In 1964, Nance headed for California and worked for some time with the
American Conservatory Theater in
San Francisco. He had success and landed the lead role in a play based on the life of
Thomas Paine, which was directed by
David Lindemann. He played twin brothers Benny and Tony Rebozo in the Doo Dah Gang, a performance group that staged 1920s-style gang fights at nontraditional venues. When one of his characters died, he spent three days lying in a coffin at the staged wake. which was filmed sporadically over five years due to Lynch's funding problems.
Eraserhead was initially unsuccessful but slowly became a
midnight movie, leading to its
cult classic status. Nance's performance has since been praised.
The New York Times wrote in 1980 that his "minimalist features, unchanging expression, tight dark suit, and short, almost crippled steps suggest many silent-film comedians". The film became a favorite of
Stanley Kubrick, who required the cast of
The Shining to watch it before filming began. Nance appeared with actress
Mary Woronov as a married couple in the music video for the 1983
Suicidal Tendencies song "
Institutionalized". After gaining sobriety in 1986, and needing a steady salary, Nance took courses in hotel management. He began working as a clerk at Hotel Hollywood. While there, he refused a role in
Miracle Mile (1988) due to it conflicting with his job schedule. In 1990, Nance was offered the role of
Pete Martell in Lynch's series
Twin Peaks, appearing throughout the show's original run. After an addiction relapse in 1993, his life took another turn and he had smaller roles in films that were not as successful. He lived in a hotel, from which he was kicked out for firing a gun at his television. His final performance, in
Michael Moriarty's
Of Things Past, was filmed in 1985 but not released until 2023. ==Personal life==