| 1 | The list of characters across ''Mulholland Drive''. Spoilers will follow. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ! Protagonists |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[folder:Betty Elms]] |
| 8 | !!Betty Elms |
| 9 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/NaomiWatts |
| 10 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/18a84d982b9a04aada8ca80bae391c70.jpg]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"I just came here from Deep River, Ontario and now I'm in this...[[{{Foreshadowing}} dream place!]]"'']] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | An aspiring actress who has just arrived in Hollywood looking for her big break. Also a doppelganger of Diane Selwyn. |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | * TheAce: Diane is a failed actress who got dumped by Camilla. She didn't get a part in The Sylvia North Story because the director didn't like her. She's bitter and filled with rage. Diane imagines/dreams that she is Betty, a talented actress who knocks everybody's socks off at the audition. In her fantasy, she wins the love of "Rita" instead of getting dumped. And in her fantasy she didn't miss out on that part because she wasn't good enough, she lost the part because the Mafia made Adam Kesher cast someone else. |
| 16 | * AmateurSleuth: Tries to solve the mystery of Rita's amnesia by sneaking into other people's homes. Her curious persona has been compared to Franchise/NancyDrew. |
| 17 | * {{Expy}}: |
| 18 | ** Betty's personality resembles that of Audrey Horne from ''Series/TwinPeaks'' as like Audrey, Betty is driven by infatuation and a sense of adventure despite her naivete. This is far from a coincidence since ''Mulholland Drive'' was originally meant to be a Twin Peaks SpinOff with Audrey Horne as the main protagonist. |
| 19 | ** She is also similar to Dale Cooper from ''Twin Peaks''. Like Cooper, she's an idealistic outsider with an interest in solving mysteries. |
| 20 | * HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She's as radiant in looks as she is in personality. |
| 21 | * HiddenDepths: Betty seems like a rather naive and idealistic young woman, but in her audition scene she accesses a part of herself that we've never seen before and never see again. |
| 22 | * LipstickLesbian: Looks very dainty and feminine in a 1950s sense, but is in love with Rita. |
| 23 | * MsFanservice: Despite being very wholesome and proper, she's got a sexy side that comes out during her audition and later that night when she has sex with Rita. |
| 24 | * NiceGirl: Never has a bad word to say about anybody. |
| 25 | [[/folder]] |
| 26 | |
| 27 | [[folder:"Rita"]] |
| 28 | !!Rita |
| 29 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/LauraHarring |
| 30 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mulholland_dr_2001_009_laura_harring_closeup_00n_bw3.jpg]] |
| 31 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"A car....a car accident..."'']] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | An amnesiac woman who was the target of a failed assassination. Also a doppelganger of the real Camilla Rhodes. |
| 34 | ---- |
| 35 | * AbortedArc: The mafia tried to kill her in the beginning of the film because she was an actress and was presumably a threat to the mafia's plans regarding Adam's film. [[spoiler:However, Rita's real name and specific identity are never revealed and her connections to the film industry like all the other plots in the dream world eventually come to an end without a satisfying conclusion.]] |
| 36 | * CensorShadow: In the bedroom when Rita disrobes, we see little more than just her silhouette against the light coming in through the window. |
| 37 | * ColorCodedCharacters: Rita usually wears red and black. |
| 38 | * DyeOrDie: After seeing a corpse in the bed which she believes to be her own, Rita decides to cut her hair short in an attempt to avoid being recognized. But Betty has a better idea, hiding Rita under a blonde wig of her aunt's. |
| 39 | * EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Anyone that would know her real name refers to Rita simply as "the girl". |
| 40 | * {{Expy}}: Of [[Series/TwinPeaks Laura Palmer]], being the damsel in distress who is embroiled in a conspiracy. |
| 41 | * IdentityAmnesia: Suffers from this due to getting her head hit in the opening car crash. |
| 42 | * LineOfSightName: Laura Harring's amnesiac character takes the name "Rita" after seeing a Rita Hayworth poster. |
| 43 | * LipstickLesbian: She even wears lipstick when she has just showered. |
| 44 | * MsFanservice: She's naked twice in the film. |
| 45 | * MysteriousPast: We don't learn much about her due to the IdentityAmnesia. [[spoiler:This is resolved in the second half of the film... ''possibly.'']] |
| 46 | * QuestForIdentity: Rita with the help of Betty, after her amnesia from the car accident. |
| 47 | * RavenHairIvorySkin: In sharp contrast to blonde-haired Betty. |
| 48 | * SleepsInTheNude: Justified since she doesn't have any sleeping clothes. |
| 49 | * SoleSurvivor: There were six people involved in the car crash. She was the only lucky one to survive. |
