David Lynch did not play the Curious Woman in his 1992 film, Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me. She was played by the late Ingrid Brucato, a dog show-enthusiast turned movie extra who lived in the Pacific Northwest. Whew! I am glad that is out of the way. As a Twin Peaks fan in the 1990s, I remember hearing that rumor about Lynch’s supposed cameo. But where and when did it start? Let’s trace the history.
WHO IS THE CURIOUS WOMAN IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME?
As the credits roll over an image of a smiling Laura Palmer, we see Ingrid Brucato played the Curious Woman at the Fat Trout Trailer Park in Deer Meadow, Washington.
Mike Dunn from Lynchnet.com first published an interview with Ingrid Brucato in October 1998 which included these two images.
“I got the job, because David Lynch picked my photo out of about 50 [extras],” she told Dunn. “I was on file with White Light Casting and, in addition to the usual ‘beauty photos’, I sent them one of me as a boozer, looking as drunk and horrible as can be.”
White Light Casting served as the casting agent for extras in the Seattle area. At the time, they were no stranger to casting films as several productions were shot in the Seattle area during the 1990s. I’ve attempted to find additional details about their agency but it appears they have folded.
Before she turned to acting, Ingrid spent many years showing dogs at various competitions. The internet has basically next to nothing about her life so I turned to Newspapers.com to fill in the gaps.
INGRID BRUCATO PLAYED THE CURIOUS WOMAN
It’s important to note that I believe these articles about “Ingrid Brucato” are referencing the same person who stared in Lynch’s film. The name is rather unique and there are later references to her living in a town south of Seattle, Washington.
The first reference I found was an article in the Fitchburg Sentinel from Nov. 11, 1966 about Brucato winning first prize at a competition. Pleasant Street in Lunenburg is located in Massachusetts which means she most likely was living there at the time before making her way to Washington state.
By 1972, Brucato had relocated to Toutle, Washington about two hours south of Seattle near Mount St. Helen’s Volcanic National Monument. Her Siberian Husky, Frosty Aire’s Blue Knight, took second in the open dog competition.
Two years later, the Siberian Husky went “best of winners and best of breed” at a dog show in Colfax. He also took top honors at a show in Spokane. Interestingly, Brucato is listed being affiliated with Almaring Kennels in Toutle which is a kennel of the same name from the 1966 article. This makes me believe they are “one and the same” (to paraphrase The Giant).
By 1976, Brucato was serving on a board for the Longview-Kelso Kennel Club, Inc. which hosted an all-breed dog show and obedience trials at Cowlitz County Fairgrounds.
Brucato had left the Kennel Club by 1978 and appears to have traveled in the Southern United States discussing care of dogs and puppies. That’s where the trail grew cold about her life.
There was one advertisement in 1988 that listed “Ingrid Brucato” as a woman who was voting for then Presidential candidate Mike Dukakis. Her husband Albert and her may have moved to a home on 21st Ave SW in Seattle in February 1998. History and details are fuzzy. The home was in foreclosure around July 2010 and an Armand Brucato was listed on the Quit Claim Deed. it could be her son but I’ve had little success locating information about Armand.
CURIOUS WOMAN AT THE FAT TROUT
Now that we know a little history, let’s take look at her scene. It starts as she approaches the front door of Teresa Banks’ trailer in the Fat Trout Trailer Park. She is holding an ice pack over her right eye and walking with a cane.
“When told to come to the set for [the Curious Woman], half way to the set our car stopped,” explained Brucato in an interview with Lynchnet.com. “An oil pipe had broken and it was running ‘dry.’ With the help of a policeman, I contacted the casting office at the set and told them: ‘We are stuck here. Just forget about me – get someone else’. The answer was: ‘They want you and we are sending someone down there to pick you up.’
The August 8, 1991 script mentions the “Old Woman” in this scene.
A WOMAN sticks her head into the trailer. She has an ice pack over one eye and a load of idle curiosity. Desmond notices her.
DESMOND
Did you know Teresa Banks?
She just nods in the negative and lens back out. Behind her is Deputy Cliff, who looks into the trailer.
The scene continues with a true Missing Piece that has an exchange between Agent Desmond, Carl [Rodd], and Deputy Cliff.
“I worked two days for that short trailer scene,” continued Brucato during her 1990s interview. “Harry Dean Stanton told me during a pause that my part was a difficult one. They all were terrific. I loved working for David Lynch. It was a hot summer day. I was dressed in warm wool clothing, with two make-up women working on me, one drenching my hair with vaseline and dust and when I complained a little David Lynch said to me, ‘You asked for the job!’ (But I didn’t know what was involved). Anyhow, David Lynch is one terrific director. Once he told me and I’ll never forget it – in filming or in life: ‘Ingrid, less is more!’
THE LOG LADY CONNECTION
Look carefully at the Curious Woman’s sweater. Does it seem familiar?
It appears to be the same sweater worn by The Log Lady in Episode 2002 at the Double R Diner.
The same sweater is scene in this publicity image of The Log Lady.
Kudos to O.K. Bob who shared this insight on the former Dugpa.com discussion boards in 2017.
