Kyle MacLachlan's Memoir 'Fictional Selves': Most Shocking Revelations

Kyle MacLachlan chronicled the twists and turns of his Hollywood career in his memoir.

Released on September 29, Fictional Selves is described in its official synopsis as "a book of doppelgangers, with MacLachlan mirrored by his own prodding ego ('Other Kyle'), the iconic characters he inhabited, and the ones that eluded his grasp but gave him a profound and surprising lens onto himself as a person and a performer."

In an interview with People, the 67-year-old actor said that more than four decades in film and television inspired him to reflect on his career in the memoir.

"It suddenly hit me that I'd been working in film and TV for over 40 years, and it really hit home while working on my podcast having conversations with young creatives," he told the news outlet. "It's brought a perspective, and the book is an opportunity to reflect on my different selves over the years."

Following its release, OK! rounded up some of the most surprising revelations from MacLachlan's Fictional Selves.

In Fictional Selves, MacLachlan revealed he had no idea he was competing against Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise when he auditioned for Paul Atreides in 1984's Dune. The role marked his feature film debut after he ultimately landed the lead over both future stars.

After being cast, he signed "an enormous book of a contract," which covered five Dune films and three additional projects outside the franchise.

"When it's all sealed up, I get paid $50,000, more than I've ever made in my life, exponentially more than the $185 a week I'd been making onstage," he wrote. "There's no way on earth you can plan for something like that."

MacLachlan, however, appeared in only one Dune movie after the 1984 adaptation underperformed at the box office.

He acknowledged that his unconventional path into Hollywood makes it difficult for him to offer aspiring actors clear advice for success.

MacLachlan also opened up about the grueling conditions he endured during the seven-month Dune shoot in Mexico.

According to the star, recurring stomach illnesses were common on set, and the poor plumbing on the sound stages made matters worse. The issues eventually caused him to lose nearly 15 pounds during production, while cast and crew members frequently missed work as they became sick.

"On and off, I catch the friendly neighborhood stomach bug," he said, per an excerpt shared by People. "We're all dealing with the same thing. Every morning, we find out someone new is down for the day. It just becomes part of life on set."

MacLachlan wrote that by the fourth month, everyone was starting "to wear down," as illness and injuries becoming part of the production. Director David Lynch somehow remained unaffected by the diseases, he added in the book.

MacLachlan crossed paths with Kilmer again when he auditioned for the role of Nick "Goose" Bradshaw in Top Gun.

"Another film I lose is Top Gun, though lose is a strong word cause I'm never seriously considered for it," he revealed, saying director Tony Scott was "looking for a certain kind of energy" that MacLachlan knew did not come naturally to him.

The role ultimately went to Anthony Edwards, while Kilmer played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

MacLachlan and Kilmer later became friends after working together on 1991's The Doors, playing Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, respectively.

"There's an energy about him that I'm drawn to; he's got that healthy dose of mystery crave and seems aloof to the business and the town," MacLachlan scribed. "Because we've been up for the same roles for years and have both circled others, I see him as a kind of cosmic alternative self."

Elsewhere in Fictional Selves, MacLachlan revealed he never expected Twin Peaks to become the phenomenon it eventually did.

"By 1990, the Twin Peaks pilot began getting huge buzz months before airing. Even though it's TV, not film, I am finally part of something that people are talking about," he wrote in his book. "It would've seemed improbable a few months ago, but maybe this is it."

He also remembered the first season as loose and playful, with the cast consuming plenty of the real pie, doughnuts and coffee featured onscreen.

When Twin Peaks premiered in April 1990, roughly 35 million viewers tuned in to the two-hour pilot.

MacLachlan admitted, "For something unknown, with no big stars and not based on any previous story, that's a gigantic number, even back then. I am taken aback by the reaction."

"Those of us who worked on it love it, but unexpectedly, the country —­ even parts of the world —­ does, too," he continued. "Keep in mind that we're over a decade before TV will have the complexity of film. But Twin Peaks seeps into the culture in a way that only the biggest films do."

In Fictional Selves, MacLachlan recalled director Paul Verhoeven asking him to appear fully n--- during one of the 1995 film Showgirls' most infamous pool scenes.

"'Kyle,' he says, 'when you valk across the pool deck, and we shoot you here, and you have a giant e------ and you walk into the pool, and we see this...' 'Hold on a second,' I say, snapping to attention. 'Paul, I'm sorry, you can't shoot me from the front,'" he remembered. "I stay congenial, despite the insane suggestion. Paul acts confused. 'Yes, we see it from the front. We see you—' 'Ah no,' I say. 'I'm not going to do that.'"

MacLachlan continued, "'Listen... it's not a problem if you can't get an e------; we can make one in,' he says, not a trace of irony. 'We can paint one any size you want.' 'Sorry, Paul,' I say, my heart beating quickly at the potential for conflict. 'You can shoot me from the back walking to the pool.'"

When Verhoeven continued proposing ways to film the scene, MacLachlan stood his ground and pointed to the terms of his contract. The disagreement was eventually resolved, with the Golden Globe winner agreeing to be filmed from behind instead.

"He shoots me from behind, thank the lord. I've seen it written that what you see in the movie here is a body double, but I assure you it's not," MacLachlan wrote. "That is my backside. And I make sure that's all it is. Film is forever."