| 50 | [[/folder]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[folder:Diane Selwyn]] |
| 53 | !!Diane Selwyn |
| 54 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/NaomiWatts |
| 55 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/best_performances_david_lynch_movies.jpg]] |
| 56 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"You want me to make this easy for you? No fucking way! It's not gonna be. IT'S NOT EASY FOR ME!"'']] |
| 57 | |
| 58 | A failed actress who is bitter over her ex-lover. |
| 59 | ---- |
| 60 | * AteHisGun: How she killed herself. |
| 61 | * BrokenBird: It's implied she started out just like Betty, but losing out on roles and eventually getting cruelly dumped by Camilla took their toll on her. |
| 62 | * BuryYourGays: Kills herself in the end. |
| 63 | * CorruptedCharacterCopy: To [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Dorothy Gale]]. Like Dorothy, Diane lives in a dreary mundane world, but escapes into a dreamland where her alter ego is a universally beloved figure. But while Dorothy is an innocent girl who grows into a heroic figure, Diane is closer to a villain who constructs her dreamworld in a highly self-serving manner so she doesn't have to address her failings as a person. The "Diane Selwyn" in her dream is only ever seen as a rotting corpse, showing that even on a subconscious level Diane knows she's actually closer to a Wicked Witch than a plucky heroine. |
| 64 | * DisproportionateRetribution: After Camilla cuckolds her, Diane has her killed. |
| 65 | * FanDisservice: The masturbation scene displeases some viewers. |
| 66 | * IfICantHaveYou: Seemingly Diane's motive for murder, after Camilla breaks off their relationship, with jealousy over Camilla's far more successful career being a secondary motive. |
| 67 | * LightIsNotGood: Has blonde hair and tends to wear a lot of light clothes, but is the type of person who would hire an assassin. |
| 68 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The morning after having Camilla killed, Diane spends the rest of the day wracked with guilt. She hallucinates that Camilla is still alive, masturbates out of frustration and eventually kills herself when the hallucinations get more chaotic. |
| 69 | * NeverMyFault: The whole dream sequence is Diane creating a false narrative where Camilla survives the hit, which was orchestrated by an ObviouslyEvil organisation. Betty`s audition shows that she's very capable despite the cheesy script, wishy-washy director and possibly sleazy co-star, as if to say that Diane's failed career had nothing to do with her own shortcomings. |
| 70 | * NeverSayThatAgain: Diane demands this from Camilla during the couch scene, when Camilla says she wants to stop having sex. |
| 71 | * PsychoLesbian: Goes mad with jealousy after Camilla dumps her. |
| 72 | * SanitySlippage: Becomes the victim of this. |
| 73 | * ShadowArchetype: To Betty. While Betty was the nicest gal you could ever hope to meet and a talented actress, Diane is implied to be a mediocre actress and is very bitter by the time we meet her. |
| 74 | * StraightGay: She has at least one dinner dress and can pass for LipstickLesbian when she makes the effort. |
| 75 | * UnreliableNarrator: It's implied that the entire film takes place from her perspective. The first half plays out as her fantasy of Hollywood with her as a talented actress and Camilla as her loyal lover. The second half reveals the truth about her but is still peppered with {{surrealism}} due to her self-loathing. |
| 76 | * {{Yandere}}: Organises a hit on her ex-lover after getting dumped and being forced to watch her make out with at least two different people. Despite this, she still longs for Camilla. |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Camilla Rhodes]] |
| 80 | !!Camilla Rhodes |
| 81 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/LauraHarring |
| 82 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/csg0m43wiaadkhspng_large_5.png]] |
| 83 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Don't be like this, Diane."'']] |
| 84 | |
| 85 | A rising star who was Diane's former lover. |
| 86 | ---- |
| 87 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: She puts on a sweet and friendly exterior for Diane, but at the same time treats her like she's disposable. |
| 88 | * BuryYourGays: Diane has her killed out of spite. |
| 89 | * DepravedBisexual: She is shown as promiscuous with both men and women, manipulative, and vicious. Although she is seen through the eyes of her PsychoLesbian ex-lover, Diane, so it's very possible that none of this is real. |
| 90 | * {{Expy}}: Like Rita, she's one to [[Series/TwinPeaks Laura Palmer]] as seen in ''Film/TwinPeaksFireWalkWithMe'', as Rita embodies the idealised image of Laura while Camilla embodies the flawed reality. |
| 91 | * IdiotBall: Sure, make out with the director and a random woman in front of your unstable ex-girlfriend. What`s the worst that could happen? [[MindScrew That is all assuming that this is actually what happened]] and not just something [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Diane's mind conjured up]]. |
