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Fictional Selves: The deeply personal memoir from the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir.
In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and fame, and the projects that shaped him—and created a cult icon.
Everywhere I go I am followed by a mystery man. He looks like me but—not quite. On talk shows, I sip coffee on couches and pretend to be him; on social media, I put on his mask to engage in suburban silliness. And of course, we work together. But for him, the movies and TV shows never end. Where does this guy—this Kyle MacLachlan—end and where do I begin? And is he even real? And, holy mackerel…am I?
To be in the black suit, or not to be? Kyle MacLachlan’s funny, moving, and playfully self-aware memoir charts a career that could belong to no other. Plucked from obscurity to star in David Lynch’s Dune, the Hollywood blockbuster that never was, MacLachlan rebounded with a startling performance in Lynch’s provocative masterpiece Blue Velvet, which would mark him as a master of the unusual and ultimately lead to his career-defining role as Agent Dale Cooper on the TV sensation Twin Peaks.
Fictional Selves is a book of doppelgangers, with MacLachlan mirrored by his own prodding ego (“Other Kyle”), the iconic characters he inhabited, and the ones that eluded his grasp but gave him a profound and surprising lens onto himself as a person and a performer. Taking us to the heights of critical success for Blue Velvet to the depths of the backyard pool in his infamous (and delightful) Showgirls love scene, MacLachlan brings us into the mind of one of the most distinctive actors of his generation, offering profound insights on collaborators like David Lynch, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper, Anthony Hopkins, and more. Featuring lessons learned the hard way about ambition, love, and fatherhood, this memoir is an honest look into the remarkable—and often unpredictable—life of an enduring and endearing Hollywood icon.
© Kyle MacLachlan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir.
In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and fame, and the projects that shaped him—and created a cult icon.
Everywhere I go I am followed by a mystery man. He looks like me but—not quite. On talk shows, I sip coffee on couches and pretend to be him; on social media, I put on his mask to engage in suburban silliness. And of course, we work together. But for him, the movies and TV shows never end. Where does this guy—this Kyle MacLachlan—end and where do I begin? And is he even real? And, holy mackerel…am I?
To be in the black suit, or not to be? Kyle MacLachlan’s funny, moving, and playfully self-aware memoir charts a career that could belong to no other. Plucked from obscurity to star in David Lynch’s Dune, the Hollywood blockbuster that never was, MacLachlan rebounded with a startling performance in Lynch’s provocative masterpiece Blue Velvet, which would mark him as a master of the unusual and ultimately lead to his career-defining role as Agent Dale Cooper on the TV sensation Twin Peaks.
Fictional Selves is a book of doppelgangers, with MacLachlan mirrored by his own prodding ego (“Other Kyle”), the iconic characters he inhabited, and the ones that eluded his grasp but gave him a profound and surprising lens onto himself as a person and a performer. Taking us to the heights of critical success for Blue Velvet to the depths of the backyard pool in his infamous (and delightful) Showgirls love scene, MacLachlan brings us into the mind of one of the most distinctive actors of his generation, offering profound insights on collaborators like David Lynch, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper, Anthony Hopkins, and more. Featuring lessons learned the hard way about ambition, love, and fatherhood, this memoir is an honest look into the remarkable—and often unpredictable—life of an enduring and endearing Hollywood icon.
© Kyle MacLachlan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Audible Audio
First published September 29, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Want to Read
February 27, 2026if there is anything that is stronger than special agent dale coopers love for coffee, it is my everlasting love for twin peaks
Want to Read
February 25, 2026
September 30, 2026
Damn fine memoir
October 1, 2026
I can't rate this high enough. Kyle is a beautiful writer. He is a talented impressionist and sensitive actor. He did get 2 names incorrect, calling Lula, from Wild At Heart, Lulu, and Dana Ashbrook, from Twin Peaks, Dana Ashcroft. He loves David Lynch and his friends and exes and his work (not Showgirls). Listening to him read his book was astounding. I listened to it in 2 days and it's all I can think about. I had high hopes, this gave me what I wanted. This filled my heart. I love you, David Lynch, I love you, film & television, I love you, Kyle, or the you I think I know. Thank you for this.
October 3, 2026
this was my first time reading a celebrity memoir, and boy howdy are they easy reading. i breezed right through this thing.
if you're a kyle maclachlan fan, and/or a david lynch fan, i recommend giving this a read. it's a thoughtful walk through the major points in maclachlan's life and career, and there's a good sprinkling of david lynch magic detailed in here.
if you're a kyle maclachlan fan, and/or a david lynch fan, i recommend giving this a read. it's a thoughtful walk through the major points in maclachlan's life and career, and there's a good sprinkling of david lynch magic detailed in here.
