10 Strange David Lynch Stories You Probably Don't Know

9. A Cow For Laura Dern

After his 2006 film Inland Empire was released, David Lynch felt that leading lady Laura Dern did such a good job that she deserved an Academy Award for her performance. To try and convince Academy voters of her excellence, he sat on the corner of a Los Angeles street with a real, live cow and a sign with Laura Dern’s face on it.

Unfortunately for Lynch, Dern, and the cow, the actress didn’t even get so much as a nomination that year (let alone a win). However, time truly is the best indicator of a performance’s quality: nearly fifteen years later, Inland Empire remains one of the best projects Lynch or Dern has ever done.