| 92 | * LipstickLesbian: Always looks impeccably well-dressed. That is, when she is dressed. |
| 93 | * MsFanservice: She gets a topless scene and is cast as the love interest in Kesher's film. |
| 94 | * ShadowArchetype: To Rita. Rita was devoted to Betty and was simple enough to not break Betty's heart. Camilla isn't quite so pure of heart. There's also the matter of one surviving a hit and the other is heavily implied to have not. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Adam Kesher]] |
| 98 | !!Adam Kesher |
| 99 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/JustinTheroux |
| 100 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mulholland_drive_adam.jpg]] |
| 101 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"That girl is not in my film!"'']] |
| 102 | |
| 103 | A film director who has to deal with an unfaithful wife and a micro-managing executive studio. |
| 104 | ---- |
| 105 | * AbortedArc: There's some build-up between him and Betty, but the dream ends before it can go anywhere. |
| 106 | * BigFancyHouse: Adam Kesher has one of these. Of course, he does live on Mulholland Drive, a place famous for its Big Fancy Houses. |
| 107 | * ButtMonkey: |
| 108 | ** Played straight in the dream world, where Adam's day goes FromBadToWorse as it seems as though everyone and everything is conspiring against him. By the end, he's a broke man hiding out in a seedy motel in downtown Los Angeles. |
| 109 | ** Averted in the real world, where everything goes mostly smoothly for him. His divorce left him with all the spoils, his film seemingly wrapped up with no major issues, and it's hinted that he'll marry Camilla. [[spoiler:It's implied that Diane's hitman kills Camilla by the end of the film, but still, he at the very least is still alive unlike Camilla and Diane.]] |
| 110 | * DeadpanSnarker: In the first half becomes one as he tries to understand just what the hell is happening to him. By the end he's permanently trapped in SarcasmMode. |
| 111 | * EmasculatedCuckold: He finds his wife with the pool man and after some struggle gets shamefully evicted from his own home. Given that this all happens in Diane's dream, there's a sense of sweet irony to be had regarding his affair with Camilla. |
| 112 | * HeldGaze: Has one with Betty during their brief interaction. |
| 113 | * HomeEarlySurprise: Adam is fired from his directing job so he comes home early to find his wife in bed with the poolman. After a scuffle, he is forced out of his house. |
| 114 | * WouldHitAGirl: Almost did this to his cheating wife until the poolman/her lover intervened, with his choice of words showing that according to him, ''Adam'' is the only one who did anything wrong. |
| 115 | [[/folder]] |
| 116 | |
| 117 | |
| 118 | ! Ryan Entertainment |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Mr. Roque]] |
| 121 | !!Mr. Roque |
| 122 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelJAnderson |
| 123 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1420696428442.jpg]] |
| 124 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"The girl is still missing."'']] |
| 125 | |
| 126 | An enigmatic figure who has a lot of influence over the film industry. |
| 127 | ---- |
| 128 | * AbortedArc: After getting set up as the BigBad, we find out he doesn't even exist. |
| 129 | * TheArtifact: Presumably if the film was made into a television series he would have had a larger role with a satisfying conclusion. |
| 130 | * BodyHorror: Mr. Roque's bizarrely shrunken head on top of his normal-sized body is a slightly more subdued example. |
| 131 | * CreepyMonotone: He also talks with as few words as possible, adding to his creepiness. |
| 132 | * DecompositeCharacter: He sabotages Adam's film and tries to get Rita killed. While Betty may have the appearance of Diane, Mr. Roque represents all of Diane's villainous tendencies. |
| 133 | * EmergingFromTheShadows: How he's introduced. |
| 134 | * EvilCripple: Stuck in a wheelchair. It's implied he may have some degenerative disorder, given he has trouble talking at certain points and sits in a room that lets in no sunlight. |
| 135 | * ExecutiveMeddling: In-universe example with the dubious figure of Mr. Roque, who is working entirely behind the scenes, exerting his power through the Castigliane brothers ("This is no longer your film"). It's one of the main themes of the first of the movie's two parts, portraying Hollywood as an outright conspiracy/gang that enforces arbitrary decisions onto directors for unexplained reasons. |
| 136 | * LittlePeopleAreSurreal: Played with, although most viewers aren't sure what's even going on in that scene. Basically, dwarf actor Michael J. Anderson (of Twin Peaks fame) wears the prosthetic body of a big person, with only his head showing. The effect is weird. |
| 137 | * TheMafia: It's highly implied that Mr. Roque and the Castigliane Brothers aren't your typical meddling executives. |
| 138 | * ObviouslyEvil: A creepy-looking man who sits in the shadows and pulls strings couldn't possibly be a bad guy. Could he? |
| 139 | [[/folder]] |
| 140 | |
| 141 | [[folder:Luigi & Vincenzo Castigliane]] |
| 142 | !!Luigi & Vincenzo Castigliane |
