Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (born November 10, 1971)[1] is an American actor. He has starred in a number of television series, including The Shield (2002-2008), Justified (2010-2015), Vice Principals (2016-2017), The Righteous Gemstones (2018–present) and The Unicorn (2020–2021). He has also starred in films, such as Predators (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Hateful Eight (2015), as well as Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Tomb Raider, and Ant-Man and the Wasp (all 2018).
Walton Goggins | |
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![]() Goggins at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con | |
Born | Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (1971-11-10) November 10, 1971 (age 51) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1989–present |
Spouse | Leanne Kaun
(m. 2001; died 2004)Nadia Conners (m. 2011) |
Children | 1 |
He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Justified. Goggins starred in the short film The Accountant, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.[2]
Goggins was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Janet Long and Walton Sanders Goggins Sr.[1] He was raised in Lithia Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, and graduated from Lithia Springs High School and attended Georgia Southern University for a year.[2]
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Goggins worked for a valet car parking service and various restaurants in Los Angeles.[citation needed] After starring in a few roles in Georgia, he met Ray McKinnon while filming Murder in Mississippi.
Goggins played Shane Vendrell in the FX series The Shield. He formed the production company Ginny Mule Pictures, which produced four films: The Accountant (a short film which won an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film), Chrystal (Sundance Dramatic Competition), Randy and the Mob, and That Evening Sun (which won the South by Southwest Special Jury Prize). They later created the series Rectify.[3] Goggins was set to play the lead and AMC had bought the pilot script, written by McKinnon, a role which went to Aden Young, when the series later went to SundanceTV.[4]
Goggins played Boyd Crowder in the pilot episode for the FX series Justified, while filming a major supporting role as a deadly death row inmate being hunted by the titular antagonists in the film Predators. Boyd was intended to die in the pilot episode, but Justified producer Yost kept the character when test audiences selected Goggins for the role. Goggins joined the main cast from the second season in May 2010.[5] In 2011, he appeared in "Code of the West", a commercial for Ram Truck's "Guts & Glory" campaign. He appeared in Cowboys & Aliens as Hunt, a bandit formerly in the employ of the protagonist. In July 2011, Goggins was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Justified.[6] He portrayed Billy Crash, a sadistic overseer and slave fighting trainer, in the 2012 film Django Unchained.[7]
Goggins played transgender prostitute Venus Van Dam in the FX series Sons of Anarchy. He previously worked with the show's creator, Kurt Sutter, when the latter was a writer and executive producer on The Shield. The name "Venus Van Dam" is a play on the undercover name "Cletus Van Damme" used by Shane Vendrell, the character Goggins portrayed on The Shield.[8] He played Chris Mannix in The Hateful Eight and Lee Russell in the HBO series Vice Principals.[2][9] The New York Times critic Mike Hale wrote, "Walton Goggins makes a habit of being the best thing about the television shows he’s in."[10]
In 2018, Goggins played Lawrence in Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Mathias Vogel in Tomb Raider, and Sonny Burch in Ant-Man and the Wasp. He played the lead character in the CBS sitcom, The Unicorn. He starred in the comedy series The Righteous Gemstones. In 2020, Goggins voiced part of the real crime podcast Deep Cover: The Drug Wars.[11]
Goggins has received a steady stream of recognition for his professional work. With McKinnon, Lisa Blount and Ginny Mule Pictures, he was recognized by the Spirit of Slamdance Award at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2001 for The Accountant, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2002. Their film Chrystal appeared in the 2004 U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival,[12] and the same trio were awarded the Spirit of Slamdance Award again for Randy and the Mob.
Goggins was nominated for a Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2009 for his role as Detective Shane Vendrell in The Shield. In the same year, McKinnon, Goggins, Hal Holbrook and the rest of the principal cast of That Evening Sun, won the Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast at the South by Southwest Film Festival competition.
