Audrey Horne
Encyclopedia
Audrey Horne is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks
, created by David Lynch
and Mark Frost
. She was played by Sherilyn Fenn
.
Audrey is 18 years old during the action of the series. She eventually discovers that her father, business magnate Benjamin Horne, was the deceased Laura Palmer
's lover.
Audrey is labelled a troublemaker and she initially lives up to that expectation. In a memorable scene in the Twin Peaks pilot, she derails one of her father's business deals, worth millions of dollars, by interrupting a meeting of Norwegian
investors and telling them about Laura's murder.
Although Audrey and Laura were not friends, Audrey says she "kind of loved Laura" because Laura tutored Audrey's mentally retarded
brother Johnny.
During the first season of Twin Peaks, Audrey develops a crush on FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper
. She tries to help him investigate Laura's murder by infiltrating a Canadian
brothel
, One-Eyed Jack's, as a hostess. She remains at the brothel for several episodes that bridge the series' first and second seasons, in danger of her life, while she makes some profoundly disturbing discoveries.
In the show's second season, writers planned a serious relationship between Cooper and Audrey, but actor Kyle MacLachlan
, who played Cooper, vetoed the plan; he argued that Cooper would not become involved with a high school
-age woman. Cooper did, however, become involved with another young woman (Annie Blackburn, about 20 years old) toward the end of the season. Cooper admits to Audrey during their last significant conversation that the real reason why he would not pursue her was for her own safety. In a previous FBI case, he fell in love with a young woman who was then murdered. Later in the second season, Audrey flirts with Bobby Briggs and then has an affair with one of her father's business associates, John Justice Wheeler (Billy Zane
).
She finds evidence to exonerate Cooper of charges pressed after his raid on One-Eyed Jack's. She also lets her father pressure her into entering the Miss Twin Peaks beauty pageant, for which she delivers an impassioned speech in favor of saving endangered species
.
In the series finale, Audrey is engaged in an act of civil disobedience
at the local bank to save the local forest. While she is chained to the door of the bank vault
, a bomb explodes inside the vault, a booby trap planted by the late Thomas Eckhardt as an ironic reward in a long treasure hunt. Andrew Packard, Pete Martell
, and an elderly banker are the ones closest to the blast, and Audrey's fate is left ambiguous. Sherilyn Fenn stated in an interactive chat on America Online that, if there had been a third season of the show, her character was slated to have survived the explosion.
Also in the finale, it is suggested that Audrey is actually the half-sister of Donna Hayward
, whose real father turns out to be Benjamin Horne.
In a deleted scene, available on the Twin Peaks Gold Box DVD set, it is revealed that Audrey's mother holds her responsible for her brother Johnny's disability, citing an incident when Audrey, as a toddler, pushed a nine-year-old Johnny down the stairs. However, Dr. Jacoby insists that Johnny's condition is self-induced, a retreat to childhood as a result of an unknown emotional trauma.
Angelo Badalamenti
composed the leitmotif
s Audrey's Dance, Audrey's Prayer, and Audrey for the character.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, created by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Mark Frost
Mark Frost
Mark Frost is an American novelist, television/film writer, director, who is best known as a writer for the TV show Hill Street Blues and co-creator of the show Twin Peaks.-Personal life:...
. She was played by Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn is an American actress and filmmaker. She came to international attention for her performance as Audrey Horne on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks...
.
Audrey is 18 years old during the action of the series. She eventually discovers that her father, business magnate Benjamin Horne, was the deceased Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series...
's lover.
Audrey is labelled a troublemaker and she initially lives up to that expectation. In a memorable scene in the Twin Peaks pilot, she derails one of her father's business deals, worth millions of dollars, by interrupting a meeting of Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
investors and telling them about Laura's murder.
Although Audrey and Laura were not friends, Audrey says she "kind of loved Laura" because Laura tutored Audrey's mentally retarded
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
brother Johnny.
During the first season of Twin Peaks, Audrey develops a crush on FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper
Dale Cooper
FBI Special agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan. He is the lead protagonist of the series, and briefly appears in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
. She tries to help him investigate Laura's murder by infiltrating a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
, One-Eyed Jack's, as a hostess. She remains at the brothel for several episodes that bridge the series' first and second seasons, in danger of her life, while she makes some profoundly disturbing discoveries.
In the show's second season, writers planned a serious relationship between Cooper and Audrey, but actor Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan is an American actor. MacLachlan is best known for his roles in cult films Blue Velvet as Jeffrey Beaumont, Showgirls as Zack Carey, as Paul Atreides in Dune, and Ray Manzarek in the Oliver Stone film The Doors...
, who played Cooper, vetoed the plan; he argued that Cooper would not become involved with a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
-age woman. Cooper did, however, become involved with another young woman (Annie Blackburn, about 20 years old) toward the end of the season. Cooper admits to Audrey during their last significant conversation that the real reason why he would not pursue her was for her own safety. In a previous FBI case, he fell in love with a young woman who was then murdered. Later in the second season, Audrey flirts with Bobby Briggs and then has an affair with one of her father's business associates, John Justice Wheeler (Billy Zane
Billy Zane
William George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. He is probably best known for his roles as Caledon Hockley in Titanic, The Phantom from The Phantom, John Wheeler in Twin Peaks and Mr...
).
She finds evidence to exonerate Cooper of charges pressed after his raid on One-Eyed Jack's. She also lets her father pressure her into entering the Miss Twin Peaks beauty pageant, for which she delivers an impassioned speech in favor of saving endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
In the series finale, Audrey is engaged in an act of civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
at the local bank to save the local forest. While she is chained to the door of the bank vault
Bank vault
A bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents can be stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, just like a safe...
, a bomb explodes inside the vault, a booby trap planted by the late Thomas Eckhardt as an ironic reward in a long treasure hunt. Andrew Packard, Pete Martell
Pete Martell
Peter Martell is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.Pete , born on June 28, 1943, is a lumberjack who married his boss' sister Catherine. What started as a "summer's indiscretion", developed into a marriage on the rocks, a marriage that from...
, and an elderly banker are the ones closest to the blast, and Audrey's fate is left ambiguous. Sherilyn Fenn stated in an interactive chat on America Online that, if there had been a third season of the show, her character was slated to have survived the explosion.
Also in the finale, it is suggested that Audrey is actually the half-sister of Donna Hayward
Donna Hayward
Donna Hayward is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.Donna is the best friend of Laura Palmer, and after her death she is obsessed with finding out who killed her and why, with the help of James Hurley,...
, whose real father turns out to be Benjamin Horne.
In a deleted scene, available on the Twin Peaks Gold Box DVD set, it is revealed that Audrey's mother holds her responsible for her brother Johnny's disability, citing an incident when Audrey, as a toddler, pushed a nine-year-old Johnny down the stairs. However, Dr. Jacoby insists that Johnny's condition is self-induced, a retreat to childhood as a result of an unknown emotional trauma.
Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
composed the leitmotif
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
s Audrey's Dance, Audrey's Prayer, and Audrey for the character.