| 143 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/AngeloBadalamenti (Luigi) & Creator/DanHedaya (Vincenzo) |
| 144 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fhd001mde_dan_hedaya_001.jpg]] |
| 145 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"This is no longer your film."'']] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | Studio executives and possible mafia figures that demand Adam Kescher do a recast. |
| 148 | ---- |
| 149 | * CreatorCameo: Angelo Badalamenti also composed the soundtrack. |
| 150 | * {{Expy}}: Of [[Series/TwinPeaks Ben and Jerry Horne]], being an eccentric and unscrupulous pair of brothers with a lot of clout. |
| 151 | * HandshakeRefusal: They refuse the handshake offered by Ray at the conference. |
| 152 | * TheMafia: It's highly implied that Mr. Roque and the Castigliane Brothers aren't your typical meddling executives. |
| 153 | * NotSoStoic: When they're first introduced, they say very little and show no emotion outside of cold judgement. Then one of them finds his espresso isn't to his tastes and the whole scene goes off the rails. |
| 154 | * RambunctiousItalian: Luigi is very eccentric. |
| 155 | * TheSnackIsMoreInteresting: At the move exec conference, Luigi Castigliane is more interested in his espresso than the discussion about the main actress. |
| 156 | [[/folder]] |
| 157 | |
| 158 | [[folder: Wally Brown]] |
| 159 | !!Wally Brown |
| 160 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/JamesKaren |
| 161 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqxxohlx4aa4tds.jpg]] |
| 162 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"You've done your aunt proud and I'm going to tell her first chance I get."'']] |
| 163 | |
| 164 | A film producer that knows Betty's aunt. |
| 165 | ---- |
| 166 | * NiceGuy: Makes efforts to help Betty feel at home during an audition. |
| 167 | * StylisticSuck: The script he sends Betty is quite cheesy. Betty and Rita crack up when they're rehearsing. All the more impressive that, when Betty does it in the audition, she single-handedly turns it into a tense and highly sexually-charged encounter. |
| 168 | -->"Get out! Get out right now before...!" |
| 169 | -->"Before what?" |
| 170 | -->"Before I ''kill you!''" |
| 171 | -->"Then they'd put you in jail!" |
| 172 | [[/folder]] |
| 173 | |
| 174 | [[folder: Woody Katz]] |
| 175 | !!Woody Katz |
| 176 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/ChadEverett |
| 177 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2019_05_24_bettys_audition_mulholland_drive_hd_youtube.png]] |
| 178 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"We're gonna play this niiice and close. Just like in the movies."'']] |
| 179 | |
| 180 | An actor that Betty auditions with. |
| 181 | ---- |
| 182 | * ActorAllusion: Chad Everett was probably best known for being in the seven-year run as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television series ''Medical Center'' (1969) which earned him two Golden Globe Awards and Emmy nominations. Hence the creepy "doctor" type line "just tell me where it hurts, baby." |
| 183 | * DirtyOldMan: His character coerces his friend's daughter into sleeping with him. It's hinted that this wasn't entirely just an act. |
| 184 | * FanDisservice: The suggestive scene he does with Betty would be sexier if it wasn't for the noticeable age gap. |
| 185 | * RewatchBonus: He mentions acting out the same scene with another, dark-haired actress whose name he can't recall. [[spoiler:It's most likely Rita.]] |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | |
| 189 | [[folder: Bob Brooker]] |
| 190 | !!Bob Brooker |
| 191 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/WayneGrace |
| 192 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2019_05_24_bettys_audition_mulholland_drive_hd_youtube1.png]] |
| 193 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Very good. Very...very good. It was forced at times, but still...humanistic."'']] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | A director that auditions Betty. |
| 196 | ---- |
| 197 | * AbortedArc: Downplayed. The film he's working on is never elaborated on, but his assistants say that it was never going to go into production anyway. |
| 198 | * KnowNothingKnowItAll: |
| 199 | ** In the dream world, his direction is incredibly vague. |
| 200 | --->"It's not a competition. The two of them. With ''themselves''. So, don't play it for real...until it gets ''real''." |
| 201 | ** Averted in the real world, where it is implied that he is a competent director who helped create ''The Sylvia North Story''. |
| 202 | * StylisticSuck: Zigzagged. His direction seems comically pretentious and vague, but Woody actually follows his advice, letting Betty lead the scene. At one point, Woody's hand hovers near Betty's ass but doesn't touch it, as if Woody doesn't want to be inappropriate. Betty grabs his wrist and plants his hand firmly on her own ass, immediately raising the stakes and making the scene much more physical. If Bob hadn't told Woody to let Betty take control, the scene wouldn't have been as electrifying. It's all academic because the film never gets made, but... |
