
Grab your breakfast sushi – it’s Walton Goggins. Seven horses, five camels, two gallons of yak vodka, and an eagle hunter. Plus, imposter syndrome: what is that? This is your reality… on an all-new SmartLess.
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
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Walton Goggins
Hey everybody, this is Walton Goggins. I'm the guest on Smartless today and I can't wait to have a conversation with these three fellas. Only one of them know that I'm gonna be here, so let's get this conversation started. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Smartless.
Will Arnett
Smart, Smart, Smart.
Walton Goggins
Less.
Jason Bateman
Wait, whose guest is it today?
Sean Hayes
Shut up, Sean.
Will Arnett
Jason's. You can tell by the attitude, you piece of.
Walton Goggins
Hey, look at Wills on the western.
Jason Bateman
Looks like you have with his smoking jacket on.
Sean Hayes
Quilted, self stitched, what's it called?
Jason Bateman
Santa Fe something.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. Well, how much research? So Will's doing a western thing.
Will Arnett
Not a western.
Jason Bateman
What is it? What kind of Michelle Pfeiffer.
Will Arnett
Yes.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, he's reprising.
Will Arnett
By the way, our friend Michelle Fifes who said to me. And we. And they said. I said. She goes, I know. We got to take a break so you can do your podcast. She was being sort of coy.
Sean Hayes
She said with a mocking tone, yeah.
Will Arnett
And I said. I said, yeah.
Sean Hayes
She was very good on the show.
Will Arnett
I said you were great. On the show, we loved having you, and. And I hope you, you know, hope you got good response. And she said that people came out of the woodwork, too, and that people listened to it. So.
Jason Bateman
How about that? Nice.
Sean Hayes
So people always say, I don't want to do the show at all. I don't want to do the show. And then they're happy that they do the show.
Jason Bateman
That's right.
Sean Hayes
I don't know. I don't know.
Jason Bateman
Don't you feel like we just all slept together in the same cabin somewhere? Because we just did this, like 10 hours ago.
Will Arnett
I know it was.
Jason Bateman
You mean like we just saw.
Will Arnett
Well, let's go back to.
Sean Hayes
Why is everyone sleeping in a cabin?
Will Arnett
Oh, because I'm dressed like I'm in the cabin.
Jason Bateman
Well, no. Well, that we just all slept in the same house, and then we just woke up for breakfast. And then we started doing this again.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Wait, what is your dream?
Jason Bateman
You know what I mean?
Sean Hayes
What was for breakfast?
Jason Bateman
Sushi. I just had sushi.
Sean Hayes
No, you didn't.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I went to Zabar's. You know, Zabar is really close.
Will Arnett
Oh, yeah. Famous for their sushi.
Jason Bateman
It's true. I put a jacket on, I went next door and I ate some sushi. I mean, I brought it home. I brought it home.
Sean Hayes
Hey, you shit pig. Remember yesterday when you said I just had Chinese food? I thought to myself, self, that sounds really good. And so I ordered some Chinese for me last night.
Walton Goggins
Oh, you did?
Sean Hayes
And we had Chinese for the first time in a long time.
Will Arnett
Why?
Walton Goggins
Was it good?
Jason Bateman
That's right. What did you have?
Will Arnett
I was wondering about your face, because I could see there was something, you know.
Sean Hayes
Will, wait till you see my face after sushi lunch today.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. Wait, do you. Do you get. Do you get, like, you know, anything kind of naughty at when you order Chinese? Like breaded chicken or breaded something? Or is it all, like. No bamboo shoots and, you know.
Sean Hayes
No, I. We had a couple of chicken dishes and a noodle dish and some vegetables.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
You know, because I said to Amanda, I said, you order, baby. I don't want to. Don't. Don't let me see anything on the menu, because I'll order son's food.
Will Arnett
And she went, like, totally clean and everything.
Sean Hayes
Right. And it was good, and it was great.
Will Arnett
All right.
Jason Bateman
Wait, Will. One of the grossest images I ever witnessed in my life was going over to Jason's house, and he's swimming in his pool in the backyard while Amanda is. Has a big hat on, covering the sun. And from the Pool on his floaty. He goes, honey, can we get some sushi for lunch while he's baking in the sun? It's so Hollywood.
