Isabella Rossellini, who had her breakout role in David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” and went on to date the man for five years, paid tribute to the late director following his death.

“I loved him so much. Thanks for all your kind messages,” Rossellini wrote on Instagram on Friday morning, posting a photo of her with Lynch.

Also starring Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern, the neo-noir mystery film “Blue Velvet” premiered in 1986 and follows a college student who returns home to see his ill father only to stumble upon a vast criminal conspiracy. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the movie earned Lynch his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director. It was later credited as establishing Rossellini as a serious actor after her work as a model.

The two collaborated again four years later on 1990’s “Wild at Heart.” Also starring Dern in addition to Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe,...