| 203 | * TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Bob's odd choice of words show he's overthinking a film that seems to be little more than an erotic thriller. |
| 204 | [[/folder]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[folder:Camilla Rhodes]] |
| 207 | !!Camilla Rhodes |
| 208 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/MelissaGeorge |
| 209 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timthumbphp_7.jpg]] |
| 210 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"This is the girl."'']] |
| 211 | |
| 212 | A well-connected actress whom Adam Kesher is forced to cast. |
| 213 | ---- |
| 214 | * AsideGlance: Internal example. As she's singing Camilla shoots Adam a sinister glance. |
| 215 | * CompositeCharacter: Of the real Camilla and her new blonde lover. |
| 216 | * DecompositeCharacter: Everything Diane hated about the real Camilla is projected onto her, while her outward appearance was given to the less complex Rita. |
| 217 | * {{Expy}}: Of [[Series/TwinPeaks Lana Milford]], having the connections to get ahead in showbusiness in spite of an implied lack of talent. |
| 218 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: She makes only a single appearance, but it's implied that Rita's attempted murder was done to get her foot in the door and force Adam to cast her. |
| 219 | * PinkMeansFeminine: During the musical audition scene, all the women auditioning have pink in their attire with Melissa George's Camilla Rhodes wearing an all-pink dress. |
| 220 | [[/folder]] |
| 221 | |
| 222 | ! Hollywood Locals |
| 223 | |
| 224 | [[folder:Det. Harry [=McKnight=] & Det. Domgaard]] |
| 225 | !!Harry [=McKnight=] |
| 226 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RobertForster ([=McKnight=]) & Creator/BrentBriscoe (Domgaard) |
| 227 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robert_forster_mulholland_drive.jpg]] |
| 228 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Could be someone's missing." "That's what I'm thinking."'' ]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | Two detectives who investigate the failed attempt on Rita's life. |
| 231 | ---- |
| 232 | * AbortedArc: Their investigation goes nowhere, as they don't exist[[note]]Or possibly do, because Diane's neighbor in the real world mentions two detectives looking for her[[/note]]. |
| 233 | * TheArtifact: When the film was pitched as a television series, they were originally going to have a larger role. |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder: Aunt Ruth]] |
| 237 | !!Ruth |
| 238 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/MayaBond |
| 239 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fhd001mde_maya_bond_001.jpg]] |
| 240 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"She's letting me stay here while she's working on a movie that's being made in Canada. But I guess you already know that."'']] |
| 241 | |
| 242 | Betty's aunt, who allows Betty to stay at her place while she shoots in Canada. |
| 243 | ---- |
| 244 | * DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:In the second half of the film, Diane reveals that her aunt died and left her some money.]] |
| 245 | * OutOfFocus: She's in all of two scenes and neither gives her character any emphasis. |
| 246 | [[/folder]] |
| 247 | |
| 248 | [[folder:Dan]] |
| 249 | !!Dan |
| 250 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/PatrickFischler |
| 251 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/winkies.jpg]] |
| 252 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"I had a dream about this place."'']] |
| 253 | |
| 254 | A man who has sinister visions revolving around the Winkie's diner. |
| 255 | ---- |
| 256 | * DiedInYourArmsTonight: As soon as he sees the bum, he collapses into his friend's arms and goes completely still. |
| 257 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: His scene is entirely independent of the major plots and in the real world he's just some guy that Diane saw out of the corner of her eye. |
| 258 | * OhCrap: After telling his companion how the dream plays out, he breaks into a cold sweat when reality plays out exactly the same way, compelling him to go down into that back alleyway... |
| 259 | * OrWasItADream: His reason for coming to Winkies is to address the dreams he keeps having of someone hiding behind the building causing something that leaves his companion terrified. |
| 260 | * ProperlyParanoid: The crux of his scene was that he was right that there's something sinister festering behind Winkies. |
| 261 | * StepfordSmiler: At first he's all upbeat and talking about his dreams like they're no big deal, but it barely hides the sense of dread he's been carrying. |
| 262 | * ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: It's implied that only he can see the bum behind Winkies, as it appears right in front of his companion, who doesn't even acknowledge its existence. |
| 263 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: He's killed off in his very first scene. His brief appearance in the real world gives us no insight into his character. |
| 264 | [[/folder]] |
| 265 | |
| 266 | [[folder:Catherine "Coco" Lenoix]] |
| 267 | !!Catherine "Coco" Lenoix |
