Jack Nance American actor Date of Birth: 21.12.1943 Country: USA

Biography of Jack Nance

Jack Nance, whose full name was Marvin John Nance, was born in 1943 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He spent his childhood in Dallas, Texas, where he completed school and gained his first experience in performances, acting in school and later college productions. After graduation, Jack moved to San Francisco, where he tried to make a living by opening a small children's theater that toured nearby and sometimes distant cities.

In 1970, while in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jack met David Lynch. Several years later, Lynch invited Jack to play the lead role in his surrealist film "Eraserhead." The film was shot in just six weeks, with a small budget and minimal special effects. However, this did not hinder Nance from showcasing his acting skills - according to Lynch, Jack flawlessly portrayed the eccentric Henry Spencer. The official premiere of "Eraserhead" took place at midnight on March 19, 1977, and the film instantly gained a cult following worldwide.

After his initial success, Jack began receiving offers for roles in films. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared in several movies. In 1977, he could be seen in "Breaker! Breaker!" and in 1982, he starred in "Hammett." In 1984, Jack appeared in the action film "City Heat" and another David Lynch film, "Dune." He worked with Lynch again in 1986, playing a role in the dramatic thriller "Blue Velvet." A year later, Nance received a great role in Barbet Schroeder's comedic drama "Barfly," alongside Faye Dunaway and Mickey Rourke.

One of Nance's most popular roles once again came under Lynch's direction when he joined the ensemble cast of the famous series "Twin Peaks" in 1991. In 1992, he reprised his character in the full-length version of the project, the film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me." In total, Jack Nance played approximately 35 roles throughout his career.

It is known that Jack was married twice. His first marriage to actress Catherine E. Coulson lasted for eight years, from 1968 to 1976. After their divorce, Catherine and Jack maintained warm and friendly relations. Fifteen years later, in the summer of 1991, Jack remarried to Kelly Jean Van Dyke, a porn actress and rumored lesbian. However, their newfound happiness was short-lived, as Kelly committed suicide in July of the same year, just a few months after their wedding. At Jack's insistence, Kelly was cremated, and he kept her urn at home as a kind of shrine.

After Kelly's death, Jack began drinking heavily, as noted by his friends. One evening, he got into a fight and received a strong blow to the eye. Later, his friends recalled that he complained of severe headaches afterwards. The next morning, one of his friends found Jack Nance's cold body. According to the autopsy, Jack had suffered a brain hemorrhage, which was the cause of his death. However, the fact that the hemorrhage was caused by the injury he sustained in the fight the previous night raised significant doubts. The police thoroughly investigated the cause of his death - according to them, Jack may have simply fallen in the bathtub and received a life-threatening head injury while intoxicated. The cause of his death remained somewhat controversial.

Jack Nance passed away on December 30, 1996, at the age of only 53. He was cremated and buried in South Pasadena, California. In 2002, a documentary film about his life titled "I Don't Know Jack" was released.