Will Arnett
He FaceTimed me once, floating on a floaty in his pool. I was like. And I just. All I thought about was like, obviously, Ernest Borgnine in the pool. Cause he would. By the way, by the way, by the way. It just reminded me. I forgot to tell you. So a little while ago, I run into Griffin Dunn, our old pal. Griffin Dunn.
Sean Hayes
The great Griffin Dunn.
Will Arnett
The great Griffin Dunn. So Griffin Dunn tells. So he says, I've been meaning to see. I've been meaning to tell you this story. I've been meaning to tell you this story. He said years ago, when this is public record. He said when Ernest Borgnine was getting divorced, his wife cited. One of the problems that she cited in the court record was of their differences. That she found that as a problem, as grounds for divorce was that Ernest Borgdine would Dutch oven her. He'd fart in the bed and pull the covers over her head.
Jason Bateman
Is that real? Is that real?
Will Arnett
I swear to God. Apparently. And I looked it up. It's true. And she hated it and she was disgusted by it. And so he was like. He was like, I gotta tell Will. I gotta call. So he had my old phone number. Cause I haven't spoken to him like in like four years or something. And I switched my number. So he keeps. He's sending me stuff and he calls me and the guy goes, hello? And he goes, hey, listen. Now you know this thing about Griffith. You know, he goes, hey, Will. And the guy sort of says, yeah. And then he goes, listen, Ernest Borgnine and the thing. And the reason he got divorced and the Dutch oven and this stuff. And the guy goes, this isn't Will, okay? He's changed his number. And that is a disgusting. Why would you think I'd want to know this Disgusting. And I'm not put.
Walton Goggins
Oh, God.
Will Arnett
That'S really funny.
Sean Hayes
Oh, my God. Listener. As a backstory, you should know that I bought Ernest Borgnine's old house years ago. Years ago. And Will has been writing me for years that what I've done is I've made a bad purchase because.
Will Arnett
Not a bad purchase.
Sean Hayes
Well, when you consider that supposedly Ernest Borgnine was a. A world class masturbator.
Will Arnett
Right. He credited his longevity with the fact that. Right. Claimed that he masturbated every day. So I've always imagined him everywhere in the house, leaning against the rail. I don't know why.
Sean Hayes
Gooserack. Yeah. And so it's in the. It's in the pool, too, Will. And there's also lots of farts stuck in the master. Okay, got it.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. And when Ernest Fortnite. No, no. That is crazy.
Sean Hayes
Welcome to Smartless.
Will Arnett
So. So I've been meaning to tell you that.
Sean Hayes
All right, let me pull up my notes here.
Will Arnett
Oh, yeah.
Jason Bateman
Organized.
Sean Hayes
All right. I've written a little intro. Where is it? Here it comes. What we've got here today.
Jason Bateman
So smooth.
Will Arnett
God. Stop shouting.
Sean Hayes
Well, we're back from commercial. What we've got here today is an actor, an exciting actor. This guy knows how to put you on his back and carry you into the world of some pretty interesting characters. Some are funny, some are scary, some are dark, some are breezy. Whatever it is, though, it's always a good ride. He's the kind of actor that gives you the grin of expectation and the feeling of relief that you're in good hands for wherever you're going. Guys, I write these myself, okay?
Jason Bateman
Who can tell?
Sean Hayes
He was born in Alabama, raised in Georgia, moved to Hollywood at 19, and has brought us iconic roles in films like Django, Unchained, the Hateful Eight, and on tv. He's given us gold in shows like the Shield Justified, Vice Principals, Righteous Gemstones, and recently, White Lotus and fallout. Dudes, here's Mr. Walton Goggins Jr.
Walton Goggins
Here he is.
Sean Hayes
Man. Now we get it started.
Walton Goggins
I know that you had to masturbate every day to. To lead Male's Navy.
Sean Hayes
You got to get the evil out if you want to stick around a while. Damn it.
Walton Goggins
I want to get that show.
Jason Bateman
Why do you look so sharp today?
Walton Goggins
Do I look sharp?
Sean Hayes
He's in the middle of a junket.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, in the middle. Day. Day. Day. I think three or four or something like that.
Sean Hayes
Really?
Walton Goggins
Yeah, in it. But this is the first one for.
Sean Hayes
Today, so we get you fresh.
Walton Goggins
I'm doing okay.
Sean Hayes
This is for Fallout.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, for Fallout.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah.
Walton Goggins
This Fallout. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I knew. I, you know, I know that there's a surprise guest, and I saw Will the other night.
Will Arnett
I know.
Sean Hayes
And I almost zipped.
Will Arnett
You were.
Walton Goggins
Well, I didn't know who was it. I didn't know who, who, like, who the host was.
Will Arnett
Dude, you were so good. No idea. I mean, I was focused on your full length leather coat you were wearing, and it was 100 degrees in that room.
Walton Goggins
So was I. Because I was sweating. I lost ten pounds that night. It was great.
Sean Hayes
Hey, so here. So here's the deal. Mgt. I. Maybe we've just sniffed Out. What the. Maybe the. The hole is sometimes when every once in a while, Walton, a guest will come up to one of the three of us and say, hey, can't wait to see you next week. And it's just. Or the rep. Or the rep or something like that. So what I think is the guest needs to be told, Michael, who the. The hosting fella is.
Will Arnett
Yeah, right.
Jason Bateman
They're told. The rest are told.
Sean Hayes
They're told.
Will Arnett
They are told. We're keeping that in. We're keeping that. They're told the host.
Walton Goggins
I mean, the. The guest knows who the hosts are. This is smart. Listen. Yes, yes.
Will Arnett
So this is more. You know, who we need to be speaking to are Walton's representatives because they.
Sean Hayes
Get them on the phone.
Will Arnett
Yeah, we're gonna get.
Walton Goggins
They're in the room. Some of them are in the room right now. Do you hear that? Why didn't you tell me? Honestly, it doesn't matter. It's.
Sean Hayes
They have no idea what's going on. Homework. For the. For the. What's up, fellas? What's up, bud?
Jason Bateman
So good to meet you.
Walton Goggins
So you're.
Sean Hayes
You're. You're out there with the sandwich board for the fallout.
Walton Goggins
I am, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're just. We're just starting.
Sean Hayes
And how. Let's. Let's just jump off right there. How are you enjoying?
Will Arnett
God, he loves it.
Sean Hayes
What's the pre. What's. What's the pre.
Walton Goggins
Love to jump off.
Sean Hayes
What's the pre call on that? You got a two hour.
Walton Goggins
What's the pre call?
Sean Hayes
You know what look for the. The makeup chair.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, man. It's like a. It's like three hours, you know, before anybody else shows up. I mean, it got so bad. Like, not so bad, but we were. We filmed the first season in New York.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
For some reason. Honestly.
Sean Hayes
Well, because you've got a place there, a beautiful place there in the Hudson Valley. They thought maybe we'll make it geographically attractive for Mr. Goggins.
Walton Goggins
But never saw it. Never left the city, really, except to go to Namibia. But we're out here now, and we were out filming in the desert. I've got this van, you know that like so many other people that you.
Sean Hayes
Rent back to the company and you call it your dressing room?
Walton Goggins
As a matter of fact, I do, yes.
Jason Bateman
Wait, what?
Walton Goggins
It's working.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Here's what you do.
Jason Bateman
What are you talking about?
Sean Hayes
When you're a fancy pants like Walton and you're working all the time, the smart money is spent on, like, a motorhome or A van or something.
Will Arnett
You buy it yourself.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. And then you rent it back to the production as your dressing room. And so they give you the money for dressing room rental.
Jason Bateman
So it pays for itself.
Sean Hayes
It pays for itself kind of.
Walton Goggins
I mean, it's a little harder in New York than it is in Los angeles. Parking on 8th Avenue. Yeah, parking is very expensive there.
Sean Hayes
The parking tickets offset the rental fee.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, but it.
Sean Hayes
But it did.
Walton Goggins
It were. It worked out, you know, it worked out, but so we. We got to the point where we were kind of filming, like, out in the desert a few times, and I just stayed for the first time. I don't know if you guys have ever done this, but I stayed at base camp. Everybody else in your trailer, you know, really kind of bad hotel rooms, like, in the middle of nowhere.
Jason Bateman
You slept at the location.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, at the location with a security guard. Everybody else leaves.
Will Arnett
Sm.
Walton Goggins
I just had my food.
Sean Hayes
Did you stick them for the hotel. For the hotel money, too? Give me that.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, I got those $60.
Sean Hayes
I said, no.
Will Arnett
Come on. I love.
Jason Bateman
So you. And you have. And you have your shower and a little kitchen in there and everything.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, everything. And it was only four steps to work, you know, like, my call time was. I mean, I had. Yeah, I did shower there. Yeah. As a matter of every single night. Yeah, of course. I mean, you got stuff on your face.
Will Arnett
Jason would never.
Jason Bateman
That water.
Will Arnett
Jason, you'd never use trailer water, right?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, no, exactly. I don't want to smell like a hoe.
Walton Goggins
I have filtered. I only use.
Sean Hayes
But, Walton, you do strike me as a fella. You do strike me as a fella that is not afraid to walk barefoot on a hotel rug.
Walton Goggins
No, no, I walk barefoot across the desert. Exactly.
Sean Hayes
You're a guy that.
Walton Goggins
You're much.
Sean Hayes
You're not. I'm a soft. I'm a soft man. You don't seem like a soft fella at all. You can handle quite a bit of. Of. Of, you know, taken away the creature comforts, you know.
Walton Goggins
Well, I just. I had an experience where all the creature comforts were taken away, like, and I didn't realize how. How. How many they were going to take away, but I. I took my. I'm a father. Sure. To two other parents here, and she.
Sean Hayes
Had a dog bragging.
Walton Goggins
I know, that's. Yeah. Hey, you know, I just have one, so I can kind of, you know, not take a job for a while. But. But I took him. He was 14, right. About to turn 15, and it's like, okay, well, we. You know, this is A big transition kind of in your life. And we need to mark this occasion. And I took him on a two week horseback riding trip across Western Mongolia. Oh, wow. Yeah, no big deal. It was a big deal. He's 14. He'll be 15 in about six weeks. And it was just, you know, an opportunity for us to kind of get out there and. And see the world. And we're both obsessed with Genghis Khan.
Will Arnett
Jason. Jason would be stressed. Jason would be stressed going to the class lounge in Mongolia like that.
Walton Goggins
It would be, actually.
Sean Hayes
Where are you going to find. Where are you going to. Where are you going to find a TV with CNN International or coffee pods.
Walton Goggins
Or anything like that? No, man, but where do you.
Sean Hayes
You again, you do strike me as a guy who's. Who's so sort of. There's a lot of texture in your life. I'm like, I'm surrounded with thread count and things like that.
Walton Goggins
Well, I like thread count too, you.
Sean Hayes
Know, but you know how to do both.
Walton Goggins
Mon Cashmere. I mean, I like all of those things. But on this trip, here's what happened. And other than maybe we'll get to like a parenting moment, you know, with my son, which was extraordinary.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I want to hear that.
Walton Goggins
But. But on day three, I mean, it took us. It took us about like 72 hours just to get to the starting point, you know?
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
And stopped and missed a flight, spent the night in Istanbul, which is, you know, hey, throw me in the briar patches. I love that place. And we made it to Ulaanbaatar and another plan landed in Western Mongolia and then like an eight hour drive to just the starting point. And we got there and. And it was just the two of us were obsessed with that part of the world. And. And then we start, you know, start entering. We meet everybody. Nobody speaks English. We have an interpreter. It's. It's just the two of us. Five horses. I mean, seven. Seven horses, five camels and an interpreter. Two horsemen. An eagle hunter who sits and a cook, man. Like, it's legit. It's the real deal. And we're both like, in the tent the first night looking at each other, going like, we're here, man. We did that. We did it. And the very first, when we landed in Western Mongolia, my son looked at me and he said, I've never been this happy in my life, dad.
Jason Bateman
Wow.
Walton Goggins
So he's got that wanderlust, like I do. So cut to day two. You know, something like, kind of happened and he, you know, he was like, wow, this is. Excuse my language. This is really fucking hard, dad. Like, this is really. This is hard. Like, this is really hard. And he was. You know, he was missing his mom and missing his life. And I said, you know what, buddy? I understand. It is hard. You're absolutely right about it. It's very, very hard. And you can be in this place and I'll hold you and I'll love you and I'll comfort you in this time, or you can. He said he really wanted to go home. And I said, okay, but I'll hold you and I'll comfort you and for as long as you want. I mean, for the next 12 days. Or you can accept that this is your reality, right? You're not changing this reality.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Walton Goggins
And you can let that fester and you can react to that.
Jason Bateman
Wow.
Walton Goggins
Or you can accept the fact that this is your reality and actually learn, you know, and spend and not waste that energy.
Sean Hayes
Just tuck in.
Walton Goggins
It's up to you. And literally, at 14 years old, he said, I just to need. Can I use the battery? Because there's no. You don't have cell phones. We only have, you know, little bitty batteries with us or whatever. It's like, you can use the battery if you use it up. Use it, whatever you want. He's like, I just need to listen to some music. Yeah, he did. He sat in the tent. He came out about 45 minutes later, and he just looked up at me with this big, beautiful grin on his face.
Jason Bateman
With a plane ticket. No, I'm kidding.
Walton Goggins
And he thumbs up, like, I'm good, dad. I'm good. And then so it's like, okay. He got through that. The next morning, I'm on the horse. We're all leaving this whole caravan. It takes a whole process of getting ready to go, and. And I've been riding horses my whole life. My son is an unbelievable rider, and my horse just trips.
Will Arnett
Oh.
Walton Goggins
And I went down. I wouldn't see any. I didn't see it coming.
Sean Hayes
Oh, now she rolled.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, well, she rolled on.
Jason Bateman
Now it needs to be held. Exactly.
Walton Goggins
Well, this is what happened. She rolled on top of. Of me. I. And I was able to push her off, thinking, like, oh, my God, I just broke my leg. That's it. And looked down. I was like, okay, leg's fine. Everything's okay. And then I went to stand up, and I immediately collapsed. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong. And my son looked at me. He's like, dad, are you okay? He was like, yeah, yeah, dude, I'm okay. All Right. I got up on the horse, rode for seven hours. Don't remember it. Had a couple of Advil, my wife threw in a bag. What I realized, you know, after a few days is that I broke my rib.
Jason Bateman
Oh, God.
Walton Goggins
And then all of a sudden, I'm, like, taking the advice that I just gave my son because it's like, hey, man, nobody's coming to get you. You know, you're in the middle of nowhere. There is no, like, helicopter coming to Air Vac. You out of here, man. Medevac, you out of here. You gotta go. You gotta ride. And so it was, you know, another nine days.
Sean Hayes
Where does that kind of.
Will Arnett
That is? Dude. Dude. Jay, are you gonna tell a story about. Jay, you about to tell the story about when the guy didn't have your valet ticket at the Governor's awards.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. And I'm like, hey, man, you waited.
Will Arnett
Like, 10 minutes for them to sort out your limo. You remember that?
Sean Hayes
Solid 10 minutes. And this happened two days ago. I had to talk to a bunch of people I didn't want to talk to. Yeah.
Walton Goggins
My gift bags in your hand.
Jason Bateman
We offered to hold them.
Sean Hayes
Walton, where do you. Where'd you get this kind of. This kind of thick skin emotionally, spiritually? Did you have a couple of good parents?
Walton Goggins
Well, I mean. I mean, I think we all have thick skin. You know, it's just a matter of being exposed to it. Look, I'm a poor kid from Georgia, and my parents divorced. You know, I was three years old. Yeah. And I grew up around a bunch of. You know. When I say crazy, you say it with love. With love.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. Curious and really colorful. I like colorful Southern women, you know, and little bitty farmhouse, you know, outside of Atlanta. And. Yeah, we didn't have. We didn't have anything. We didn't have, like, you know, central air. I mean, we had, like. Like a heater, you know, that. That emitted. I mean, like, it is.
Will Arnett
The.
Walton Goggins
Is the cause of global warming. Like, this one particular furnace that we had in our.
Sean Hayes
In our house.
Walton Goggins
And. And, yeah, we just didn't have much. And. And so. But we didn't. We didn't want for much. And I don't know, I just think.
Sean Hayes
Growing up that way, then what about all this. All this privilege and luxury and. And I love it. Elitism that you're rolling around with. Every once in a while you think is.
Walton Goggins
I love it. Yeah. No, no. Dude. How's it getting me soft? Yeah, I mean, I suppose. Yeah, right. You get used. Everybody has a new normal.
Sean Hayes
But, you know, how to categorize it, right? Yeah, I think so.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. Yeah.
Sean Hayes
You're still able to go to Mongolia and get along?
Walton Goggins
Absolutely.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. Can I ask you some questions about that story that. It's crazy. So.