| 268 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/AnnMiller |
| 269 | [[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/313b05aa285aeb5e27bdfae7c71b124a_mullholland_drive_ann_miller.jpg]] |
| 270 | [[caption-width-right:236:''"[[{{Catchphrase}} Just call me Coco! Everybody else does!]]"'']] |
| 271 | |
| 272 | Betty's landlady in the dream world and Adam's mother in the real world. |
| 273 | ---- |
| 274 | * CoolOldLady: At least in the first act. We don't get much information on her real-world equivalent. |
| 275 | * CurseOfTheAncients: Coco curses like this. |
| 276 | --> "What you're telling me is a load of horse-pucky..." |
| 277 | [[/folder]] |
| 278 | |
| 279 | [[folder:Joe]] |
| 280 | !!Joe |
| 281 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/MarkPellegrino |
| 282 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3742597a112e55e9a6cb9fbb90fa3e16.jpg]] |
| 283 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Aw man! That's unheard of! An accident like that, who could have foreseen that?"'']] |
| 284 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fhd001mde_mark_pellegrino_003.jpg]] |
| 285 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Once you hand that over to me, it's a done deal. Are you sure you want this?"'']] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | A hired hitman that's been tasked with hunting down Camilla. |
| 288 | ---- |
| 289 | * BlatantLies: The hitman telling a watching janitor that his heavyset victim is hurt bad, and he wants to call an ambulance for her, while she's violently struggling in his arms. |
| 290 | * ButtMonkey: Nothing ever goes right with his incarnation in the dream world in few minutes of screen time: he fails to stage a suicide on one of his hits and ends up killing two more people in a string of slapstick encounters. And while he gets a decent lead on Rita, his supposed target, he never properly catches up on her, and if he's working for the organization, that would mean even more trouble for him. [[spoiler: This is in stark contrast to his real life counterpart, who not only is efficient in his profession, but also works for private individuals only.]] |
| 291 | * ConversationCasualty: Joe executing Ed in the middle of a cheerful conversation. |
| 292 | * EpicFail: In the dream world, he's tasked with killing a man and making it look like a suicide. As soon as he slips his gun into the man's hand, he accidentally sends off another bullet that wounds a woman in the next room. He tries killing the woman, but attracts the attention of a janitor. He kills both of them, but the janitor's vacuum cleaner is left on. He tries silencing the vacuum cleaner by shooting it, which causes an electrical short that sets off the fire alarm. |
| 293 | * FlirtatiousSmackOnTheAss: Smacks the prostitute on the ass when she enters the back of the blue van. |
| 294 | * IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: Perpetrated by the most negligent hitman since Vincent Vega. |
| 295 | * MirrorSelf: His "Betty story" version is comically inept, bungling a fake suicide badly that he has to kill two more people ''and still'' manages to set the building on fire. His "Diane story" version is implied to be much more efficient, since he promises Diane that the blue key will show up when he's killed Camilla, and indeed it does, which triggers Diane's suicidal guilt and mental breakdown. |
| 296 | * PlethoraOfMistakes: His plan to kill Ed and make it look like suicide goes awry when he accidentally triggers the gun while wiping his handprint off and then he decided to "kill" the vacuum which triggers the building's smoke detector alarm. |
| 297 | [[/folder]] |
| 298 | |
| 299 | [[folder: Woman in #12]] |
| 300 | !!Woman in #12 |
| 301 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/JohannaStein |
| 302 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fhd001mde_johanna_stein_001.jpg]] |
| 303 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Oh, by the way, those two detectives came by again looking for you."'']] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | Diane Selwyn's old flatmate. |
| 306 | ---- |
| 307 | * AllThereInTheManual: She mentions she previously used to inhabit room 17, so the address board indicates her name is DeRosa. |
| 308 | * AmbiguouslyGay: She was a roommate of Diane's in both worlds and looks noticeably less feminine than all the other women. |
| 309 | [[/folder]] |
| 310 | |
| 311 | [[folder: Cookie]] |
| 312 | !!Cookie |
| 313 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/GenoSilva |
| 314 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2020_05_26_fhd001mde_geno_silva_001_jpg_jpeg_image_1920_1040_pixels_scaled_71_1.jpg]] |
| 315 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"It's my duty to inform you that whoever you're hiding from...they know where you are."'']] |
| 316 | |
| 317 | A hotel manager. Might also be a member of Club Silencio. |
| 318 | ---- |
| 319 | * AmbiguousSituation: Geno Silva also plays the emcee at Club Silencio. It's not made clear if the emcee is also meant to be Cookie, but his distinct mustache lends credibility to this theory. |
