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Twin Peaks Star Talks About The Part David Lynch Wrote Just For Her

The role of Audrey Horne is one of the most memorable small screen roles of our time.
Sherilyn Fenn starring as Audrey Horne in Twin Peaks.
Fairfax Media
Sherilyn Fenn starring as Audrey Horne in Twin Peaks.

Sherilyn Fenn is best known for her sensuous portrayal of Audrey Horne in the original Twin Peaks TV series, when she was aged just 25, wearing her eye-catching ultra-tight sweaters and making jaws drop with her cherry-stem tongue-twisting party trick.

Audrey Horne is a character Fenn is likely to spend the rest of her life talking about; and she's fine with that. In fact, the role didn't even exist in the original script. Director David Lynch wrote the part especially for her.

Sherilyn Fenn and Kyle MacLachlan
Fairfax Media
Sherilyn Fenn and Kyle MacLachlan

"The audition wasn't really a traditional audition. I went in the room and David just spoke with me for a while. He didn't really have a role for me but, when I left, he had the idea for Audrey and she was written into the script. It was a crazy ride," Fenn told HuffPost Australia.

"Also, most of the clothes I wore that you see on screen were all my own clothes. Those tight sweaters, they were my sweaters! You'll notice that my clothes all fit me perfectly because they were my actual clothes."

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Twenty-six years later, Twin Peaks is back on our screens and Fenn is back once again but she's not spilling the beans. She's either in the dark (Lynch famously doesn't give his cast much notice before filming) or she's not allowed to say what's going on (keeping the audience guessing was one of the thrills of the original series.)

"All I can say is working with David Lynch is never dull!" Fenn said.

Sherilyn Fenn today
Fairfax Media
Sherilyn Fenn today

Fenn has told us about her early family life and being born into a musical family; her aunt is former rock star Suzi Quatro - as well as her rise to fame.

Along with her life-changing role of Audrey Horne, she talks about her catalogue of movies, what it was really like working with a young Charlie Sheen, her delight at appearing in John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men, her two sons, playing iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor, and her latest venture as a children's book author...and what it's like when you're still recognised for a role nearly three decades down the track.

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