out there who don't speak the language... Keep in mind I am not a professional translator so it is by no means a perfect translation, but I have tried to keep it as true to the original text as possible.

GOT THE ROLE BECAUSE HE KNEW SOME NORWEGIAN

Who were really the Norwegians in Twin Peaks?

(Dagbladet.no): The time has come for a revisit to the inhabitants of the small town Twin Peaks, as TV 2 starts a rerun of David Lynch's mythical and controversial TV series from 1990 and 1991.

The first episode, which will be shown Friday, sets the standard for the surealistic criminal drama with the discovery of Laura Palmer's dead body, FBI detective Dale Cooper's arrival to investigate the murder and a delegation of Norwegian businessmen with briefcases in hand.

The leader of the delegation, Sven Jørgensen, was played by actor Arnie Stenseth, who has Norwegian roots, from South Dakota.

He got the part after an audition resulting in sitting face to face with the eccentric director, and was asked in Norwegian: «Hvordan står det til?» (How are you doing?)

"Don't think the scene works"
- When I answered this question in the same language, which I was taught when I went to school in Norway for one year as a 15 year old, the response from Lynch was: "Just what I was looking for!", the 71 year old Stenseth reminisces on telephone to Dagbladet.no.

He is the son of Norwegian immigrants and had been a professional actor for almost 20 years when his agent asked to attend the audition for Twin Peaks in 1988.

The other Norwegians in in the group were recruited from the Norwegian American small town of Paulsbo in Washington, according to Stenseth, who looks back at the shooting with a lot of joy.

- Still I am unsure whether the scene really manages to communicates what Lynch wanted. He wanted the Norwegians almost to appear as Japanese businessmen with identical suitcases and an eagerness to simultaneously march together in rhythm. This is meant ironically, as it is the opposite of how Norwegians really are, says Stenseth.

"Was written out of the script"
- Just the fact that Norwegians should come to Washington in USA to buy timber is a joke in and of itself, he adds.

The original idea was that «Sven Jørgensen» was going to appear in an additional two episodes of Twin Peaks, however the script got changed and as a result the work with David Lynch for the actor with the Norwegian roots was over.

- I have no good explaination why Twin Peaks have received a cult following. Personally I feel it lost its continuity and drifted in all sorts of directions as Lynch left the directing to others. As the series was cancelled after only two seasons Lynch's vision was never fullfilled, says Arnie Stenseth, who retired from acting in 1996.

Today he runs his own company in his hometown Sioux Falls in South Dakota together with his wife. The couple works with criminological studies.

- My favourite film by Lynch is probably Blue Velvet. I will need to see «Dune» two or three more times if I am to understand what Lynch wanted to say with it, Stenseth says with a laugh and with somewhat of an understatementement regarding the perhaps least available of all of the director's movies.

"Stole A-ha lyrics"
David Lynch himself does not have any Norwegian roots but grew up in a similar Norwegian American colony, which may explain his fascination for Norwegian. For instance in the very last episode of Twin Peaks he stole a few lines from a song by A-ha. (UPDATE: This is according to Paal Waaktaar-Savoy, who truth be told avoided the topic in a netmeeting wat VG Nett in 1997. A reader arguments the opposite in the comments field.)

Arnie Stenseth remembers to never have asked a celebrity for an autograph, though his long career in theater and film, except for from David Lynch. It was his daughter who talked him into this.

- One day during the filming of Twin Peaks I was standing alone with him in a break. We were waiting for it to stop raining so that we could continue shooting, and I got the courage to hand him a piece of paper and ask for the signature. He willingly signed away, says Stenseth.

- Then later when I gave the note to my daughter, I saw what he had written. David Lynch had not put down his name, only "now it's dark", Dennis Hopper's classic line from «Blue Velvet».
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Evenreven »

Interesting... Btw, the A-Ha part should have been debunked long before it reached print, but someone mentioned Ronny Rocket in the comments below the article so I guess it's okay.
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Jerry Horne »

dugpa wrote:
coolspringsj wrote:One of my life-long goals is to find out the actor who played Fred Truax. It bugs me how some speaking parts aren't even listed in any credits, yet some that don't speak are listed!
From what I've been told, this is usually done by the Director when they have close friends/colleagues that play bit parts but still want to get them in the credits. As such was the case with Mike Malone in FWWM who played one of the FBI Agents busting the prostitutes as well as the Set Dresser.

As for your life long goal, give me a few weeks and I'll see what I can do. :P

-B
Hey Dugpa, your few weeks are up! Who played Fred Truax?
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by dugpa »

It totally slipped my mind. I gave a call to the only person I know that might know this. He wasn't home, but I did leave him a cryptic message regarding the identity of Mr. Truax. Will report back on what he says.

-B
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by dugpa »

Jerry Horne wrote:
dugpa wrote:Calvin Lockhart as the Electrician in FWWM also passed away a few years back.
Thanks Dugpa. I often forget about FWWM when thinking about the TP universe.

So, is everyone still coming up empty on the names of these actors?

Police Officer - "Is their a Bobby Briggs in this classroom?"

Fred Truax

Engineer - "What the hell"

Doctor's Assistant - "I have to apologize again for the fluorescent lights. I ... I think its a bad transformer."

Bob - "Julie, the Norwegians are signing the contracts at four o'clock. When Mr. Horne returns, make sure that they do not hear about Laura Palmer's death. That will blow the whole deal, got it?"

Nurse - "Mrs. Horne it might help if you talk to Johnny yourself."

I remember years ago, Jula Bell was selling her Art Dept. 'Bibles' (4 at $600- apiece mind you for just copies) Did anyone score any of these? How do we find out the names of these actors who had speaking roles? Even the nurse at the Palmer house with no dialog has a listing on IMDB!
Fred Truax is played by Dan Bixler

2nd State Trooper (I think it is the one that whispers to the first one) is played by David Boushey

Bob is played by Bob Riebbe

The norweigan translator is played by Ed Egerdahl

Doctor's Assistant's real name is Jim but no info on his last name.

Engineer and Nurse - no info.

Don't hold me to the spelling but I think it's accurate.

-B
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Jerry Horne »

Wow! fantastic Dugpa! Now, the problem is tackling the remaining episodes...

BTW,

Ed Egerdahl is now the director of the Scandinavian Language Institute near Seattle.

David Boushey was a stunt coordinator on Twin Peaks, as well as Blue Velvet and FWWM. IMDB lists him as such, although not his on screen appearance in the Pilot.
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Evenreven »

Ed Egerdahl is now the director of the Scandinavian Language Institute near Seattle.
Oh my. :lol:
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by LostInTheMovies »

Oh God bless this thread. I am assembling a series of character studies, and to kick it off I am creating a brief list of notable minor characters. This thread not only clears up the Alice Brady/Margaret Honeycutt confusion, it provides the names of many who aren't even on IMDb. Love you guys.

(And thankfully I can now identify poor, downtrodden Fred Truax too...)
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Jerry Horne »

Looks like I have some updating to do.
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by Dalai Cooper »

Nice. Has anyone ever tracked down the non-speaking actors that everyone remembers from the pilot - the kid who does the little dance & the girl who runs screaming across the courtyard?

As an aside I was always surprised that they never brought Troy Evans back after the pilot
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by laughingpinecone »

Dalai Cooper wrote:Nice. Has anyone ever tracked down the non-speaking actors that everyone remembers from the pilot - the kid who does the little dance & the girl who runs screaming across the courtyard?

As an aside I was always surprised that they never brought Troy Evans back after the pilot
Asking the real questions here! I'd love to know who the dancing kid is.

And... not from the pilot, but would anyone happen to know who played Albert's boys?
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by LostInTheMovies »

Dalai Cooper wrote:Nice. Has anyone ever tracked down the non-speaking actors that everyone remembers from the pilot - the kid who does the little dance & the girl who runs screaming across the courtyard?

As an aside I was always surprised that they never brought Troy Evans back after the pilot
Haven't watched it yet but apparently there's a YouTube interview w/ him about that scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehTF2OHrKaw.

In a way I'm glad they never brought him back - that one appearance is so iconic. Considering what they did with Mayor Milford & others (whatever you think of that particular character development) it's nice to have the principal sort of frozen in that particular moment of drama.
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Re: Twin Peaks actors who have passed on/Pilot details and cast

Post by CuriousWoman »

among the actors who are deceased, I think one that has not been brought up yet is Dave Jaurequi (guitarist for the pink room - FWWM) who passed on back in 2006. Lynch even dedicated the album Fox Bat Strategy to his memory.
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