October 2, 2026
In a sea of ghostwritten and cookie-cutter memoirs, Kyle MacLachlan’s literary voice cuts through in “Fictional Selves.” Through vulnerable reflections, MacLachlan recounts his career and life through the lens of different masks that he’s worn as an actor and how those masks can blend with reality.
In particular, I enjoy his usage of non-linear structure in the first half. Where most memoirs tend to be chronological, by dropping us right into the filming of Dune, MacLachlan conveys how suddenly he is dropped into a machine much larger than himself. There’s clear intentionality with the order of upbringing, schooling, and professional details, and I thought this was effective for the greater narrative.
My biggest criticism concerns “Other Kyle,” the figure referenced in the title and the impetus asserted in the prologue for why MacLachlan needed to write this text. Throughout the text, Other Kyle functions as the devil on Kyle’s shoulder, constantly critiquing and arguing with Kyle’s more reserved, people-pleasing internal monologue in blocks of dialogue.
As the book goes on, it becomes increasingly unclear what Other Kyle is supposed to represent. Off the top of my head, it’s his ego, his desire to become an A-lister, a representation of his doubts, his defense mechanisms, his insecurities, and the more confident and mysterious version of himself that he aspires to be. It gets a little messy and sometimes contradictory. Of course, as Kyle accumulates wisdom over the years, the functional climax is when he “silences” Other Kyle for the first time. However, since Other Kyle represents so many things, it’s unclear what this moment is saying about his greater journey besides a sort of Zen-like/acceptance of himself. This still works as a resolution, but I felt it didn’t fully measure up to the complexity of this “character,” especially with the importance placed on this other self.
Overall, I found this to be an easy and enjoyable read, especially hearing MacLachlan’s anecdotes. I would’ve loved to hear more about his journey being a father, and I’m curious as to why he seemingly never returns to theater while still mentioning his soft spot for it throughout his career.
In particular, I enjoy his usage of non-linear structure in the first half. Where most memoirs tend to be chronological, by dropping us right into the filming of Dune, MacLachlan conveys how suddenly he is dropped into a machine much larger than himself. There’s clear intentionality with the order of upbringing, schooling, and professional details, and I thought this was effective for the greater narrative.
My biggest criticism concerns “Other Kyle,” the figure referenced in the title and the impetus asserted in the prologue for why MacLachlan needed to write this text. Throughout the text, Other Kyle functions as the devil on Kyle’s shoulder, constantly critiquing and arguing with Kyle’s more reserved, people-pleasing internal monologue in blocks of dialogue.
As the book goes on, it becomes increasingly unclear what Other Kyle is supposed to represent. Off the top of my head, it’s his ego, his desire to become an A-lister, a representation of his doubts, his defense mechanisms, his insecurities, and the more confident and mysterious version of himself that he aspires to be. It gets a little messy and sometimes contradictory. Of course, as Kyle accumulates wisdom over the years, the functional climax is when he “silences” Other Kyle for the first time. However, since Other Kyle represents so many things, it’s unclear what this moment is saying about his greater journey besides a sort of Zen-like/acceptance of himself. This still works as a resolution, but I felt it didn’t fully measure up to the complexity of this “character,” especially with the importance placed on this other self.
Overall, I found this to be an easy and enjoyable read, especially hearing MacLachlan’s anecdotes. I would’ve loved to hear more about his journey being a father, and I’m curious as to why he seemingly never returns to theater while still mentioning his soft spot for it throughout his career.
September 30, 2026
A wonderful ride through a fun career...
Fictional Selves is a fun ride through the life and career of Kyle MacLachlan. I was pleasantly surprised by the honesty and depth that MacLachlan went into about not only his film and television career, but also about his family, relationships, and at times bad choices. If anything , I was sad when it ended. It was an entertaining read I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in his career.
Fictional Selves is a fun ride through the life and career of Kyle MacLachlan. I was pleasantly surprised by the honesty and depth that MacLachlan went into about not only his film and television career, but also about his family, relationships, and at times bad choices. If anything , I was sad when it ended. It was an entertaining read I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in his career.
September 30, 2026
I rarely read nonfiction, let alone memoirs, and I don't know how to rate them. Like, this is a man's life! What am I going to say, "mm, three stars, I didn't find his career as engaging as I'd hoped."
October 3, 2026
Reading this I discovered Kyle Maclachlan suffers from the same brain worms most successful male actors have BUT he is nostalgic and just charming enough to get away with it. I did appreciate that this was clearly not ghostwritten.
RIP David Lynch, you made most everything better
RIP David Lynch, you made most everything better
Want to Read
September 30, 2026Un mémoire + Kyle MacLachlan ? Donnez-moi ça tout de suite !!!
October 2, 2026
4.5 - there was a lot I loved about this book, but my favourite was the spot on David Lynch impressions. My least favourite was that the Captain was barely a footnote.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews