Kyle MacLachlan’s Hilarious TikToks Are Winning Over Gen Z Fans

Kyle MacLachlan is best known for playing Special Agent Dale Cooper in the cult-favorite series Twin Peaks from 1990 to 1991 and reprising his signature role (and inventing a number of new ones) in the 2017 third season, Twin Peaks: The Return.

Beloved by film buffs for his long association with Twin Peaks creator David Lynch, who gave him his first-ever role in the original Dune movie back in 1984 and then had him star in his provocative 1986 drama Blue Velvet, MacLachlan also has a big mainstream following, thanks to his roles in considerably less experimental TV shows like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, and his other film credits include everything from The Flintstones (1994) to Showgirls (1995) to Hamlet (2000).

MacLachlan has long been the rare actor who can beautifully bridge the gap between esoteric, artsy projects and more broadly popular ones, and he’s beloved by many for his boyish charm and nuanced performances. Now 65 and a silver fox, MacLachlan has recently won over a whole new generation of fans thanks to his social media presence. Yep, that’s right—Agent Cooper is now a mainstay of Gen Z TikTok and Instagram feeds. Here’s a look at how that happened.

Kyle MacLachlan’s social media presence

While many actors have polished social media pages showing only the most glamorous red carpet looks and photo shoots, Kyle MacLachlan’s internet presence is intentionally chaotic, and he’s gotten millions of views on videos in which he attempts to kill a mosquito while referencing his notoriously obnoxious Sex and the City character, dons a brat-green shirt and dances to Charli XCX, and wears a hotdog suit as he lip-syncs to a Chappell Roan song—to name just a few viral examples.

MacLachlan has always been known for being quirky, but it’s only recently that he’s become the unlikely king of memes. By using trendy pop songs in his videos and being unafraid to fully embrace his silly side, he’s increased his follower count considerably and gained many new fans who appreciate his wild humor, even if they may not be familiar with the roles that made him an ’80s and ’90s icon.

What Kyle MacLachlan has said about his social media presence

In interviews, MacLachlan has been happy to talk about his online presence, and it’s clear he’s brought a lot of joy to his multigenerational fanbase, and vice versa. When asked how he got into the oh-so-current pop music that often soundtracks his videos, he revealed, “A lot of my music comes from my son, first of all, because he's constantly changing his playlist. I get to listen to it when I drive him to his surfing experiences or his volleyball matches. And I love it.”

Unlike other celebrities, MacLachlan has also been open about working with a creative team on his videos. While they may appear to be off-the-cuff, a lot of planning and creativity goes into them, and he’s given major credit to his social media staff, saying, “I'm working with a wonderful creative team to help me post these, of course, and they are constantly bringing me new material, new songs, new things to think about. I'm so grateful, because I'm like, Oh, thank you. I make these discoveries with their help, and it keeps me musically going . . . This is a way of keeping me fresh, I guess. Which I appreciate, at 65 years old.”

Kyle MacLachlan is . . . babygirl?

MacLachlan’s delightful videos have earned him the internet-bestowed title of “babygirl”—think a tongue-in-cheek, non-gendered expression of love and appreciation rather than the literal meaning—and the veteran actor originally was confused by the term, saying, “I was initially not exactly sure, but I did a little bit of research,” and came to ultimately appreciate it, concluding, “I am flattered. Once I understood ‘babygirl’ then everything fell into place.”

What comes through in all of the actor’s videos is a sense of playfulness, and MacLachlan is having a great time acting silly and appealing to a new demographic. As he described it, “These are not meant to be anything other than a fun experience for people. They have all responded in a delightful way. I love it. I’m having so much fun.” And we’re having fun watching MacLachlan as we’ve never seen him before.

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