‘Log Lady’ documentary explores life of Oregon actress who brought beloved TV character to life

The late Catherine Coulson is best known for her uncanny performance as The Log Lady in “Twin Peaks,” in which she seemed to personify the odd, unique spirit of the Northwest-set TV series, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.

But as the documentary “I Know Catherine, The Log Lady” demonstrates, there was much more to Coulson. The film, which screens Wednesday, May 14, at the Hollywood Theatre, moves back and forth in time, covering major events in Coulson’s life and career and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Coulson’s final performance as The Log Lady in Showtime’s “Twin Peaks: The Return.”

Oregonians and fans of live theater may have seen Coulson, who died from cancer in 2015, in one of her many appearances onstage in Ashland, where she was a member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival acting company for more than two decades.

“I Know Catherine, The Log Lady,” directed by Richard Green, fills out Coulson’s story, featuring interviews from colleagues and friends, including Lynch — who died earlier this year — and Frost, fellow “Twin Peaks” cast members such as Kyle MacLachlan, family members, longtime friends, Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors, former Shakespeare festival artistic director Bill Rauch, and playwright Robert Schenkkan, who recalls writing “By the Waters of Babylon” for Coulson.

The film also goes into detail about Coulson’s career, which included notable work behind the camera on Lynch’s feature “Eraserhead.” That film starred Coulson’s first husband, Jack Nance, and marked the beginning of her long association and collaboration with Lynch.

Cinematographer Fred Elmes also talks about Coulson being one of the rare women to work as a first assistant camera person, a job she performed in such movies as “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

But Coulson really made her mark on modern culture when Lynch tapped her to play Margaret Lanterman, better known as The Log Lady, in “Twin Peaks,” which became an out-of-nowhere sensation when it premiered on ABC in 1990.

Though “Twin Peaks,” which was set in a fictional Pacific Northwest town, was populated by any number of quirky characters, The Log Lady was especially memorable, a woman who went everywhere cradling a piece of wood from which she appeared to receive messages about the town and the people in it.

The original “Twin Peaks” burned brightly, but briefly, and ran only two seasons. But the show lived on, thanks to such Lynch-directed movies as “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” and a loyal fandom.

When it was announced in 2014 that Lynch and Frost would do a sort-of revival, or sequel to the series, fans and critics were ecstatic. But a short time after that announcement, Coulson was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

The most compelling moments in “I Know Catherine, The Log Lady” reveal how in September of 2015, a small group of Oregon-based professionals, including director Gary Lundgren, producer Anne Lundgren and cinematographer Patrick Neary, who had worked with Coulson on the Oregon-filmed 2013 feature, “Redwood Highway,” came to Coulson’s Ashland home to film her reprising her role as The Log Lady for “Twin Peaks: The Return.”

With Lynch giving the frail Coulson direction via Skype, she played her signature role for the last time. Coulson died Sept. 28, 2015.

“Twin Peaks: The Return” aired on Showtime in 2017.

Coulson is also being remembered at the World Forestry Center in Portland, where a pop-up exhibit, “What the Log Saw: Honoring the legacy of Catherine ‘The Log Lady’ Coulson” is on display until June 8.

As The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Samantha Swindler reported, the exhibit features the ponderosa pine chosen by Lynch that Coulson carried as The Log Lady. Coulson’s daughter, Zoey Yinger, lives in Portland, and she approached the World Forestry Center with the idea of displaying the log, as a way to both celebrate Coulson, and raise awareness about sustainable forestry practices.

The documentary, “I Know Catherine, The Log Lady” screens at the Hollywood Theatre at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 14. Tickets are $10 and $12. No streaming options have yet been announced, though more information should be available later this year.

— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com and @Kristiturnquist and https://bsky.app/profile/kristiturnquist.bsky.social

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe