Walton Goggins spent most of his twenties in small roles in films like The Bourne Identity, or episodic characters in shows like JAG or Pacific blue. His breakthrough character was Shane Vendrell in The shield. ssince then he has become a great chameleonic actor to have in any movie, and one of Tarantino’s favorites (at least in his western phase). Goggins always gives intense, layered performances, and his looks, very different from most Hollywood standards, always make him stand out. Here are Walton Goggins’ best performances, ranked:
8 Mathias Vogel – Tomb Raider
Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) tries to find his father (Dominic West) and ends up on a remote island where the villains try to find an ancient tomb and what is hidden there. In the latest movie based on the video game Tomb RaiderGoggins plays the villainous, Mathias Vogel, in a year where he played villains in franchises (see also Ant-Man and the Wasp). Goggins can play these evil roles in his sleep, but he seems to enjoy being the worst person in the world, and a defender to fight for Vikander, who was the perfect choice for the role of Lara Croft.
7 Paul Meecham – That evening sun
Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) is an elderly farmer who is placed in a nursing home by his lawyer son Paul (Goggins). Abner escapes and goes back to his farm, which is now rented out by his son to someone Abner doesn’t like. He decides to stay in an old tenant’s cabin on the property, and a major conflict ensues. Although Goggins’ role in That evening sun is small, he gets to act with an incredible cast; not only with an acting legend like Holbrook, but also with Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston, Ray McKinnon and Barry Corbin. This movie deserved a bigger audience as Holbrook gives an acting masterclass.
6 Lee Russell – Vice Directors
Two vice principals, Neal Gamby (Danny McBride) and Lee Russell (Goggins), compete over who will get the main job at a school when the current principal retires. vice directors was Goggins’ first collaboration with Danny McBride and his team. Both actors play pathetic men’s children, who just needed this one win. On this show, Goggins showed a more playful, wacky and insecure side by playing one of his weirdest characters yet, and yet he still made us care about the dreams and bustle of the vice director of a small town in Central America.
5 Billy Crash – Django Unchained
Django (Jamie Foxx) is a former slave turned bounty hunter with the help of Dr. King Schultz (Christopher Waltz). They both embark on a journey to find Django’s wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Goggins plays Billy Crash, the plantation fighting trainer who teaches slaves to fight in life and death combat. In Django unleashed, Goggins is one of the worst characters in the movie, someone you love to hate, and he enjoys the sheer wickedness of his role in his first collaboration with Tarantino.
4 Baby Billy Freeman – The Righteous Gems
The Righteous Gems follows a world-renowned televangelist family in everything they do, good or bad. As with any work from the brains of Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, this is a uniquely strange and idiosyncratic show. Goggins plays Baby Billy Freeman, a 70-year-old pastor and brother-in-law of John Goodman’s character, and is hilarious in it. Goggins goes all in and commits himself completely to a character, dressed so loudly and tanned that you could see him from space. The Righteous Gems is one of the funniest satirical series on TV, and every appearance by Goggins contributes to that. Danny McBride told Entertainment Weekly on casting Goggins in this role: “It was great to see him turn into this old man. Walton just disappears in every role he plays, I think he’s one of the most talented actors I’ve ever seen. He’s so damn funny, and he can break your heart, and we were honored that he stepped in.”
3 Sheriff Chris Mannix – The Hateful Eight
In the pre-Civil War era, eight different characters reside in Minnie’s Haberdashery while waiting for a snow storm to end. There are many revelations, twists and turns. The Hateful Eight comes closest to an Agatha Christie play or mystery. Each character has their hidden motivations and ideas, and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Goggins) is no different. Goggins enjoys Tarantino’s dialogue in one of the film’s most pivotal roles. As always, Goggins plays his character as a real person with many layers, and we never know if he can be trusted or not, as he is all questions and bravado. An excellent performance in a film that, if possible, can be seen better on 70mm.
2 Shane Vendrell – The Shield
Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his assault team: Shane Vendrell (Goggins), Curtis Lemansky (Kenny Johnson), and Ronnie Gardocki (David Rees Snell) are a corrupt group of cops who officially fight crime in the LA Farmington district, while also keep some money and medicine for themselves. The shield was the show that put Goggins on the map. He starts out as the second in command, a not so smart and racist cop, who loves the power the badge gives him. But with each season, Shane (and Goggins’ performance) becomes more layered, messy, and tragic. He’s learned all the wrong lessons from Vic and isn’t smart enough to pull them off, creating a devastating future for himself and those around him. Goggins was up to the task, as they continued to tell him more and more dark stories, making the end of Shane’s journey unforgettable in one of the best TV show finales ever.
1 Boyd Crowder – Justified
justified followed the adventures of American Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) in his hometown of Harlan, Kentucky. Goggins played Boyd Crowder, Rayland’s longtime friend and nemesis, as he tried to run Harlan’s crime underworld. Goggins’ achievements are unbelievable. Boyd knows he’s smart and will do and say anything to get what he wants. He still has some love for his old friend, which makes every encounter they have unique and special. Goggins plays all these different emotions in every scene, every gesture and every look, and every incredibly written Elmore Leonard-inspired sentence, creating a fully developed character in one of Leonard’s best adaptations.
The character was supposed to die after the pilot, but when they saw Goggins’ magnetic performance, they made him a regular series instead; one of the best decisions the show has ever made. Graham Yost told The Hollywood Reporter: “He’s great, and he’s just a great guy.” Graham Yost then said, ‘There had to be charm in ‘Boyd’. We knew with “Boyd,” when we went in, that who we cast was critical to the pilot’s success; that’s why it’s going to be a series. So the casting of Goggins was really instrumental. We wouldn’t be in the air without him. Now that Hollywood knows how well he can act, Walton Goggins will continue to appear in movies and shows, probably as a bad guy, or someone with a contradictory inner life, but always someone who understands and almost supports you, even if we should hate him. . That’s the magic of Walton Goggins’ performances.