Catherine Coulson obit

Catherine Coulson, Log Lady on ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dies at 71

 

She was not on the list.

Catherine E. Coulson, who played the Log Lady on David Lynch‘s “Twin Peaks” TV series and was set to return to the new Showtime version, died Monday morning of cancer. She was 71.

“We are all deeply sad, she meant so much to so many,” said her agent, Mary Dangerfield, who confirmed her death.

Coulson, who also worked as a camera assistant, reprised the Log Lady role in the feature “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” and more recently, she appeared on an episode of “Portlandia” and in the film “Redwood Highway.”

Lynch said in a statement, “Today I lost one of my dearest friends, Catherine Coulson. Catherine was solid gold. She was always there for her friends — she was filled with love for all people — for her family — for her work.  She was a tireless worker. She had a great sense of humor — she loved to laugh and make people laugh. She was a spiritual person — a longtime TM meditator. She was the Log Lady.”

Coulson worked with Lynch as assistant director on his 1977 debut feature “Eraserhead,” where they began discussing the idea of a woman who carried around a log. She described her Margaret Lanterman character as the “only normal person on the show,” but qualified that she’s “had some trauma and bonded with this Ponderosa pine.” The ABC show ran for two seasons in 1990 and 1991.

She also appeared in Lynch’s 1974 short film “The Amputee” as a woman with both legs amputated.

When she appeared at a Philadelphia event last December, she was asked if Lynch had any suggestions for her character in the new “Twin Peaks. “He suggested I talk about sustainable forestry,” she told the Wall St. Journal at the time.

Coulson worked as first or second assistant camera on “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Modern Romance,” “Youngblood” and “Night on Earth.”

After moving back to her birthplace of Ashland, Oregon, she appeared in numerous plays for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, including “August, Osage County,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Hamlet” and “Chicago.” Elsewhere she appeared in “Major Barbara,” “The Elephant Man” and “The Threepenny Opera.”

Coulson was married to “Eraserhead” and “Twin Peaks” star Jack Nance before marrying Marc Sirinsky, with whom she had a daughter.

 

Actress

Twin Peaks (2017)

Twin Peaks

8.5

TV Series

Margaret Lanterman (The Log Lady) (as Catherine Coulson)

2017

5 episodes

 

Tom Skerritt, Shirley Knight, Catherine E. Coulson, Zena Grey, Brent Hinkley, Sam Daly, Danforth Comins, and Mimi Dryland in Redwood Highway (2013)

Redwood Highway

6.3

Susie

2013

 

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein in Portlandia (2011)

Portlandia

7.8

TV Series

Marionberry Farmer

2012

1 episode

 

Walk-in (2012)

Walk-in

5.5

2012

 

Dulé Hill and James Roday Rodriguez in Psych (2006)

Psych

8.4

TV Series

Wood Woman

2010

1 episode

 

Steve Zahn and Alex Frost in Calvin Marshall (2009)

Calvin Marshall

5.8

Carramae

2009

 

Tom Guiry in The Four Diamonds (1995)

The Four Diamonds

7.0

TV Movie

Miss Kern

1995

 

The Secret Life of Houses

7.7

Head Nurse

1994

 

Kyle MacLachlan in Georgia Coffee: Twin Peaks (1993)

Georgia Coffee: Twin Peaks

7.4

TV Series

The Log Lady

1993

4 episodes

 

David Hasselhoff, Cheech Marin, Alison Doody, and Thomas Gottschalk in Ring of the Musketeers (1992)

Ring of the Musketeers

3.5

TV Movie

Lisa

1992

 

The Ring of the Musketeers (1992)

The Ring of the Musketeers

TV Series

Lina

1992

1 episode

 

Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

7.3

The Log Lady

1992

 

Another You (1991)

Another You

5.3

Nurse

1991

 

Twin Peaks (1990)

Twin Peaks

8.7

TV Series

The Log Lady

1989–1991

12 episodes

 

Femme Fatale (1991)

Femme Fatale

4.5

Sister Mary

1991

 

Twin Peaks (1989)

Twin Peaks

8.9

Video

Log Lady (as Catherine Coulson)

1989

 

Trick or Treats (1982)

Trick or Treats

3.9

Nurse (as Catherine Coulson)

1982

 

Speak Up, Andrew! (1981)

Speak Up, Andrew!

4.7

Short

Andrew's Mother (as Catherine Coulson)

1981

 

The Amputee (1974)

The Amputee

5.5

Short

Amputee (as Catherine Coulson)

1974

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann (1992)

Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann

7.5

assistant camera (as Catherine Colson)

1992

 

Night on Earth (1991)

Night on Earth

7.6

first assistant camera: Los Angeles (as Catherine Coulson)

1991

 

Randy Quaid in Cold Dog Soup (1990)

Cold Dog Soup

5.6

additional camera operator

1990

 

The French as Seen by... (1988)

The French as Seen by...

