WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.980 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Our mission here is 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:06.660 simple. We take a whole stack of sometimes pretty 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.140 dense source material and we try to pull out 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:11.179 the key stuff, the insights you really need to, 00:00:11.259 --> 00:00:13.599 well, know what's going on. Yeah, get properly 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:16.519 informed. Exactly. And today we are focusing 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.019 on an actor whose career is just. It's a masterclass, 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:24.839 really, in versatility, in complexity, and frankly, 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:27.399 just being unforgettable. We are diving deep 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:30.839 into Walton Goggins. Filmography, personal story, 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:33.439 even his work behind the camera. All of it. Because 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:35.820 we want to get past just recognizing him as, 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:38.159 you know, that guy. Right. He's so much more 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:40.380 than that now. It's a necessary deep dive, I 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:42.719 think, because Goggins is like the perfect example 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.579 of an actor who starts out as that guy you always 00:00:44.579 --> 00:00:46.280 see. The character actor everyone recognizes 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:48.539 but maybe can't name. Totally. But then through 00:00:48.539 --> 00:00:50.350 just sheer heartbreak. hard work, smart choices, 00:00:50.509 --> 00:00:53.689 he's completely, utterly moved beyond that label. 00:00:53.770 --> 00:00:56.490 He's become this critical favorite, Emmy nominee 00:00:56.490 --> 00:00:59.429 magnet, and yeah, a producer too. Absolutely. 00:00:59.530 --> 00:01:02.289 And when we look at the sources we've got here, 00:01:02.469 --> 00:01:05.769 this comprehensive biographical stuff, it covers 00:01:05.769 --> 00:01:11.010 his life from Alabama, Georgia, right up to where 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:14.469 he is now an Emmy nominated lead actor. The story 00:01:14.469 --> 00:01:17.290 is just, it's one of a relentless worker. Tireless 00:01:17.290 --> 00:01:19.849 is the word. Yeah. Who kind of found his groove 00:01:19.849 --> 00:01:22.730 playing these flawed, often very Southern characters, 00:01:22.829 --> 00:01:25.769 but then just kept breaking out of that box again 00:01:25.769 --> 00:01:27.709 and again. Exactly. We're not just listing roles 00:01:27.709 --> 00:01:30.219 here. We're looking at the why. You know, why 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.700 him? Why is he the actor everyone calls for that 00:01:33.700 --> 00:01:36.319 intense moral gray area? Good question. And how 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.519 is he just as convincing playing a truly sadistic 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:42.379 plantation overseer one minute and then a sort 00:01:42.379 --> 00:01:44.879 of poetic backwards criminal the next or even 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.480 a hilariously petty vice principal? And now. 00:01:48.189 --> 00:01:50.769 This post -apocalyptic ghoul. It's incredible 00:01:50.769 --> 00:01:53.049 range. He's really cemented himself as one of 00:01:53.049 --> 00:01:55.109 the most, maybe the most versatile Southern actors 00:01:55.109 --> 00:01:56.969 working today. You look at the big ones, Shane 00:01:56.969 --> 00:01:58.709 Vendrell in The Shield, the amazing Boyd Crater 00:01:58.709 --> 00:02:01.010 in Justified, and now Fallout. We're going to 00:02:01.010 --> 00:02:03.349 unpack how he got there. Okay, let's do it. And 00:02:03.349 --> 00:02:06.370 to really get a handle on that, that specific 00:02:06.370 --> 00:02:08.729 intensity he brings, that energy, you almost 00:02:08.729 --> 00:02:10.229 have to start at the beginning, right? Yeah. 00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:12.330 Trace that path from the South. Definitely. The 00:02:12.330 --> 00:02:15.379 South is... It's the bedrock for him. You hear 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:17.400 it in his voice sometimes, see it in his posture, 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:20.460 and for sure in the projects he chooses. He was 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:23.719 born Walton Sanders Goggins Jr., November 10, 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:26.979 1971. So it's 53 now. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:30.199 yeah. But it was Lithia Springs, Georgia, that 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:32.740 suburb of Atlanta where he really grew up those 00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:35.819 formative years. And you feel like that small 00:02:35.819 --> 00:02:38.680 town southern upbringing gave him something like 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:40.699 an authentic grounding that he could tap into 00:02:40.699 --> 00:02:42.979 later for his best work. Oh, absolutely. That 00:02:42.979 --> 00:02:45.919 background, that geography. Yeah. You can't really 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.180 understand his creative work without it. Lots 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:50.300 of actors from the South try to shed that identity 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:52.080 when they hit Hollywood, right? Yeah, they smooth 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.080 out the accent. Exactly. But Goggins leaned into 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:57.979 it. He leveraged it. Yeah. Education -wise, pretty 00:02:57.979 --> 00:03:00.080 straightforward. Graduated at Lithia Springs 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.719 High, went to Georgia Southern University. But 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:06.439 crucially, only for a year. Just one year. The 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:09.180 standard college path wasn't for him. Nope. He 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:12.060 ditched it pretty quick for a more direct route, 00:03:12.219 --> 00:03:14.840 a practical approach to acting. Which leads us 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:16.780 straight to that big decision when he was still 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:19.680 a teenager. He realized, look, if I'm serious 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.159 about this acting thing, George is not going 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.620 to cut it. Right. So he moves to Los Angeles. 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:28.599 He's 19. 19? That's incredibly young to land 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:31.020 in L .A. trying to make it. And it wasn't like, 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.000 you know, doors just opened for him. Oh, God, 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:36.419 no. Far from it. This was the absolute classic 00:03:36.419 --> 00:03:39.819 Hollywood struggle, the grind, that period that 00:03:39.819 --> 00:03:42.500 really tests you. You know, moving to L .A. at 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:45.159 19, you're basically fighting thousands of other 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.879 hopefuls just trying to figure out how to make 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.889 rent. The sources we have really emphasize how 00:03:50.889 --> 00:03:54.590 tough he was then, taking acting classes, auditioning 00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:56.389 nonstop. And working survival jobs. Totally. 00:03:56.469 --> 00:03:58.490 Working in an L .A. fitness, running a valet 00:03:58.490 --> 00:04:01.289 parking business, just hustling to stay afloat. 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:03.270 And I think that period is so important because 00:04:03.270 --> 00:04:06.310 you see that survival instinct, that hustle reflected 00:04:06.310 --> 00:04:08.349 in some of his most dynamic characters later 00:04:08.349 --> 00:04:10.849 on. He learned how to fight for it. It's crucial 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:13.750 to remember that struggle. Yeah. Because we see 00:04:13.750 --> 00:04:15.889 the polished star now, the Emmy nominee, but 00:04:15.889 --> 00:04:19.350 those early years were just pure grit. And interestingly, 00:04:19.550 --> 00:04:22.389 his very first acting jobs, they weren't even 00:04:22.389 --> 00:04:24.310 in L .A. where he was hustling. They were back 00:04:24.310 --> 00:04:26.949 home. Back in Georgia, yeah. His first few gigs 00:04:26.949 --> 00:04:28.810 were regional. Yeah. And that's actually where 00:04:28.810 --> 00:04:30.870 the single most important meeting of his entire 00:04:30.870 --> 00:04:33.970 career happened. Okay. While he was filming a 00:04:33.970 --> 00:04:37.110 TV movie back in 1990 called Murder in Mississippi, 00:04:37.449 --> 00:04:40.449 he met Ray McKinnon. Ray McKinnon. Okay, now 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:42.870 that connection, I mean, you really can't overstate 00:04:42.870 --> 00:04:44.589 how important that turned out to be, can you? 00:04:44.649 --> 00:04:46.680 No way. It wasn't just meeting another actor. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.339 It was the start of this incredibly deep, long 00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:53.100 -lasting, creative partnership. It basically 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:55.399 shaped the next, what, 30 years of their work 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:57.040 in independent film? It's foundational, like 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:59.660 you said. Absolutely foundational. McKinnon and 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:02.160 Goggins, they clicked immediately. They realized 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:04.100 they had this shared viewpoint, this understanding 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:06.639 of Southern life and stories that, you know, 00:05:06.660 --> 00:05:08.910 Hollywood often just... didn't get or turned 00:05:08.910 --> 00:05:11.069 into a caricature. Right. Oversimplified it. 00:05:11.129 --> 00:05:13.449 Totally. So their collaboration wasn't just about 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:15.730 finding acting jobs for each other. It was about 00:05:15.730 --> 00:05:17.910 building something together or shared vision. 00:05:18.050 --> 00:05:20.449 They worked together constantly. And eventually 00:05:20.449 --> 00:05:22.310 that led them to form their own production company, 00:05:22.470 --> 00:05:24.970 Ginny Mule Pictures. That meeting on murder in 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:28.199 Mississippi. Less about a single job. More about 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.139 starting this lifelong, creative, and frankly, 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:33.220 entrepreneurial team. Okay, so moving on from 00:05:33.220 --> 00:05:34.980 that early grind and finding that key partner 00:05:34.980 --> 00:05:37.100 in McKinnon, we get to the roles that really 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:39.759 start to define the Walton Goggins we know. And 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:41.660 you have to start with The Shield. Oh, absolutely. 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:45.199 The Shield. Running from, what, 2002 to 2008? 00:05:45.660 --> 00:05:48.019 That show was revolutionary for its time. It 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:50.860 really paved the way for all those dark, morally 00:05:50.860 --> 00:05:54.339 murky, anti -hero dramas that came after. And 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:57.069 Goggins played Detective Shane Vendrell. part 00:05:57.069 --> 00:06:00.009 of Vic Mackey's corrupt strike team. This role 00:06:00.009 --> 00:06:02.889 absolutely cemented his ability to play these 00:06:02.889 --> 00:06:06.389 incredibly complex, deeply flawed guys, characters 00:06:06.389 --> 00:06:09.649 whose moral compass is just broken. Yes, spinning 00:06:09.649 --> 00:06:12.170 wildly. Right. And the audience, you were kind 00:06:12.170 --> 00:06:14.009 of forced to empathize or at least understand 00:06:14.009 --> 00:06:17.649 this guy who is capable of doing truly terrible 00:06:17.649 --> 00:06:20.290 things, betrayals. And what's so striking about 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:23.949 this Shane Vendrell is the... The physicality 00:06:23.949 --> 00:06:25.910 he brought, that sort of coiled up intensity, 00:06:26.230 --> 00:06:28.730 like he could just snap at any second. Yes, that's 00:06:28.730 --> 00:06:31.149 exactly. And that intensity, that kind of dangerous 00:06:31.149 --> 00:06:33.649 energy, it perfectly set him up for the next 00:06:33.649 --> 00:06:35.350 huge role, which, I mean, for many people, it's 00:06:35.350 --> 00:06:37.949 the Walton Goggins role. Boyd Crowder in Justify. 00:06:38.009 --> 00:06:41.750 Boyd Crowder, FX, 2010 to 2015. What a character. 00:06:41.930 --> 00:06:43.970 The kind of religious, eloquent, philosophical 00:06:43.970 --> 00:06:47.589 outlaw. The perfect counterpoint to Timothy Olyphant's 00:06:47.589 --> 00:06:49.410 Raylan Gibbons. Just perfect casting, perfect 00:06:49.410 --> 00:06:52.259 rivalry. And here's where we get. Maybe the greatest 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:55.019 what -if story in recent TV history. It's amazing. 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:57.160 Lay it on us for anyone who doesn't know the 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:58.899 incredible behind -the -scenes story here. Boyd 00:06:58.899 --> 00:07:02.199 Crowder, he was supposed to die in the pilot 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:05.060 episode. No way. Seriously. Goggins' character 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:07.779 was written as a one -and -done villain. You 00:07:07.779 --> 00:07:09.540 know, Raylan takes him out in the first episode, 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.500 establishes Raylan as the hero, sets the stakes 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:16.279 high. Boom. Done. Imagine Justified without Boyd 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:19.490 Crowder. It's literally unimaginable. That dynamic 00:07:19.490 --> 00:07:22.889 is the show for so much of its run. So why did 00:07:22.889 --> 00:07:24.850 he survive? What happened? What did Goggins do? 00:07:25.050 --> 00:07:27.629 It was the performance. Simple as that. Showrunner 00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:31.230 Graham Yost kept Boyd alive because Goggins' 00:07:31.350 --> 00:07:34.129 portrayal just scored off the charts with test 00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:36.370 audiences. Wow. They didn't just like him. They 00:07:36.370 --> 00:07:38.350 were completely captivated by this weird mix 00:07:38.350 --> 00:07:40.790 of Southern charm, the born -again fervor, the 00:07:40.790 --> 00:07:43.629 kind of intellectual darkness. It was magnetic. 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:46.180 That audience reaction was so strong, Yost and 00:07:46.180 --> 00:07:47.519 the writers realized they just couldn't kill 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.720 him. It would have been crazy. The power of a 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:52.259 single performance literally rewriting the future 00:07:52.259 --> 00:07:54.160 of a hit show. That's incredible. Because of 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.000 that audience reaction, Goggins joins the main 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.779 cast from season two, May 2010, and boom, TV 00:07:59.779 --> 00:08:03.040 history. And that decision obviously paid off 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.040 massively in terms of critical acclaim, too. 00:08:05.859 --> 00:08:07.839 Goggins got nominated for the Primetime Emmy, 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:10.040 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:13.000 for Justified, specifically for the episode The 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:15.079 Eye of the Storm. Right. And beyond the Emmy 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:17.899 nom, he got, what, four Critics' Choice Television 00:08:17.899 --> 00:08:21.329 Award nominations for playing Boyd? That consistent 00:08:21.329 --> 00:08:23.990 recognition tells you this wasn't just a sloop 00:08:23.990 --> 00:08:26.790 or a popular character. He was operating at an 00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:30.589 absolutely elite award level for years in that 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:32.889 role. Now, interestingly, right in the middle 00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:35.769 of playing Boyd Crowder, he takes this absolutely 00:08:35.769 --> 00:08:38.190 massive swing with a character that proved he 00:08:38.190 --> 00:08:41.070 could do, well, almost anything. Completely different 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:43.710 from the tough Southern guys, Venus Van Damme 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:45.830 in Sons of Anarchy. Venus Van Damme, yeah. Appearing 00:08:45.830 --> 00:08:48.590 between 2012 and 2014, that role was, it was 00:08:48.590 --> 00:08:50.970 a risk. Definitely, but also Revelation. He played 00:08:50.970 --> 00:08:53.669 Venus, a transgender sex worker on the show. 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:55.909 And brought such vulnerability to it. Incredible 00:08:55.909 --> 00:08:58.549 vulnerability and depth. Something maybe viewers 00:08:58.549 --> 00:09:01.470 who only knew him as Shane or Boyd wouldn't have 00:09:01.470 --> 00:09:04.009 expected. It's the kind of stretch, the kind 00:09:04.009 --> 00:09:07.289 of range that very few actors even try, let alone 00:09:07.289 --> 00:09:09.289 pull off with that level of sensitivity and, 00:09:09.330 --> 00:09:11.990 frankly, grace. And again, this wasn't just some 00:09:11.990 --> 00:09:14.250 random stunt casting. It connects back to those 00:09:14.250 --> 00:09:16.549 crucial relationships he built early on. Exactly 00:09:16.549 --> 00:09:19.139 right. Goggins had worked before with Kurt Sutter, 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:21.700 the creator of Sons of Anarchy. Sutter was a 00:09:21.700 --> 00:09:24.620 writer and EP on The Shield. Ah, the connection. 00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:26.940 Right. So there was already that trust there, 00:09:26.980 --> 00:09:28.779 which probably made it easier for Goggins to 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:31.659 take on such a challenging, potentially controversial 00:09:31.659 --> 00:09:34.960 part. And for the real nerds, the fans who followed 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.519 his whole career, there was that fun little inside 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:41.720 joke. The name. The name. Venus Van Damme. It's 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:44.120 a callback, a playful nod to the undercover name. 00:09:44.299 --> 00:09:46.360 His S .H .I .E .L .D. character, Shane Vendrell, 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:49.580 used sometimes. Cletus Van Damme. Oh, that's 00:09:49.580 --> 00:09:51.799 brilliant. Isn't it? It sort of ties his whole 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:54.059 FX journey together, showing respect for where 00:09:54.059 --> 00:09:55.940 he came from while he's pushing himself into 00:09:55.940 --> 00:09:58.399 totally new territory. When you think about those 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:02.820 three characters, Shane, Boyd, Venus, just how 00:10:02.820 --> 00:10:05.340 memorable and distinct they all are, it's really 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:07.940 no surprise that critics start saying, OK. This 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:09.820 guy is something special. He's more than just 00:10:09.820 --> 00:10:12.220 a supporting player. Yeah, which leads us right 00:10:12.220 --> 00:10:14.059 to that perfect quote, that critical summary 00:10:14.059 --> 00:10:17.059 of this whole period. It was Mike Hale at The 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:25.139 New York Times who wrote, Wow. That's a hell 00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:27.100 of a statement. It's not just saying he's good. 00:10:27.179 --> 00:10:28.960 It's saying he elevates everything. He pulls 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:32.480 focus, creates his own gravity in a scene. He's 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:35.100 not just there to support the lead. He's creating 00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:37.980 this whole other equally compelling, sometimes 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:40.580 more compelling storyline just with his presence. 00:10:40.779 --> 00:10:43.600 Now, something that often gets maybe not overlooked, 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:45.679 but certainly less attention than his acting 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.120 is the parallel track he was on as a producer. 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:51.370 Right. This is crucial. Goggins wasn't just sitting 00:10:51.370 --> 00:10:53.049 around waiting for the phone to ring with the 00:10:53.049 --> 00:10:55.950 perfect script. He was out there actively creating 00:10:55.950 --> 00:10:58.649 his own opportunities, telling the kinds of stories 00:10:58.649 --> 00:11:01.470 he wanted to tell, especially those stories reflecting 00:11:01.470 --> 00:11:05.070 that specific, nuanced view of the South he shared 00:11:05.070 --> 00:11:07.049 with Ray McKinnon. It shows a real drive for 00:11:07.049 --> 00:11:09.210 creative control, doesn't it? Absolutely. And 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:11.990 that ambition, that drive, it was channeled directly 00:11:11.990 --> 00:11:14.389 through their production company, Ginny Mule 00:11:14.389 --> 00:11:17.529 Pictures, which they co -founded. Goggins and 00:11:17.529 --> 00:11:20.159 McKinnon. And these weren't just like little 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.840 vanity projects. These were serious, critically 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:25.259 acclaimed, award -winning independent films. 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:27.659 Rooted in that shared sensibility you mentioned. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:30.039 Exactly. The output from Ginny and Beale Pictures, 00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:33.080 it shows this really clear, focused commitment 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:35.960 to indie storytelling. Particularly stories centered 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:38.759 on complex, character -driven narratives, often 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:41.620 set in the South. They made four key films that 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:43.860 really established them. Okay, what was the progression 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:45.419 there? Because it seems like they found success 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:48.169 pretty quickly. They did. First up was The Accountant, 00:11:48.169 --> 00:11:50.090 which is a short film. We'll come back to that 00:11:50.090 --> 00:11:52.710 one. Then came Crystal, which landed a spot in 00:11:52.710 --> 00:11:55.470 the Sundance Dramatic Competition. That's a huge 00:11:55.470 --> 00:11:58.230 deal in the indie world. Major validation. Definitely. 00:11:58.309 --> 00:12:01.210 Then they made Randy and the Mob. And finally, 00:12:01.309 --> 00:12:04.629 That Evening Sun, which was a big success for 00:12:04.629 --> 00:12:07.330 them, won the South by Southwest Special Jury 00:12:07.330 --> 00:12:10.330 Prize and also the Best Ensemble Cast Award at 00:12:10.330 --> 00:12:13.509 SXSW. So yeah, these films show they were serious 00:12:13.509 --> 00:12:16.110 players. But let's circle back to The Accountant. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.559 The short film from 2001. Because this is, this 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.340 is the moment he becomes an Oscar winner. While 00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:25.759 he's still kind of grinding it out as a supporting 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:27.820 actor on TV. It's kind of mind -blowing when 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:30.019 you put it in that timeline, right? Goggins starred 00:12:30.019 --> 00:12:32.399 in The Accountant. He co -produced it with McKinnon 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:35.139 and Lisa Blount. And it wins the Academy Award 00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:37.559 for Best Live Action Short Film. Incredible. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.779 Think about that. He's simultaneously hustling 00:12:39.779 --> 00:12:42.299 for roles on shows like The Shield, doing the 00:12:42.299 --> 00:12:44.159 whole actor grind, and boom, he's an Oscar -winning 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:46.529 producer. It just immediately puts him in this 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:49.149 different category of creative talent. Very rare, 00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:51.750 rare. And the recognition wasn't just the Oscar, 00:12:51.850 --> 00:12:53.509 right? There was other indie cred that came with 00:12:53.509 --> 00:12:55.710 it. That's right. They also shared the Spirit 00:12:55.710 --> 00:12:58.470 of Slamdance award for The Accountant. Slamdance 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:01.590 is all about that truly independent, maybe even 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:05.899 rebellious filmmaking spirit. Winning that award 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:08.720 alongside the Oscar, it really validated their 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.200 whole approach doing things their own way outside 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.379 the mainstream system. And the success and the 00:13:13.379 --> 00:13:15.539 connections they built through Ginny Mule Pictures 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:17.840 that directly paved the way for one of the most 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:20.179 highly regarded, critically beloved dramas of 00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:24.419 the 2010s. Rectify. Ah, yes, Rectify. Such a 00:13:24.419 --> 00:13:27.120 beautiful contemplative show. And the story behind 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:29.659 it is a perfect illustration of Goggins' influence, 00:13:29.899 --> 00:13:32.440 not just as an actor, but as a sort of curator 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:35.019 or tastemaker. Ray McKinnon created the series, 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:37.639 obviously. This deep, complex story about Daniel 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:39.720 Holden, the guy released from death row after 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:42.379 nearly 20 years. And Goggins was actually set 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:45.100 to play Daniel Holden initially. Wow, Goggins 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:47.080 as Daniel. That would have been very different. 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:49.220 Fascinating. What happened there? Well, McKinnon 00:13:49.220 --> 00:13:51.639 wrote the pilot. Ginny Mule developed it. And 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:53.899 AMC actually bought the script first. Yeah. So 00:13:53.899 --> 00:13:56.460 big hopes for it on a major network. OK. But 00:13:56.460 --> 00:13:58.360 eventually, the project moved over to Sundance 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:00.820 TV for production. And when it landed there, 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.379 the lead role ultimately went to Aiden Young, 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:07.059 who was fantastic. It really was. So while Goggins 00:14:07.059 --> 00:14:09.679 didn't end up starring in it. His influence through 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.759 Ginny Mule, through his long partnership with 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.320 McKinnon, his fingerprints are all over that 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.799 show's DNA. The development, the tone, the Southern 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:20.679 Gothic feel, it just confirms that his impact 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:23.610 goes way beyond what you see on screen. He's 00:14:23.610 --> 00:14:25.889 deeply invested in bringing these specific kinds 00:14:25.889 --> 00:14:28.889 of meaningful, character -focused, often Southern 00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:31.509 stories to life. So while he's winning Oscars 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:33.629 for producing short films and absolutely owning 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:36.929 premium cable with roles like Boyd Crowder, Goggins 00:14:36.929 --> 00:14:39.409 is also building this incredibly varied feature 00:14:39.409 --> 00:14:42.460 film resume. often playing characters, especially 00:14:42.460 --> 00:14:44.679 in Westerns, that tapped into that same darkness 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:47.039 he perfected on The Shield. Yeah, he became sort 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:49.799 of an essential ingredient for directors, particularly 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:51.879 Quentin Tarantino, who needed a certain kind 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:55.279 of unsettling villain, someone intelligent but 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.600 also capable of real sadism. Let's start with 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.879 Django Unchained back in 2012. He played Billy 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.659 Crash. What was it about that role that was so 00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:08.610 chilling? Billy Crash. He was just cold. A sadistic 00:15:08.610 --> 00:15:11.110 overseer, a slave fighting trainer at Candyland. 00:15:11.690 --> 00:15:14.269 Goggins played him with this kind of controlled, 00:15:14.350 --> 00:15:17.129 efficient cruelty. It wasn't like Boyd Crowder 00:15:17.129 --> 00:15:19.669 where the malice sometimes comes wrapped in philosophy. 00:15:20.090 --> 00:15:22.950 Billy Crash was just purely functionally evil 00:15:22.950 --> 00:15:25.669 and effective. That performance got him a nomination 00:15:25.669 --> 00:15:27.990 as part of the ensemble for a San Diego Film 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:30.110 Critics Award. And then just a few years later, 00:15:30.210 --> 00:15:32.590 another Tarantino film, The Hateful Eight in 00:15:32.590 --> 00:15:35.450 2015, playing Captain Chris Mannix. And this 00:15:35.450 --> 00:15:37.830 shows his range even within Tarantino's world, 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:39.990 right? Because Mannix is totally different. Totally 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:43.409 different from Billy Crash. Mannix is, well, 00:15:43.450 --> 00:15:45.610 he's louder, more volatile, maybe a bit more 00:15:45.610 --> 00:15:48.269 insecure. He claims to be the new sheriff of 00:15:48.269 --> 00:15:50.250 Red Rock, but nobody really believes him. He's 00:15:50.250 --> 00:15:52.620 almost more of a... kind of desperate, maybe 00:15:52.620 --> 00:15:55.620 slightly buffoonish figure compared to the calculated 00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:58.399 evil of Crash. Right. More bluster. Yeah. Lots 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.000 of bluster. It let Goggins play with the comedic 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.600 aspects of the character's sort of political 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:07.080 posturing and his rising panic as things go sideways 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.659 in that cabin. Really showed his control over 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:12.019 nuance, even in that heightened Tarantino style. 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:14.679 Yeah. He got a Saturn Award nomination for that 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:17.279 one and won the Hollywood Film Award as part 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.019 of that amazing ensemble. And it wasn't only 00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:21.440 Tarantino seeing that range. Spielberg cast him, 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:23.740 too, in Lincoln back in 2012. He played Clay 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:26.279 Hawkins. Just the fact that he can jump from 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:29.120 Tarantino's stylized violence to Spielberg's 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:31.539 historical prestige drama, that really says something 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:34.460 about his versatility around that time. And he 00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:36.559 was working constantly in features during that 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:40.000 period. 2010 to 2018, just hopping genres like 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.639 crazy. He became that actor, that really reliable 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:44.879 character actor that big studios knew they could 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:47.580 plug into almost anything to add some grounding 00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:49.620 or some specific flavor. You really see that 00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:51.679 reliability in the blockbusters and franchises 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.820 he popped up in. Oh, yeah. In 2010, he withstands 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:57.320 this really nasty death row inmate being hunted 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:00.460 on an alien planet in Predators. The next year, 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:03.360 2011, he's like, hunt a bandit in Cowboys and 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.730 Aliens. Then he starts getting roles in these 00:17:05.730 --> 00:17:08.130 huge franchise movies. He was the main villain, 00:17:08.230 --> 00:17:10.609 Matthias Vogel, in the Tomb Raider reboot in 00:17:10.609 --> 00:17:13.390 2018. And then he enters the Marvel Cinematic 00:17:13.390 --> 00:17:15.869 Universe, which further kind of solidified him 00:17:15.869 --> 00:17:18.410 as that go -to guy for a specific kind of villain. 