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Laura Palmer is a fictional character played by Sheryl Lee on the David Lynch/Mark Frost television series Twin Peaks. Laura's death was the catalyst for the events of the series.
Laura was known by most everybody in the town, through her work on Meals on Wheels, was the highschool prom queen and particularly loved by her parents Sarah and Leland. However, Laura also led a double life - she was a cocaine addict, a victim of childhood abuse and had briefly worked at One-Eyed Jack's, a brothel just north of the Canadian border.
Laura's death in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks brought Special Agent Dale Cooper to town and the investigation of her death, and the effects it had on those around her, propelled the first fifteen episodes of the series. Laura remained prominent afterward, as her death had exposed many secrets related to her, and also - in some cases - unrelated, such as the Packard mill conspiracy.
Laura's diary was uncovered in the first episode, but her secret diary was not recovered until later, and it contained passages suggesting that she had long been the victim - sometimes willingly - of abuse from a man named BOB, who wanted to be close to her, or even be her.
Notes
Sheryl Lee also played Laura's cousin, Madeleine Ferguson, who arrived in town in the third episode for Laura's funeral.
One of the most well-known themes of the show was the leitmotif Laura's Theme, composed by Angelo Badalamenti.
Jennifer Lynch wrote an official series tie-in, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which was sold from 1990 and was the diary used in the series.
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