In 2013, Goggins was nominated for the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble in Quentin Tarantino's western film Django Unchained.
For his work on Justified, Goggins received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[13] in 2011, the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2011, the TV Guide Award for Favorite Villain in 2013, the Online Film & Television Association's Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2014, and for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
For Sons of Anarchy, Goggins received nominations for the Online Film & Television Association's Television Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014, and for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series in 2014 and 2015.
Goggins was married to Canadian resident Leanne Kaun, who owned a dog-walking business in Laurel Canyon, California, until her death by suicide on November 12, 2004.[14] Goggins married filmmaker Nadia Conners in August 2011. They have a son, Augustus (born February 2011).[15]
Goggins showcases some of his photography on a blog,[16] when he took a sabbatical and traveled across India.[16] He is active in various nonprofit organizations that range from environmental to humanitarian work. He attended the Global Green USA events.[citation needed] He is a partner in a spirits company, Mulholland Distilling.[17]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1992 | Mr. Saturday Night | Shaky Kid | DVD cut only[18] |
Forever Young[19] | Gate MP | ||
1994 | The Next Karate Kid | Charlie | Credited as "Walt Goggins" |
1997 | The Apostle | Sam | |
Switchback | Bud | ||
1998 | Major League: Back to the Minors | Billy "Downtown" Anderson | |
2000 | The Crow: Salvation | Detective Stan Roberts | |
Red Dirt | Lee Todd | ||
Shanghai Noon | Wallace | ||
Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder | Almanzo Wilder | ||
2001 | Daddy and Them | Tommy Christian | |
Joy Ride | Cop | Uncredited | |
The Accountant | Tommy O'Dell | Short film Also co-producer | |
2002 | The Bourne Identity | Research Tech #1 | |
Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder | Almanzo Wilder | ||
2003 | House of 1000 Corpses | Deputy Steve Nash | |
Apple Jack | Moe Danyou | Short film | |
2004 | Chrystal | Larry | Also producer |
2005 | The World's Fastest Indian | Marty Dickerson | |
2006 | The Architect | Joe | |
2007 | Randy and The Mob | Tino Armani | Also producer |
2008 | Winged Creatures | Zack | |
Miracle at St. Anna | Nokes | ||
2009 | That Evening Sun | Paul Meecham | Also producer |
Damage | Reno | ||
2010 | Predators | Stans | |
2011 | Cowboys & Aliens | Hunt | |
Straw Dogs | Daniel | ||
2012 | Lincoln | Clay Hawkins | |
Django Unchained | Billy Crash | ||
2013 | Officer Down | Angel / Detective Logue | |
G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Warden Nigel James | ||
Machete Kills | El Camaleón | ||
2015 | Mojave | Jim | |
American Ultra | Laugher | ||
Diablo | Ezra | ||
The Hateful Eight | Chris Mannix | ||
2017 | Three Christs | Leon | |
2018 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | Lawrence | |
Tomb Raider | Mathias Vogel | ||
Ant-Man and the Wasp | Sonny Burch | ||
2019 | Them That Follow | Lemuel Childs | |
2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Old Chattanooga Beer commercial (voice) | Extended cut |
2020 | Words on Bathroom Walls | Paul | |
Fatman | Skinny Man | ||
2021 | Spirit Untamed[20] | Hendricks (voice) | |
John Bronco Rides Again | John Bronco | Short film Also producer | |
2022 | Dreamin' Wild | Joe Emerson | |
TBA | Armor Wars | Sonny Burch | In development |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1989 | In the Heat of the Night | Darrell / Robbie Jeffries / Garth Watkins | 4 episodes |
1990 | Murder in Mississippi | Lyle | Television film |
1992 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Mike Muchin | Episode: "The Pit and the Pendulum" |
Stay the Night | Wayne Seagrove | Television film | |
1993 | Queen | Young Man #1 | Episode #1.1 |
1993 | Renegade | Lance | Episode: "Wheel Man" |
1995 | JAG | Marine 2nd Lieutenant | Episode: "Desert Son" |
1996 | Humanoids from the Deep | Rod | Television film |
The Cherokee Kid | Jim Bob | ||