6.3

TV Mini Series

assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1988

2 episodes

 

Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate (1985)

Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate

6.5

camera operator (as Catherine Coulson)

1985

 

Allard K. Lowenstein in Citizen: The Political Life of Allard K. Lowenstein (1983)

Citizen: The Political Life of Allard K. Lowenstein

additional photographyassistant camera

1983

 

Coming of Age

camera operator (as Catherine Coulson)

1982

 

Kirstie Alley, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

7.7

first assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1982

 

CBS Children's Mystery Theatre (1980)

CBS Children's Mystery Theatre

7.7

TV Series

assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1981

1 episode

 

Bitter Harvest (1981)

Bitter Harvest

6.9

TV Movie

camera assistant (as Catherine Coulson)

1981

 

Albert Brooks and Kathryn Harrold in Modern Romance (1981)

Modern Romance

7.0

second assistant camera

1981

 

Die Laughing (1980)

Die Laughing

4.9

assistant camera

1980

 

Chuck Norris in A Force of One (1979)

A Force of One

5.2

second assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1979

 

Youngblood (1978)

Youngblood

5.9

second assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1978

 

Starhops (1978)

Starhops

4.1

second assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1978

 

The Toolbox Murders (1978)

The Toolbox Murders

5.2

second assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1978

 

Joan Blondell, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Gena Rowlands, Zohra Lampert, and Paul Stewart in Opening Night (1977)

Opening Night

7.8

camera assistant (as Catherine Coulson)

1977

 

Susan Howard, Claudia Jennings, and John Saxon in Moonshine County Express (1977)

Moonshine County Express

5.8

second assistant camera (as Catherine Coulson)

1977

 

Jack Nance in Eraserhead (1977)

Eraserhead

7.2

assistant camera

1977

 

In the Region of Ice (1976)

In the Region of Ice

6.8

Short

assistant camera

1976

 

Ben Gazzara in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

7.2

camera assistant (as Catherine Coulson)

1976

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

In the Best Interests of the Children (1977)

In the Best Interests of the Children

7.0

assistant director

1977

 

Jack Nance in Eraserhead (1977)

Eraserhead

7.2

assistant to the director (as Catherine Coulson)

1977

 

Producer

Coming of Age

associate producer (as Catherine Coulson)

1982

 

Breakfast in Bed

4.0

producer

1977

 

Production Department

In the Best Interests of the Children (1977)

In the Best Interests of the Children

7.0

production assistant (as Catherine Coulson)

1977

 

Thanks

Twin Peaks (2017)

Twin Peaks

8.5

TV Series

in memory of

2017

2 episodes

 

Sam Daly in Black Road (2016)

Black Road

4.0

in memory of

2016

 

David Lynch, Michael J. Anderson, and Carel Struycken in Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks (2007)

Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks

7.5

Video

special thanks

2007

 

An Introduction to David Lynch

7.0

Video

thanks (as Catherine Coulson)

2001

 

Self

2014: 'Eraserhead'

7.6

Video

Self

2014

 

Dara Ó Briain in All About TWO (2014)

All About TWO

7.0

TV Movie

Self - Line-Up

2014

 

David Lynch, Michael J. Anderson, and Carel Struycken in Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks (2007)

Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks

7.5

Video

Self - 'The Log Lady'

2007

 

Jack Nance in I Don't Know Jack (2002)

I Don't Know Jack

7.1

Self

2002

 

An Introduction to David Lynch

7.0

Video

Self (as Catherine Coulson)

2001

 

Postcards from the Cast

7.2

Video

Self (as Catherine Coulson)

2001

 

Reflections on the Phenomenon of 'Twin Peaks'

5.8

Video

Self (as Catherine Coulson)

2001

 

Eraserhead Stories (2001)

Eraserhead Stories

7.1

Video

Self (voice)

2001

 

I Love the 1990s (2001)

I Love the 1990s

7.2

TV Series

SelfSelf - The Log Lady

2001

1 episode

 

The 8th Annual Independent Spirit Awards

TV Special

Self - Presenter

1993

 

Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch (1990)

Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch

7.1

TV Movie

Self

1990

 

The 8th Annual Upton Sinclair Award

TV Special

Himself- Hostess

1990

 

Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate (1985)

Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate

6.5

Self - Interviewer (as Catherine Coulson)

1985

 

Archive Footage

I Know Catherine, the Log Lady (2025)

I Know Catherine, the Log Lady

7.3

Self (archive footage)

2025

 

David Lynch in David Lynch, une énigme à Hollywood (2025)

David Lynch, une énigme à Hollywood

7.1

TV Movie

Self (archive footage, as Catherine Coulson)

2025

 

Peter Helliar, Carrie Bickmore, and Waleed Aly in The Project (2009)

The Project

4.1

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2025

1 episode

 

Alyssa Milano, Tony Danza, Katherine Helmond, Danny Pintauro, and Judith Light in Entertainment Weekly Cast Reunions (2016)

Entertainment Weekly Cast Reunions

6.2

TV Series

Self - The Log Lady (archive footage, uncredited)

2017

1 episode

 

Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014)

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

7.5

The Log Lady (archive footage)

2014

 

The Short Films of David Lynch (2002)

The Short Films of David Lynch

7.3

Video

Self - Amputee ("The Amputee") (archive footage)

2002

 

Welcome to Twin Peaks (1997)

Welcome to Twin Peaks

6.7

TV Special

Self - The Log Lady (archive footage)

1997

 

Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner in Entertainment Tonight (1981)

Entertainment Tonight

3.6

TV Series

Self - The Log Lady (archive footage)

1990

1 episode