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Yakima's Kyle MacLachlan 'Pursued by Bear' and Steven Spielberg

A Washington State star turns ugly in The House With A Clock In Its Walls. Travel and accommodation by Universal.
Credit: Pursued By Bear
Growing up in Yakima near wine country, actor Kyle MacLachlan decided to launch Pursued By Bear.

He's the quirky agent Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks and the mayor of Portlandia. But Yakima native Kyle MacLachlan keeps his Northwest persona all bottled up.

MacLachlan is the creator of his own wine label, the mysteriously named Pursued by Bear.

"It wasn't my original choice," MacLachlan says of the name, "but finding a name for something that hasn't already been trademarked is tricky. Obviously, I did a lot of Shakespeare when I was younger, and A Winter's Tale has a stage direction called "exit, pursued by a bear," which is incredibly specific in the Shakespeare world. And sort of funny and off-kilter a little bit. And I thought this has some magic to it."

The wine-making actor was pursued by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment to play a hideous villain in The House with a Clock in Its Walls.

"I thought he looked pretty good for being dead for a year," MacLachlan says of the sinister Isaac Izard, created with layers of special effects makeup. "I thought he held together okay. I loved it. I love disappearing inside a character."

One character that's disappearing is the Mayor of Portland. MacLachlan's term expired when the cult favorite Portlandia wrapped after 8 seasons.

MacLachlan says, "It was always something fun. Whether it was like a riff on Apocalypse Now, or the mayor goes off the grid and he's a bass player in a ska reggae band, they always had something interesting and fun for me to look forward to. So I do miss it."

But "interesting" and "fun" will always be part of life for this mayor/warlock/winemaker. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm loving it," said Maclachlan.

Learn more about Pursued by Bear on their website.

Travel and accommodation by Universal. KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.

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