00:17:18.450 --> 00:17:20.490 Not the world -ending threat, but something more 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:22.750 tangible. Exactly. Sonny Burch in Ant -Man and 00:17:22.750 --> 00:17:24.990 the Wasp, also 2018. He wasn't these old Thanos. 00:17:25.349 --> 00:17:28.049 He was a criminal arms dealer, a black market 00:17:28.049 --> 00:17:30.670 tech guy. It made the threat feel more immediate, 00:17:30.789 --> 00:17:34.039 more grounded, even in a superhero movie. Same 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:36.359 year, he's Lawrence in Maze Runner, The Death 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:38.980 Cure. He just has this knack for making the bad 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:41.380 guy feel specific, injecting a bit of gritty 00:17:41.380 --> 00:17:43.519 reality into these massive spectacles. Okay, 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:46.740 so he's got this thriving film career doing dramas, 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:50.579 westerns, franchises. But then comes maybe the 00:17:50.579 --> 00:17:52.940 most surprising pivot of all, his collaboration 00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:56.019 with Danny McBride on HBO. A full dive into comedy. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.900 But not just any comedy, like really dark, uncomfortable, 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:02.240 hilarious comedy. It's kind of amazing how easily 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.059 he made that. chump, isn't it? From the intensity 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:07.019 Boyd Crowder to, well, to Lee Russell. What does 00:18:07.019 --> 00:18:08.700 that shift tell us about his range as a performer? 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:11.519 The two characters he created with McBride, starting 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:14.299 with Vice Principals from 2016 to 2017, they 00:18:14.299 --> 00:18:16.240 showed off a completely different comedic toolkit. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.599 Lee Russell in Vice Principals. He was the ultimate 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.079 passive -aggressive schemer. Right. Just pure, 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:25.700 manic, petty ambition. Determined to become principal 00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:28.339 no matter what it took. It was a masterclass 00:18:28.339 --> 00:18:31.339 in weaponized insecurity. And so different, so 00:18:31.339 --> 00:18:33.559 dynamic compared to the kind of quiet menace 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:36.460 he often did and got a major recognition, officially 00:18:36.460 --> 00:18:39.559 stamping him as a comedic force. He won the Critics' 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:41.480 Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:45.160 in a Comedy Series in 2018 for Lee Russell. That 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:47.680 win basically told the industry, OK, this guy 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:49.920 isn't just versatile. He's genuinely brilliant 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:52.730 at comedy, too. And that partnership with McBride 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:55.109 continued, moving into the completely bonkers 00:18:55.109 --> 00:18:57.390 world of The Righteous Gemstones, starting in 00:18:57.390 --> 00:19:00.009 2019 and still going strong. And this time, he 00:19:00.009 --> 00:19:02.670 transforms again, completely, into Baby Billy 00:19:02.670 --> 00:19:05.369 Freeman. Baby Billy. Oh, my God. He's just a 00:19:05.369 --> 00:19:07.910 masterpiece of tragicomic eccentricity. The hair, 00:19:08.009 --> 00:19:10.450 the outfits, the desperate attempts at showbiz 00:19:10.450 --> 00:19:12.609 comebacks, the constant scheming against his 00:19:12.609 --> 00:19:15.849 own family. This behavior. Yes. It's just brilliant 00:19:15.849 --> 00:19:18.109 character work. It takes this specific commitment 00:19:18.109 --> 00:19:21.640 to playing, like... Geriatric failure with absolute 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:24.380 sincerity. And Goggins just nails it. He got 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:26.680 nominated for a Satellite Award and a Hollywood 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:29.160 Music and Media Award for Baby Billy, proving 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.259 again that his dramatic intensity translates 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:34.299 perfectly into comedic desperation. And all of 00:19:34.299 --> 00:19:36.740 this, the intense drama, the award winning comedy, 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:38.720 it seems to have built towards this incredible 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:42.700 recent run. Massive high profile roles that have 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:45.140 put him right at the center of the cultural conversation, 00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:48.299 leading to this amazing string of Emmy nominations. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:50.740 Yeah, 2024 really felt like the year of Goggins, 00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:52.819 largely because of Fallout. Playing that dual 00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:56.019 role, Cooper Howard, the charming pre -war movie 00:19:56.019 --> 00:19:58.640 star. Right, the sort of cowboy actor ideal. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.980 And then the completely transformed ghoul. The 00:20:01.980 --> 00:20:04.220 cynical, noseless, 200 -year -old bounty hunter 00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:06.380 wandering the wasteland. The physical transformation 00:20:06.380 --> 00:20:08.599 is obviously huge with the makeup for the ghoul, 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:11.019 but the performance demands so much more. He 00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:13.240 has to balance centuries of cynicism and survival 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:16.259 with flashes of the man Cooper Howard used to 00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:19.819 be. And that performance got massive and totally 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:22.950 deserved attention. Crucially, it led to his 00:20:22.950 --> 00:20:25.190 first nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award 00:20:25.190 --> 00:20:28.049 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series 00:20:28.049 --> 00:20:30.809 for Fallout, specifically for the episode The 00:20:30.809 --> 00:20:33.349 Ghouls. That's huge, moving definitively from 00:20:33.349 --> 00:20:35.950 supporting to lead actor recognition. It's a 00:20:35.950 --> 00:20:39.410 major career milestone. Plus, an Astra TV Award 00:20:39.410 --> 00:20:42.069 nomination for the same role. The guy is just 00:20:42.069 --> 00:20:44.609 on fire. And showing absolutely no signs of hitting 00:20:44.609 --> 00:20:47.529 the brakes. Looking ahead to 2025, he's already 00:20:47.529 --> 00:20:49.670 lined up for the third season of probably the 00:20:49.670 --> 00:20:52.329 buzziest show on TV right now, The White Lotus. 