| 320 | * MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico: His trademark. |
| 321 | * NiceGuy: His interaction with Adam shows that he looks after his guests, even if the hotel he's running is less than stellar. |
| 322 | [[/folder]] |
| 323 | |
| 324 | [[folder: Louise Bonner]] |
| 325 | !!Louise Bonner |
| 326 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/LeeGrant |
| 327 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2020_05_27_mulhollanddrive11_jpg_jpeg_image_400_222_pixels.png]] |
| 328 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Someone is in trouble!"'']] |
| 329 | |
| 330 | Betty's neighbor and a clairvoyant. |
| 331 | ---- |
| 332 | * TheCassandra: A very blatant example of one. |
| 333 | * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She talks to Betty as if in a trance, though when Coco talks to her she seemingly regains herself. |
| 334 | * {{Expy}}: To the Log Lady from ''Twin Peaks''. Both have some connection with the spirit world that makes them come across as a bit odd. |
| 335 | [[/folder]] |
| 336 | |
| 337 | ! Supernatural Forces |
| 338 | |
| 339 | [[folder:The Bum]] |
| 340 | !!Bum |
| 341 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/BonnieAarons |
| 342 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bumbigbox_by_albatrash_d5tjsvy.jpg]] |
| 343 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"There's a man...in back of this place. He's the one who's doing it! I can see him through the wall! I can see his face!"'']] |
| 344 | |
| 345 | A derelict who lives in the alleyway behind Winkies. |
| 346 | ---- |
| 347 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: Just the way it slides out of nowhere, its AmbiguousGender and the fact that it's impossibly filthy hint that it's no ordinary bum. |
| 348 | * CrosscastRole: He is played by actress [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007491/?ref_=rvi_nm Bonnie Aarons.]] Bet you didn't see that coming, eh? |
| 349 | * TheDreaded: Dan is terrified of the reoccurring dream where he can see the creature through the walls, and the story he tells is unsettling enough to make his friend a bit unnerved as well. Then they go see it in the alleyway behind the diner and the mere sight of the creature is enough to make Dan faint in horror. |
| 350 | * HumanoidAbomination: There's no clear explanation as to who or ''what'' this person is. |
| 351 | * JumpScare: One of the most iconic examples of the modern age -- this is how the man behind Winkies is introduced, only to disappear just as quickly. |
| 352 | * MagicalHomelessPerson: He is strongly implied to be a godlike mystical being who pulls all the strings behind the movie's plot. |
| 353 | * MundaneHorror: The "man behind Winkies" scene is the quintessence of this. Two men are talking in a diner, with one of them telling the other about a nightmare he had, in which there was a horrible abomination in the back of the diner. Everything happens in broad daylight, with many customers around, and nothing indicates anything out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, they go to check, and when it looks like nobody is there, and he is about to calm down... the abomination actually appears. |
| 354 | * NothingIsScarier: A Lynch trademark, exemplified in the "man behind Winkies" scene. Almost five minutes of low-key, almost hushed conversation as build-up, then the two men leave the diner, with both of them (and the audience) terrified of what they might find behind the restaurant as the camera creeeeeeeeeeeeps towards the wall, and then, BOOM. |
| 355 | * {{Psychopomp}}: One possible theory. Dan drops dead as soon as he sees it. Later on it releases the old couple who terrorize Diane into suicide. As Diane's body goes cold, the bum can be seen fading into focus. |
| 356 | [[/folder]] |
| 357 | |
| 358 | [[folder: The Old Couple]] |
| 359 | !!Old Couple |
| 360 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/JeanneBates & Creator/DanBirnbaum |
| 361 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oldcouplejpg.png]] |
| 362 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Remember, I'll be watching for you on the big screen!"'']] |
| 363 | |
| 364 | A sinister old couple who take an interest in Betty/Diane. |
| 365 | ---- |
| 366 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: They can alter their size and crawl out of the blue box, so at the very least they're magical in nature. |
| 367 | * EvilLaugh: Their first interaction with Betty seems benign, but after they board their cab, they begin to laugh hysterically, ''[[NothingIsScarier in absolute silence]]''. We're given no such mercy from the sound [[HellIsThatNoise during the final scene]]. |
| 368 | * EvilOldFolks: ''Miniature'' evil old folks, no less. |
| 369 | * TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Somehow they managed to break out of the dreamworld and torment Diane. And when Diane is dead, they're nowhere to be found. Best watch this movie with your lights on. |
| 370 | * MiniatureSeniorCitizens: In the most literal and nightmarish sense. |
