Lenny Von Dohlen, Keeper of Laura Palmer’s Secret Diary on ‘Twin Peaks,’ Dies at 63

Dohlen played the soft-spoken shut-in who kept Laura Palmer’s diary hidden after her death

Lenny Von Dohlen
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 16: Actor Lenny Von Dohlen arrives to The American Film Institute Presents "Twin Peaks-The Entire Mystery" Blu-Ray/DVD Release Screening at the Vista Theatre on July 16, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Lenny Von Dohlen, who played Harold Smith on the hit series “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 63.

His sister confirmed his death Friday on Facebook. No cause was given.

Dohlen played Harold Smith, the eccentric, soft-spoken shut-in who kept Laura Palmer’s diary safely hidden away – until it was stolen, and the character hanged himself out of grief. It was implied that he had been in love with the teen Palmer, whose murder was at the center of “Twin Peaks” world.

Like many of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” actors, Von Dohlen would be best-known for the small role, despite a healthy acting career in film and TV that never went dormant.

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