Fictional Selves: A Memoir by Kyle MacLachlan: Book Review

Published by Penguin Random House Books
On sale now

For some, Kyle MacLachlan is the epitome of cool.

Forever enshrined as the heroic FBI agent Dale Cooper in David Lynch's seminal Twin Peaks series, the actor's had a cult appeal that's seen him cut across a myriad of TV shows and films. From appearances in Desperate Housewives, Fallout and films like Dune, MacLachlan is an undeniable presence.

So it's somewhat surprising to relate that his memoir, Fictional Selves (320 pages long) shows another side to the man, one which embraces both the duality of his career and the fragility of his own ID. In many ways, it's like a less cocksure version of his partnership with David Lynch, which saw him get his first-ever film role and led to an endearing and enduring partnership.

It's an easy read, one that clearly has his laconic, dry tone of voice - albeit one that seems soaked in innocence and elements of cute naivete as he recounts his years in Hollywood and his take on life.

Plucked from obscurity in 1984 to lead sci-fi epic Dune, MacLachlan's book begins with the time he was working on the stage before he received the call to go and audition for the role. Obsessed with the book from his teenaged years, it's clear that MacLachlan was an innocent in the Hollywood machine, but the ease in which he writes about his doubts will resonate with anyone who's ever dealt with either imposter syndrome or the media landscape.

There's a refreshingly candid nature to the memoir, as it looks to slash some of the myths about Hollywood as well as reveal MacLachlan's own times on set and the times he felt out of his depth on various projects.

With his spiritual doppelganger Other Kyle written about on the page, MacLachlan achieves a kind of therapy that's both revealing and endearing. From discussing regrets over appearing in stinker Showgirls to his long-running collaboration with David Lynch that saw him largely typecast, the writing makes it easy to get under his skin and into his world of insecurities - some of which largely feel universal to anyone who's ever undertaken dream projects or been caught up in a whirl of life getting away from them.

It's a solid read and given MacLachlan's leaned into the oddness of his life and the role he now plays as a kind of goofy dad on the internet, there's a sweetness here of a man going on a journey and passing on what he's learned - whether it's lessons from Hollywood or lessons in life, MacLachlan's made no secret that Fictional Selves is aimed squarely at teachings for his son.

But given how beautifully and succinctly it's written, with a charming and self-effacing honesty, it becomes a thoughtful and emotionally rich memoir that has something for everyone, no matter what walk of life they come from.