Jack Nance

Jack Nance
Nance as Pete Martell on Twin Peaks, 1990
Born	Marvin John Nance (1943-12-21)December 21, 1943 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	December 30, 1996(1996-12-30) (aged 53) South Pasadena, California, United States
Other names	Jack Nance John Nance
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–1996
Spouse(s)	Catherine E. Coulson (m. 1968; div. 1976) Kelly Jean Van Dyke (m. 1991; d. 1991) (her death)

Marvin John Nance (December 21, 1943 – December 30, 1996), known professionally as Jack Nance and occasionally credited as John Nance, was an American actor of stage and screen.

He was known for his work with director David Lynch, particularly for his roles in Eraserhead,Blue Velvet, and Twin Peaks.

Nance was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was raised in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from South Oak Cliff High School. His father retired from Neiman Marcus. He worked for some time with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. In the 1970s, Nance met David Lynch, who cast him as the lead in Eraserhead.

In his later years, Nance grew a small white moustache and was a distinctive presence in many films with his peculiar twisted smile and blue eyes. After Eraserhead, Nance remained on good terms with Lynch, who cast him in nearly all of his projects:

Nance also guest-starred on a 1995 episode of My So-Called Life entitled "Weekend", in which he played an innkeeper. He also made a cameo appearance with actress Mary Woronov in Suicidal Tendencies' 1983 "Institutionalized" music video.

Nance married Catherine E. Coulson in 1968, but the couple divorced in 1976. In May 1991, he married Kelly Jean Van Dyke (who worked in the adult film industry under the name Nancee Kelly). Van Dyke was the daughter of Jerry Van Dyke, briefly making Nance his son-in-law.