| 371 | * MundaneHorror: Of a different variety than the bum; they're every inch your average elderly well-to-do white couple... which makes their unnatural movements and unexplained ([[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane hallucinatory]]?) attack on Diane all the more nightmarish. |
| 372 | [[/folder]] |
| 373 | |
| 374 | [[folder:The Cowboy]] |
| 375 | !!Cowboy |
| 376 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/LafayetteMontgomery |
| 377 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fhd001mde_monty_montgomery_001.jpg]] |
| 378 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Well, now. Here's a man who wants to get right down to it. Kind of anxious to get to it, are you?"'']] |
| 379 | |
| 380 | The owner and manager of a corral who has a vested interest in Adam Kescher's film. |
| 381 | ---- |
| 382 | * AlienFairFolk: May be this, given his relation to electricity (lightbulb turning on/off when he appears/disappears), his somewhat peculiar appearance and behavior, and numerous similarities to characters of this type from Series/TwinPeaks. |
| 383 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: His choice of wardrobe feels more like a costume than proper attire and his skin is unnaturally streamlined with very limited facial expressions, like he's wearing a mask. |
| 384 | * EmergingFromTheShadows: The way he only appears when a light flickers on gives off this vibe. |
| 385 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Acts friendly and tries to engage in small talk with Kesher, all the while looking down his nose at him and making it clear that Kesher must submit or suffer the consequences. |
| 386 | * NoBrows: His creepiness is amplified by his lack of eyebrows. |
| 387 | * RuleOfThree: The Cowboy says "If you do good, you'll see me one more time. If you do bad, you'll see me two more times." While he doesn't encounter Adam after this, he does appear before Diane, who as the dreamer would have experienced this interaction and has a skeleton in her closet. |
| 388 | * StealthHiBye: Appears and disappears without a trace at the corral. |
| 389 | ** In a weirder way, his appearance at the party in Diane's world. Barely a walk-on cameo... but he's there all the same at [[DespairEventHorizon Diane's tipping point]]. |
| 390 | * SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Mystery Man from ''Film/LostHighway'', both being enigmatic and near omnipotent AmbiguouslyHuman type of characters who may or may not be capable of warping between alternate realities. Both also lack eyebrows and tend to emerge from the shadows quite literally. |
| 391 | * WhamLine: ''"Hey pretty girl. Time to wake up."'' |
| 392 | [[/folder]] |
| 393 | |
| 394 | [[folder:Club Silencio]] |
| 395 | !!Club Silencio |
| 396 | !!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RichardGreen (The Magician), Creator/CoriGlazer (Blue-Haired Woman) Creator/RebekahDelRio (AsHerself) |
| 397 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/richardgreenmulhollanddrive.jpg]] |
| 398 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"It is all...an illusion!"'']] |
| 399 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/large_mulholland_dr_blu_ray_x_1140x641.jpg]] |
| 400 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Llorando...Llorando...Llorando...No es fácil de entender! Que al verte otra vez! Yo seguiré llorando..."'']] |
| 401 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mullholland_drive_blue_hair1.jpg]] |
| 402 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Silencio..."'']] |
| 403 | |
| 404 | Performers at a late-night club. |
| 405 | ---- |
| 406 | * AuthorAvatar: The Magician's lecture on false images and wish-fulfillment carries meaning that seems to come straight from the mouth of the director. |
| 407 | * BeardOfEvil: While calling the Magician "evil" is a bit of a stretch, he's still pretty creepy. |
| 408 | * TheChanteuse: Rebekah Del Rio. When she collapses, the song keeps playing, implying that she was lip-synching the whole thing. Then again, it's hard to tell with this movie. |
| 409 | * ClassyCane: The Magician has one. |
| 410 | * ColdHam: ''There is no band...'' |
| 411 | * FamiliarSoundtrackForeignLyrics: "Llorando" is a Spanish cover of Music/RoyOrbison's "Crying." |
| 412 | * GratuitousFrench: The magician abuses this trope. |
| 413 | * GriefSong: "Llorando" translates to "crying". |
| 414 | * KubrickStare: The Magician gives one with a sinister smile before seeming to disappear in a puff of smoke. |
| 415 | * LargeHam: '''NO! HAY! BANDA!''' -- That magician sure loves his ham. |
| 416 | * LoveNostalgiaSong: The song "Llorando" is either a BreakupSong or a song about a loved one dying. |
| 417 | * MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The Magician repeatedly says everything is fake, but if you pay close attention you'll see he made a cane materialise in his hand and makes it disappear seconds later. There's also the way he disappears in a puff of smoke. |
| 418 | * RewatchBonus: The blue-haired woman can be seen observing from a balcony as the Magician delivers his soliloquy. |
| 419 | * SmokeOut: The Magician finishes his act using this trick. |
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