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:54.710 Yep, scheduled play character named Rick Hatchett 00:20:54.710 --> 00:20:57.470 in season three. And what's truly wild is the 00:20:57.470 --> 00:20:59.710 anticipation and the early industry buzz around 00:20:59.710 --> 00:21:02.029 that casting were so strong, he's already been 00:21:02.029 --> 00:21:04.450 nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding 00:21:04.450 --> 00:21:06.609 Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for that role. 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:09.660 before it even airs. That's insane. Nominated 00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:11.339 for lead actor for Fallout and supporting actor 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:13.819 for White Lotus, basically back to back, while 00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:16.380 still doing gemstones? It's an incredible level 00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:18.859 of career momentum. Very few actors ever hit 00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:21.220 that kind of peak across multiple genres and 00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:24.200 formats simultaneously. Okay, so to really round 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.740 out this deep dive, we need to step back from 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:29.319 the characters, the awards, the career trajectory, 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.920 and look at the man himself. Because Walton Goggins' 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:37.220 personal story has its own share of surprising 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:39.859 crisps, some funny, some deeply tragic, plus 00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:42.480 this real entrepreneurial streak. Yeah, let's 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:44.039 start with something kind of unexpected, a little 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:46.240 humanizing detail, especially when you think 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:50.299 about his very expressive, sometimes intimidating 00:21:50.299 --> 00:21:53.140 on -screen presence. He's missing his front teeth. 00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:56.400 Or he lost them as a kid. Right. The source material 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:59.019 confirms the specific kind of dramatic story. 00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:01.799 He lost his front teeth playing baseball as a 00:22:01.799 --> 00:22:03.480 kid when someone accidentally threw the ball 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:05.859 right at his face. Ouch. Yeah. It's just one 00:22:05.859 --> 00:22:08.240 of those details that adds a layer of maybe vulnerability 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.420 underneath all the tough guy roles he sometimes 00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:13.160 plays. Definitely. Now, moving into his adult 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.599 personal life, it's been marked by real joy, 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:18.759 but also, as you said, by profound tragedy. His 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:20.940 first marriage was to Leanne Knight. She was 00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:22.779 Canadian, owned a dog walking business there 00:22:22.779 --> 00:22:25.140 in Laurel Canyon. They got married back in 2001. 00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:28.420 And that marriage ended incredibly sadly just 00:22:28.420 --> 00:22:31.279 a few years later, during what must have been 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.359 a really tough time for him personally. Yeah, 00:22:33.380 --> 00:22:36.039 it's heartbreaking. Leanne Knight died by suicide 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:40.279 in November 2004. And the source notes that while 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:42.160 they were estranged at the time, they were still 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.089 legally married when she passed away. It just 00:22:45.089 --> 00:22:47.750 points to an unimaginably difficult, complicated 00:22:47.750 --> 00:22:51.609 period in his life. A stark contrast to the relentless 00:22:51.609 --> 00:22:54.910 energy we often see from him on screen. It's 00:22:54.910 --> 00:22:57.549 a heavy thing to carry. For sure. And maybe, 00:22:57.630 --> 00:22:59.690 you know, you contribute somehow to the depth 00:22:59.690 --> 00:23:02.210 of pain or loss he can convey so convincingly 00:23:02.210 --> 00:23:05.009 in his roles. He did find stability and happiness 00:23:05.009 --> 00:23:08.190 again later. He remarried in August 2011 to filmmaker 00:23:08.190 --> 00:23:10.750 Nadia Connors. And they have a child together. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:13.440 And it seems clear, maybe partly because of those 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.759 earlier experiences, that Goggins really values 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.160 time for reflection, for personal growth. At 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:19.900 one point, he took a pretty significant break, 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.960 a sabbatical. And traveled, right, extensively 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:24.460 through India. Exactly. And he didn't just, you 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:26.640 know, disappear on vacation. He turned that experience 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:29.819 into another creative outlet. He shared photography 00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:32.420 from the trip on a blog he kept at the time. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:36.059 It was called Hindu to You Too. Okay. Which just 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:38.440 confirms, again, his creative energy. isn't just 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:40.440 limited to acting. He seems to be this inherently 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:43.539 visual person, a storyteller, documenting his 00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:45.900 own journey. And beyond the creative side, the 00:23:45.900 --> 00:23:49.000 acting, the producing, the photography, he's 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:51.690 also a businessman. An entrepreneur, extending 00:23:51.690 --> 00:23:55.450 his sort of personal brand into consumer products. 00:23:55.789 --> 00:23:58.190 Right. He's a partner in a spirits company, Mulholland 00:23:58.190 --> 00:23:59.829 Distilling. Which kind of feels like a natural 00:23:59.829 --> 00:24:02.230 fit, right? That sort of southern, maybe slightly 00:24:02.230 --> 00:24:05.569 old school, but cool, refined vibe he has. Totally. 