Joan Chen, who starred in Twin Peaks, has revealed the real reason behind her exit from the cult classic 90s show.
The 63-year-old played Josie Packard in the genre-defying drama about Agent Cooper’s (Kyle MacLachlan) investigation into Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) murder from 1989 until 1991.
Joan said she asked Twin Peaks creator David Lynch to write her out of the show and subsequently Josie was killed off, dying from heart failure from ‘fear’ after an encounter with evil spirit BOB.
The Little Flower actor has now explained she quit the thriller as she wanted to pursue a career on the big screen.
She told The Independent: ‘I was so determined that I wanted to do feature films more than television.
‘I wanted the gravitas of being this great dramatic actress.’
When asked about David’s reaction to her request, Joan admitted: ‘Well, I don’t think anybody would be happy that their actor wants to be written out.’
However, she confessed ‘some of the decisions I made were wrong’ including Turtle Beach, a film about Vietnamese refugees. It was widely dragged by critics.
Despite some missteps, Joan said she has no regrets: ‘At this time in my life, I do feel like you fall into your destiny. There are always choices you wish you made differently. That’s life.’
Twin Peaks is still enthralling new and old audiences decades after its original run ended among those is @michelledothdsay on X, who said: ‘Been getting the urge to rewatch the original ‘90s Twin Peaks. It really was one of the best shows ever produced. #whokilledLauraPalmer.’
Echoing their sentiment, @BuntyC7 enthused: ‘Twin Peaks turns 31 One of the best tv show of 90s I used to get nightmares when I started to watch it Thanks @ABCNetwork and @Showtime for entertainment @Kyle_MacLachlan you rocked it And others too.’
@anyawithay also added: ‘The pure and utter joy I get from seeing people get into twin peaks will forever be unmatched.’
In 2017, Twin Peaks was rebooted for a third season and featured original actors, including Kyle, as well as new cast members. It has a 78% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Prior to joining Twin Peaks, Joan was in 1987 film The Last Emperor, which was about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. It won nine Oscars including Best Picture.
Her other credits include Red Rose White Ros, Saving Face and The Home Song Stories. She also directed feature film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
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Joan’s next role is in American coming-of-age comedy-drama Didi set in the summer of 2008, alongside Izaac Wang.
According to IMDb, the film is about an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy who learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love his mom.
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Twin Peaks can be streamed on Paramount Plus or Amazon Prime Video.
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