Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Episode: Rerelease: Walton Goggins
Release Date: January 2, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode features a spirited, vulnerable, and often hilarious conversation with acclaimed actor Walton Goggins. Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, both open admirers and friends, dissect Goggins’ remarkable career, his Southern upbringing, his approach to acting, and the eccentricities that shaped him. The dialogue covers artistic integrity, navigating stereotypes, the pain and resilience born from childhood poverty, and the privileges and costs of success. Goggins shares candid reflections on his family, creative process, and his approach to living life “with intention.” The episode is full of warmth, admiration, insight, and laughter as Dax and Monica celebrate the “messiness of being human” alongside their multifaceted guest.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Walton Goggins’ Unique Career and Talent
[00:29–01:37]
- Dax and Monica are unabashed fans, calling Goggins the “best across the board actor,” able to excel in comedy and drama alike (“There’s nobody doing comedy better and there’s nobody doing drama better” — Dax, [01:09]).
- Dax lists Walton’s projects across genres: Righteous Gemstones, Fallout, Justified, Vice Principals, The Hateful Eight, and the forthcoming White Lotus season.
- Goggins’ versatility is lauded as “apex drama and apex comedy” (Dax, [10:03]).
2. Merchandising & Goggins Goggle Glasses
[01:45–11:12]
- A running gag throughout the episode involves Goggins’ “goggle glasses” — both a playful promotion and a joke about actor branding.
- Walton describes their real utility and how the product fits his personality (“I just love the equipment, man” — Goggins, [06:48]).
- Monica and Dax joke about the natural fit, contrasting it with cheeky “A to B” actor brands like Tom Cruise’s hypothetical “Top Gun Mower.”
3. Upholding Integrity in Acting Roles
[12:16–15:23]
- Goggins reveals he turned down his originally one-dimensional role in Justified twice, unwilling to perpetuate Southern stereotypes at that stage in his career.
- “I can’t perpetuate this stereotype and sell out my culture anymore…” (Goggins, [13:01]).
- Only after negotiating for more complexity to the character did he accept: “I just needed a version of that line for him to see through that” ([14:33]).
- The change led to an expanded, multi-season role, showing the difference creative input can make.
4. Stereotypes and Southern Identity
[15:32–16:28]
- Referencing Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead,” Dax and Goggins explore how negative Southern stereotypes are internalized: “We’re in the bathroom stall in high school. We hear the popular kids making fun of us… It’s so offensive and hurtful.” ([15:42]–[16:06]).
- Walton discusses how being from the South means confronting reductionist representations and why he’s careful about contributing to them.
5. A Colorful and Challenging Upbringing
[16:34–22:40]
- Goggins shares stories of poverty, eccentric family, moving homes, and cold winters with resilience and humor.
- Raised by his mother in Georgia after his parents’ early divorce, and surrounded by “real steel magnolias” — strong, eccentric Southern women.
- A memorable and haunting childhood story: Seeing an unknown man at his bedroom window as a child ([17:44–18:42]).
- Family was unconventional: his father was married six (or “six and a half,” counting an annulment) times; home was “a way station for people” ([21:05]).
6. Parental Dynamics and Narcissism
[19:37–21:07]
- Walton describes his father’s narcissism, sharing an example: his dad made himself a custom mug with Walton’s photo and the caption “There is no him without me.”
- “It was a picture of me in these glasses...And underneath it, in big letters, ‘there is no him without me’” ([20:27]).
7. The Value of Eccentricity
[22:43–24:17]
- Goggins expresses deep appreciation for growing up around eccentrics: “God damn, I’m glad that I wasn’t raised totally by them. I just absolutely love lunatics. I love crazy people — but just enough crazy” ([21:47]).
- He wonders if today’s social media encourages performative eccentricity rather than authentic oddness.
- Monica: “Authenticity has gotten very complicated and public and confusing” ([22:56]).
8. Experience of Poverty, Shame, and Self-Belief
[24:44–35:49]
- Goggins movingly details feeling different, lying about his home address out of shame, and the insecurity stemming from poverty.
- He learned self-reliance and structure in the absence of order (“I don’t think I slept in the same bed for more than seven days straight until I was like 15” — [24:57]).
- “Poverty is humiliating. When you’re young like that, you just don’t fit in” (Dax, [34:52]).
- “Falling in love with yourself. God damn. If you can get to that point where you’re okay with you, even though once you find it, it will very quickly disappear.” ([35:48])
9. Boundaries, Self-Worth, and Survivor’s Guilt
[35:49–36:27]
- Both Goggins and Dax reflect on survivor’s guilt as adults who escaped poverty.
- “I’m not poor anymore, but I don’t think that ever fully leaves you” (Walton, [35:49]).
- “I wrestle a lot with…I hated rich people…now I’m one of those people...It’s complicated.” (Dax, [36:07])
10. Auto-Didacticism and Artistic Growth
[36:32–38:26]
- Goggins never had the privilege of college education but recreates that “time to think” for himself in his adult, artistic life.
- He describes giving himself permission to “be on the road for a very long period of time, understanding culture...that’s my education...that’s time to ask those existential questions or listen to the music this person would listen to, or watch those movies” ([37:31]–[38:32]).
11. Performance Roots and Stories
[38:43–41:13]
- Surrounded by storytellers as a child, Goggins developed his narrative skills and sense of humor early.
- He moved to LA at 19, with a ticket from a mail-in American Express offer, determined to pursue acting ([39:37–40:28]).
12. Making It in Hollywood
[41:19–44:13]
- The turning point: “The Shield” at age 29, and before that “The Apostle” with Robert Duvall.
- For 10 years, Goggins worked jobs, felt lost in casting, but credits perseverance and an unconventional path for his long-term success.
13. Roles, Risk, and Casting
[44:13–46:53]
- Candid stories about almost missing out on roles in Bourne Identity, Eastbound & Down (“might be a little too dangerous for what we’re doing” — [42:42]), and his relationships with Danny McBride and David Gordon Green.
- The audition for Quentin Tarantino is legendary: Walton read “all the roles” for Tarantino at his insistence — “I just want to read your words in front of you...I want to read all of these roles” ([46:24]).
14. Navigating Recognition and Typecasting
[47:09–50:04]
- Goggins reflects on his “Achilles heel” — being so chameleonic, many audiences don’t realize he’s the same actor from role to role.
- Dax: “I think you deserve to be the biggest star in the world. But the work is so unique and different, I don't know if people are connecting the dots” ([47:09]).
15. Reflections on the Nature of Success
[49:41–50:04]
- Goggins and Dax discuss the value of “walking the road” over instant fame: “I would argue it’s preferred...It’s such the way to do it” (Dax, [49:41]–[50:04]).
16. On-Set Chemistry and Writing
[51:35–53:50]
- Discussing Righteous Gemstones and Vice Principals, Dax is amazed at the writing: “98% is on the page. No shit?” (Dax, [53:19]–[53:44]).
17. Life Imitates Art – Living Intentionally
[58:28–60:57]
- Goggins discusses his commitment to crafting an artistic, intentional life outside of acting: prioritizing family, saying no to lucrative jobs to be present with loved ones, and traveling with friends: “It’s with intention...That time with my kid, it means more to me than anything” ([58:49]).
- "We’re going to live the hell out of life. Strap yourself in" ([60:07]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On integrity in acting:
“…I just can’t perpetuate this stereotype and sell out my culture anymore from an outsider’s perspective.” — Walton Goggins, [13:01] -
On internalized stereotypes:
“We're in the bathroom stall in high school. We hear the popular kids making fun of us...It's so offensive and hurtful.” — Barbara Kingsolver via Dax, [15:42] -
On the legacy of poverty:
“Poverty is humiliating. When you’re young like that, you just don’t fit in.” — Dax Shepard, [34:52] -
On learning to love yourself:
“Falling in love with yourself — God damn. If you can get to that point where you’re okay with you, even though once you find it, it will very quickly disappear.” — Walton Goggins, [35:48] -
On actor branding:
“Why does Tom Cruise have lawn care equipment?” — Dax Shepard, [06:28] “Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses.” — Collective, multiple points -
On authenticity and eccentricity:
"I just absolutely love lunatics. I love crazy people, but just enough crazy." — Walton Goggins, [21:47] “Authenticity has gotten very complicated and public and confusing.” — Monica Padman, [22:56] -
On family pride:
“There is no him without me” — Walton’s dad’s custom mug, [20:27] -
On opportunity and privilege:
“Going to school and being able to be there and think critically is a privilege.” — Monica Padman, [37:23] -
On his personal code:
“I have shame and remorse and regret about the time that I have been away...But we're gonna live the hell out of life. Strap yourself in.” — Walton Goggins, [59:55–60:07]
Important Segment Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:29–01:37 | Dax and Monica praise Goggins’ career and versatility | | 12:16–15:23 | Walton details why he initially turned down Justified | | 15:32–16:28 | The harm of Southern stereotypes, Kingsolver quote | | 17:44–18:42 | Childhood trauma: stranger at Goggins’ window | | 19:37–21:07 | Goggins’ “narcissist” father and family stories | | 22:43–24:17 | The role of eccentric people in Goggins’ life | | 24:44–35:49 | School, shame, structure, first poems, surviving poverty | | 37:31–38:32 | “Time to think” and creating his own educational path | | 39:37–40:28 | Moving to LA: How Goggins made it | | 46:24 | “I want to read your words… all of these roles” (Tarantino audition) | | 57:05–60:07 | “Living with intention” and saying “no” for family |
Tone and Language
The conversation is irreverent, candid, celebratory, and full of gentle ribbing. There’s mutual admiration and warmth between all three: Dax comes at topics from a place of relentless curiosity, Monica serves as both thoughtful interlocutor and comic foil, and Walton Goggins brings generous, grounded self-awareness. The group navigates moments of gravity (the pain of poverty, family dysfunction, typecasting) and levity (goggle glasses, eccentric relatives, actor “side hustles”) with ease.
Conclusion
This episode is essential listening for fans of Walton Goggins or anyone interested in the intersection of art, identity, and resilience. Through laughter, vulnerability, and wisdom, Dax, Monica, and Walton explore how hardship shapes artistry, how authenticity trumps performance, and why living with intention is the ultimate achievement. The episode is a love letter to the art of storytelling—on screen, at the dinner table, and in the lived moments in between.