THE MYSTERY PERSON
Ingrid’s brief scene concludes with the Curious Woman backing out of the front door of Teresa Banks’ trailer.
After the Curious Woman departs, look for a mystery person peeking through curtains in the trailer window next door. Who is it?!
Brucato said her husband Al and her also “worked in the TV series in an episode taking place in the Inn (cafe?, restaurant?), but we are not visible.”
DAVID LYNCH RUMOR
Now that we’ve established it was Ingrid Brucato who played the Curious Woman, let’s turn our attention to the David Lynch rumor. I’ll admit, I too was recently fooled by the uncanny resemblance to David Lynch. Just compare the crease between his eyebrows or his nose with Brucato’s character. It’s easy to see why some people might think it’s Lynch.
Ross Dudle, long-time fan of Twin Peaks and creator of the incredible Twin Peaks Soundtrack Design website, mentioned the rumor of Lynch’s supposed cameo may have been started by Video Watchdog. This former publication was launched by Tim Lucas in the mid-1980s and was the go-to magazine about home video releases for years. They published an extensive look at the Lynch’s film in March / April 1993, which included an extensive look at the missing pieces from the original script. I didn’t find reference in that article so it could have been in another issue.
If there is one thing I love about Twin Peaks fans, it’s that we help each other. Shortly after this article was published, Ross found the Video Watchdog reference that sparked this rumor. It was from issue 18 published in July / August 1993.
A letter from Robert W. Getz in Warminster, Pennsylvania proposed the idea that the Curious Woman looked like David Lynch. The editor (Tim Lucas?) responded that “Ingrid Brucato was indeed a pseudonymous David Lynch.” Thus a rumor was born. Sadly, it appears Mr. Getz passed on December 20, 2012.
The rumor would appear three years later on Usenet. The earliest reference online dates to February 23, 1996 on alt.tv.twin-peaks. You’ll see someone later reference the Video Watchdog suggestion during the discussion.
In the days before website, fans turned to Usenet bulletin boards to discuss theories and obsess over details. Ian who went by Dr. Memory first suggested the Curious Woman was “David Lynch in drag.”
Martin Cannon concurred with Dr. Memory’s assumption on February 27, 1996. The idea was left to simmer for a few months until it returned in August.
alt.tv.twin-peaks – AUGUST 1996
While I was preparing to attend my first Twin Peaks Fan Festival in Washington State, more discussion was had between fans from August 4-7, 1996.
A few days later as I was visiting Kiana Lodge for the first time, debate raged on. There were some who thought “Brucato” was a connection to Isabella Rossellini whose mother was Ingrid Bergman. Debate simmered some more until the fall.
alt.tv.twin-peaks – OCTOBER 1996
At the end October 1996, the rumor that the Curious Woman was David Lynch persisted.
Some folks were adamant that it was Lynch until “rocketBITCH” (junkiegrrl on America Online) disagreed on November 7, 1996. Junkiegrrl could be a reference to a 1994 Walter Becker (of Steely Dan fame) song named “Junkie Girl.”
With thanks to long-time Twin Peaks fan Christian Hartleben. the identify of “junkiegrrl” is revealed as Jennifer Syme. She was an assistant at Asymmetrical Productions and appeared as one of Pete Dayton’s friends in David Lynch’s Lost Highway. Christian was the third most all-time poster in alt.tv.twin-peaks, saw her posts at the time. Her learned of her identity with news of her death. This explains her statement, “we ALL got an enormous laugh outta that one.” The “we” meant David Lynch’s team and crew.
This dissension did not sit well with some fans as this post from November 9, 1996 indicates.
And this one from the same day.
Debate raged on several days later on November 13 with a fan suggesting that “Ingrid Brucato” was an “acronym [sic]” for “In our drag bit.”
alt.tv.twin-peaks – MAY 1998
The rumor resurrects in May 1998 only to have QFFI Mag1 mention that long-time Twin Peaks fan “John” [sic] Eisenstadt (Josh Eisenstadt) talked with Mrs. Brucato and might make an appearance at the 1998 Twin Peaks Fan Festival. From my research, I don’t believe she attended that event a few months later.
alt.tv.twin-peaks – OCTOBER 1998
The rumor appears again one more time in October 1998 before Mike Dunn who ran Lynchnet.com in the late 1990s and 2000s published an interview with Ingrid about her role.
The interview was so important that Mike placed it as a stand alone link on the main page for Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me.
The interview which was most likely published in early October 1998 still exists today.
I know it was published then as I found an image of Ingrid Brucato I saved from the story on November 15, 1998. This has truly been a lifelong obsession for me.
Despite the confirmation from Lynchnet.com, the FAQ on TwinPeaks.org still questions the actor’s identity. What does “c in our drag bit” even mean?
INGRID BRUCATO OBITUARY
The Seattle PI published on August 20, 2009 that Ingrid Brucato had passed on August 18 in Seattle at the age of 86.
Her husband Albert passed a few years later in 2011 at the age of 91.
Well that was a lovely piece of internet obsessiveness. I’m pleased that Ingrid has received the recognition she deserved (and indeed was given in the credits of the film). We should all be so lucky to be the subject of such intrigue!
@Lee – Thank you! Definitely obsessive. I only wish I could have met her.