Pacific Blue | Harv | 2 episodes | |
The Sentinel | Mick | Episode: "True Crime" | |
1998 | NYPD Blue | Terry | Episode: "Honeymoon at Viagra Falls" |
2001 | Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man | Billy Weber | Television film |
2002–2008 | The Shield | Shane Vendrell | 88 episodes |
2004 | Hawaii | Agent Davis | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Marlon Frost | Episode: "Empty Eyes" |
2009 | Criminal Minds | John Cooley | Episode: "Demonology" |
CSI: Miami | Sean Echols | Episode: "Dissolved" | |
2010–2015 | Justified | Boyd Crowder | 74 episodes |
2012 | Unsupervised | Bruce Lindsay (voice) | Episode: "The Magic of Science" |
2012–2014 | Sons of Anarchy | Venus Van Dam | 6 episodes |
2014 | Community | Mr. Stone | Episode: "Cooperative Polygraphy" |
2016–2017 | Vice Principals | Lee Russell | 18 episodes |
2017–2018 | Six | Richard "Rip" Taggart | 18 episodes |
2017 | American Dad! | Enoch (voice) | Episode: "A Nice Night for a Drive" |
2018 | The Big Bang Theory | Oliver | Episode: "The Separation Triangulation" |
L.A. Confidential | Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes | Pilot | |
2019 | Deep State | Nathan Miller | 8 episodes; also executive producer |
2019–present | The Righteous Gemstones | Baby Billy Freeman | 12 episodes |
2019–2021 | The Unicorn | Wade Felton | 31 episodes; also producer |
2021–present | Invincible | Cecil Stedman (voice) | 7 episodes |
2021 | Squidbillies | Bubba (voice) | Episode: "Let 'er R.I.P." |
2022 | The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey | Dr. Rubin | 5 episodes |
TBA | Fallout | TBA | Upcoming series |
TBA | George & Tammy | TBA | Upcoming miniseries |
Year | Title | Voice role |
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1995 | Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom | Border World Pilot |
2007 | The Shield | Detective Shane Vendrell |
2017 | Prey | Aaron Ingram |
Year | Award | Nominated for | Result |
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2001 | Slamdance Film Festival Spirit of Slamdance Award for Best Supporting Actor (shared with Ray McKinnon and Lisa Blount)[citation needed] | The Accountant | Won |
Randy and the Mob | Won | ||
2009 | South By Southwest Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast[21] | That Evening Sun | Nominated |
Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama[22] | The Shield | Nominated | |
2011 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[23] | Justified | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[citation needed] | Nominated | ||
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film[citation needed] | Nominated | ||
2012 | San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble[citation needed] | Django Unchained | Nominated |
2013 | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[24] | Justified | Nominated |
2014 | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series[25] | Sons of Anarchy | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[25] | Justified | Nominated | |
2015 | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series[26] | Nominated | |
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series[26] | Sons of Anarchy | Nominated | |
2016 | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor | The Hateful Eight | Nominated |
2018 | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Vice Principals | Won |
2020 | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | The Righteous Gemstones | Nominated |
I actually got my first job after being here [in Los Angeles] for one week — a role opposite Billy Crystal in Mr. Saturday Night. I was the Nervous Kid in a flashback sequence. It didn’t make the movie, but it made the DVD.
I was in a movie called Forever Young, with Mel Gibson. I just saw the director up here in Canada the other day—Steve Miner. ...[W]hen you're a young actor, you live for those days. It was a day with Mel Gibson. ... Early in my career, those small roles I got, they were pretty two-dimensional, buddy, for the most part. But you do what you can do with it on your day, and you're thankful for it.
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | |
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National libraries | |
Other |