‘Twin Peaks’ Star Joan Chen Regrets Leaving Show, Speaks Out

Joan Chen, known for her role in Twin Peaks as Josie Pickard, has expressed regret over how her departure from the show transpired. Chen played the mill owner, Josie, during the horror drama’s original run on ABC in the early ’90s. Josie’s fate was sealed in Season 2, Episode 16, where she died following a confrontation with Kyle MacLachlan’s character, Dale Cooper. The episode concluded with a shocking scene: Josie’s soul appeared trapped in a wooden drawer knob at the Great Northern Hotel, her face frozen in the wood as she struggled to escape.

The decision to write Josie out in such a bizarre manner was motivated by Chen’s own wishes at the time. In a conversation with IndieWire, Chen revealed her desire to leave the show to pursue a film project titled Turtle Beach. “I loved the novel, which discussed the lives of Vietnamese and Chinese refugees,” Chen explained. “There was a character I really wanted to play. Back then, I also preferred the big screen. I don’t know why, but I felt like I wanted to leave the show.”

Chen’s departure from Twin Peaks turned out to be bittersweet. Turtle Beach, released in 1992, did not meet her expectations and ultimately flopped. Meanwhile, Twin Peaks has retained its status as a cult classic and remains a significant part of pop culture. Reflecting on her decision, Chen admitted, “They wrote me out and put me in a drawer knob, and later on, I was regretful because Turtle Beach came out to be a very uninspired film. Now even decades later, Twin Peaks is this iconic TV show that opened new possibilities for television. It was a revolutionary show, and I regret leaving it. I wished I could go back.”

Chen was hopeful when she heard about the series’ revival in 2017, dubbed Twin Peaks: The Return. She even considered reaching out to the show’s creator, David Lynch, to rekindle interest in her character. “I wanted to write a letter to David to sort of kindle him some imagination and possibility, but obviously, it didn’t work,” she said. The revival did not bring Josie back to life; although archival footage of Chen was used, the storyline did not revisit her character.

Despite her disappointment, Chen watched the third season of Twin Peaks on Showtime and remains optimistic about the show’s future. “If she could get out of the drawer knob and serve some purpose for the show, then I would love it,” Chen stated, acknowledging the complexity of reintegrating her character. “I knew there was no place for Josie in there.” While it remains unclear whether Twin Peaks will continue, Chen has not ruled out a potential return. For now, fans of the series can revisit the original episodes, which are available for streaming on Paramount+.

Source: IndieWire, Showtime