00:24:05.670 --> 00:24:08.809 But his latest venture is pure 21st century celebrity 00:24:08.809 --> 00:24:11.170 marketing, really playing on his distinctive 00:24:11.170 --> 00:24:14.759 look and newfound mainstream fame. The eyewear. 00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:17.299 The active eyewear designing, yeah. And the promotion 00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:20.079 for it was huge. A co -branded commercial with 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:22.640 GoDaddy that ran during the Super Bowl in 2025. 00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:26.220 Super Bowl LAX. Wow, his first Super Bowl ad. 00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:30.160 First. Which really signals this massive jump 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:33.019 in his overall cultural visibility and his commercial 00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:35.539 bankability, leveraging the stardom he's built 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.039 up, especially from Fallout. Finally, we should 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.490 also touch on his voice work. Because it proves 00:24:40.490 --> 00:24:42.990 that intensity, that distinctiveness. It comes 00:24:42.990 --> 00:24:45.210 through even when you can't see his face. Absolutely. 00:24:45.289 --> 00:24:47.670 He's the voice of Cecil Stedman in the animated 00:24:47.670 --> 00:24:49.670 superhero show Invincible. He's been in like 00:24:49.670 --> 00:24:53.349 21 episodes. And Cecil Stedman is. He's a classic 00:24:53.349 --> 00:24:56.630 Goggins -esque character, right? Morally gray 00:24:56.630 --> 00:24:59.970 government guy operating in the shadows. Perfectly 00:24:59.970 --> 00:25:02.430 in his wheelhouse. Complex, potentially ruthless. 00:25:02.809 --> 00:25:06.859 Doing bad things for maybe good reasons. Maybe 00:25:06.859 --> 00:25:09.700 not. And he also lent that unmistakable voice 00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:13.119 to a true crime podcast back in 2020. Deep cover. 00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:15.519 The drug wars. So, yeah, whether you're seeing 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:17.700 him or just hearing him, that power, that intensity, 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.279 it's always there. Hashtag tag outro. Well, this 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:22.859 deep dive has really, I think, laid bare the 00:25:22.859 --> 00:25:25.000 incredible range and just the sheer amount of 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:27.059 critical acclaim Walton Goggins has earned over 00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:29.180 his career. We've gone from, you know, the gritty 00:25:29.180 --> 00:25:31.920 realism of Shane Vandrell on The Shield. to the 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:35.039 poetic menace of Boyd Crowder, then that amazing 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:38.059 award -winning jump into comedy with Lee Russell 00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:40.599 and Baby Billy Freeman, and now this absolutely 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:43.440 iconic transformation into the ghoul in Fallout, 00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:46.279 he just seems fundamentally unwilling to do the 00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:48.220 same thing twice. He really is the definition 00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:50.299 of an actor whose career just keeps getting richer, 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:53.819 keeps accelerating even well into it, moving 00:25:53.819 --> 00:25:55.920 from being maybe the best supporting actor on 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:00.359 TV to a genuinely recognized Emmy -nominated 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:03.130 lead. I think it's crucial, like we discussed, 00:26:03.230 --> 00:26:05.109 to also remember his impact behind the camera. 00:26:05.190 --> 00:26:07.269 Absolutely. We can't forget Ginny Mule Pictures. 00:26:07.730 --> 00:26:10.130 That early Oscar for The Accountant is astounding. 00:26:10.349 --> 00:26:12.589 the quality of films like That Evening Sun or 00:26:12.589 --> 00:26:14.410 the foundational role they played in getting 00:26:14.410 --> 00:26:17.109 a masterpiece like Rectify off the ground. Yeah, 00:26:17.190 --> 00:26:19.009 his career isn't just about the roles he gets 00:26:19.009 --> 00:26:21.710 offered. It's about actively shaping and curating 00:26:21.710 --> 00:26:24.549 these compelling, often very specific regional 00:26:24.549 --> 00:26:27.130 stories that push boundaries, whether it's the 00:26:27.130 --> 00:26:31.509 raw intensity of The Shield or the bizarre, nuanced 00:26:31.509 --> 00:26:34.269 absurdity of The Righteous Gemstones, that dual 00:26:34.269 --> 00:26:36.670 status powerhouse actor and Oscar winning producer. 00:26:36.869 --> 00:26:39.009 It gives him a pretty unique position in the 00:26:39.009 --> 00:26:41.380 industry. Which I guess leads us to our final 00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:43.720 thought for you, the listener. When you consider 00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:46.799 Goggins' deep southern roots, Alabama, Georgia, 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:49.740 and his proven track record as a producer focused 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:52.180 on those rich, complex, regional stories with 00:26:52.180 --> 00:26:54.859 Ginny Mule, how does that dual career really 00:26:54.859 --> 00:26:57.400 work together? You know, being this highly visible 00:26:57.400 --> 00:26:59.880 star, getting massive Emmy nominations, while 00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:01.720 also being this behind -the -scenes champion 00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:04.599 for independent southern voices, how does that 00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:06.980 enrich the whole landscape of storytelling today? 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:09.789 That's a great question. And maybe. What other 00:27:09.789 --> 00:27:11.890 kinds of project stories that really speak to 00:27:11.890 --> 00:27:14.630 that Southern experience might he be quietly 00:27:14.630 --> 00:27:17.890 developing right now through Ginny Mule, even 00:27:17.890 --> 00:27:20.150 while he's off filming huge shows like The White 00:27:20.150 --> 00:27:22.690 Lotus? It might be worth going back and exploring 00:27:22.690 --> 00:27:25.690 that Ginny Mule filmography, seeing what kinds 00:27:25.690 --> 00:27:28.269 of stories really fire him up. What might be 00:27:28.269 --> 00:27:31.049 next? A really compelling thought. It reminds 00:27:31.049 --> 00:27:33.269 us his most interesting chapters might still 00:27:33.269 --> 00:27:35.769 be ahead. Thank you for joining us for this deep 00:27:35.769 --> 00:27:37.549 dive. Yeah, thanks, everyone. We'll see you next 00:27:37.549 --> 00:27:37.750 time.