My dream of identifying all of the extras in David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks is one step closer to been fulfilled thanks to a tip from Snoqualmie Valley historian and resident Bob Antone. During “Cinema Unwrapped” at the Real Twin Peaks 2025 event, Bob shared a name of the mill worker seen in the Double R Diner during the pilot episode. He would later briefly return in Lynch’s 1992 film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
WHO IS THE MILL WORKER AT THE DOUBLE R DINER IN TWIN PEAKS?
During the Twin Peaks pilot, there is a scene with Bobby Briggs enjoying a cup of coffee at the Double R Diner before offering waitress Shelly Johnson a ride home. In the background, a gentleman wearing a mill worker’s hat sits at the counter. Bob Antone identified the restaurant patron as Leo Kelly, a local Snoqualmie resident known for dressing up for Christmas, Easter and St. Patrick’s Day.
Kelly would return to the Double R Diner during a very brief scene in David Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. He is seen checking out while Laura Palmer is preparing her Meals on Wheels run. There is a longer scene with the local extra found in 2014’s The Missing Pieces.
WHO IS LEO KELLY?
Leo L. Kelly was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sept. 2, 1913. By the 1920s, his family relocated to Snoqualmie Valley, Washington and Leo began working at the Snoqualmie Lumber Company.
He retired from the mill on Sept. 2, 1975 where he received a gold Seiko watch from the Weyerhaeuser Corporation for being a “distinguished member of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union for over 50 years.”
Based on the dates provided, Kelly may have started working at the mill when he was 12 (but most likely he was slightly older, starting in possibly 1931).
Much of Leo’s history in the Valley was captured in an official proclamation for “Leo Kelly, Concerned Citizen Day,” a non-binding non-legal holiday for all citizens of Snoqualmie The proclamation was made by then Snoqualmie Mayor Jeanne Hansen on Sept. 13, 1993, which stated the “momentous day” should be recognized on Kelly’s birthday, Sept. 2.
During “Cinema Unwrapped” Antone shared that Kelly used to dress up as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.
This was echoed in the official proclamation saying Leo “should be remembered and held dear as the birth date of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, our Leprechaun, Uncle Sam, Cupid and a myriad of other characters of myth, legend and general amusement.”
A Facebook post from the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum on March 17, 2013 showed Kelly dressed as a Leprechaun in 1983.
Another post in March 2018 showed Leo dressed as the Easter Bunny in 1990 holding a cardboard box of colorful plastic eggs.
The proclamation continued stating Kelly was “one of Snoqualmie’s most influential residents: the builder of more homes in the City than any other person, a past member of the Snoqualmie City Council, an independent citizen activist for traffic safety and other important issues, a member of the Snoqualmie Eagles, the Kiwanis Club and the North Bend Moose Lodge, the head usher of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.”
Leo served as Grand Marshall of the Snoqualmie Days Parade or Snoqualmie Railroad Days as seen in this photograph from 1987 published in the Snoqualmie Valley Record.
According to a comment by Pat Anderson in a Facebook post from the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum on March 31, 2018, Leo frequently attended Snoqualmie Council meetings to express his concerns.
“Leo always spoke during citizen comment at Snoqualmie Council meetings,” wrote Anderson. “He always started ‘Leo Kelley, concerned citizen.’ Leo pushed and pushed until the City put in the traffic signal at Meadowbrook and SR 202.”
Mayor Hansen acknowledge Kelly’s efforts for the traffic light in the proclamation stating he was the “guy who got our stoplight at Meadowbrook Avenue and SR 202” and that he was “representative of the ideal citizen, whose only concern is eternal vigilance of all that is good and kind and wise for all people.”
According to Ancestry.com, Kelly died in July 1994 with an obituary possibly published on July 21 that summer.
LEO KELLY’S APPEARANCES IN TWIN PEAKS
The first time we barely see Leo Kelly is found in the Pilot episode when Heidi parks her car outside the Double R Diner. These scenes were shot during the first day of filming on Feb. 21, 1989. You can see Kelly’s iconic silver mill hat shining through the front window.
Inside, he’s seen in the background as Bobby Briggs drinks coffee. He places something inside his overcoat.
As Shelly and Bobby leave the dinner, we get a wide shot of Norma Jennings behind the counter. Kelly is seen watching the action unfold.
As the camera cuts to a close up of Norma’s reactions, we can see Leo’s face to the left side of the screen.
A slightly different camera angle features his silver hat.
Leo Kelly rubs his eye as Norma watches Bobby leave with Shelly.
Two publicity shots from this scene prominently feature Kelly’s face in the background. The first has Norma pouring more coffee for Bobby.
The second shot from this sequence has Bobby and Norma smiling as Leo looks toward the front door.
LEO KELLY IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
I’ve always wondered the identity of the older gentleman at the Double R Diner in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The release of The Missing Pieces in 2014 has a slightly longer cut of the patron paying his bill before leaving the diner.
Looking at the profile of his face, complete with long nose, mustache and kind smile, this has to be Kelly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lynch, who was fond of bringing back players to be in his works, invited Kelly to be in the scene.
A publicity shot from the feature film has Kelly wearing a hat which means there could have been an alternate take.
Thank you to Bob Antone for the tip as identifying this long-time, local resident makes me appreciate the show’s connection to the “Real Twin Peaks” even more. And thank you to the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum for preserving the history of people who have made the Valley what it is today. Please consider donating to them if you like this kind of history.