Walton Goggins
I just can't believe I'm talking to the three of you, man. This is just likewise two of you. I know. And Sean. I. I don't know. So. Yes, ask me anything.
Will Arnett
We went to Shauna Istanbul once. Okay.
Sean Hayes
What?
Jason Bateman
Yeah, we went to Istanbul.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Don't make together.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
They were at the Four Seasons there at the, the old prison.
Will Arnett
That's true. That is true.
Jason Bateman
But like a week, a week after we left was like a big terrorist attack. Do you remember that?
Will Arnett
I know.
Jason Bateman
Like a week after we got out of there.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Sean Hayes
We'll be right back.
Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
A warm dinner, a fall table, peace of mind for every family. That's the holiday we all wish for. The Feeding America Network helps make it possible not just for one family, but for communities everywhere. Because when we act together, hope grows. Give now and your impact may be doubled. Visit feedingamerica.org holiday day.
Sean Hayes
And now back to the show.
Jason Bateman
So the, the broken rib, how do you get through that many?
Will Arnett
This is going to be about ribs at Chin Chin.
Walton Goggins
It's really interesting. You talk about how do I get through with a broken.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I get, get you through that many. Nine days. What do you do with the pain and how do you heal? And, like, what do you do?
Walton Goggins
Okay, he's hard, man.
Sean Hayes
He can do it.
Walton Goggins
No, I mean, like, but there's no. I didn't know what was happening, right? I didn't. And I, and it did. You know, I gotta be honest with you, man. I felt like, oh, you know, maybe, maybe this is internal bleeding. Maybe this is it. Like, I was really, I was scared, but I tried not to show that to my son. And I said when we got to this particular, the next location after that seven hour ride, and I crawled into this tent, I mean, they took me off this horse, which, by the way, I had the only horse in Mongolia with Alzheimer's, man. Like, she had no idea who I was. It's like, man, I've been riding you for eight hours a day, man. I didn't stop for lunch. I've only been gone for 20 minutes, man.
Sean Hayes
I'm here.
Walton Goggins
I don't have a scent. I mean, really. But no, I crawled into this tent and I looked at my son, I said, listen, man, I'm gonna take this Advil and we're gonna see if I wake up with any relief. And if it is, then I think, you know, we're gonna be okay. Everything's fine. And I did. I fell asleep. I don't even remember falling asleep. I woke up, I don't know, three hours later or something like that. And I felt marginally better, right? Because I'd found a place that wasn't so painful, Sean.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Walton Goggins
And then I was able to make it out of the tent I walked in. I mean, I'm in Mongolia. It's the best horse people in the world, you know, they had an idea of kind of what it was. And then while I was sleeping, they fermented a bunch of yak vodka.
Sean Hayes
Sure.
Walton Goggins
You know, like yak milk. And so I just. I drank. We killed a goat that day. Jesus Christ. And I drank this yak vodka. They just. When we left there for the next thing, we had these, like, 2 gallons of yak vodka. So I would just, like, in the morning, you know, like, with coffee, and follow it with a shot of yak vodka and a little bit.
Sean Hayes
You can't get that at the Marriott.
Will Arnett
Just a mouthful of goat.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, exactly. And it was. And we had no refrigeration for that goat, but we ate that goat every way one can eat a goat.
Jason Bateman
I can't think of anything I'd rather.
Will Arnett
Not do just watching, really, because I'm.
Walton Goggins
Gonna invite all of you on the next trip.
Sean Hayes
I mean, I would. I would be. I. I would have an uncomfortable time just researching that trip.
Walton Goggins
You know what? Okay. Okay.
Sean Hayes
This is. The websites I'd have to go to to research. This would have a font and a sort of a user interface that would be aesthetically unappealing to me and let alone go to the country.
Will Arnett
What's wrong with me?
Walton Goggins
You know what? I. Because my son was, you know, at this age, I said. And he's obsessed. I got a. I got a smart kid, y'.
Will Arnett
All.
Walton Goggins
Like, he's a. He's a very, very smart, very, very bright, very curious man. I can't even say young man, because if you sit with him, you feel like you're talking to somebody.
Will Arnett
How old is he now?
Walton Goggins
He's still 14, man. Like, he turns. He's a New Year's Day baby.
Sean Hayes
So this was a recent trip.
Walton Goggins
Oh, man. I just got back. Like, come on, man.
Jason Bateman
Well, how's your rip now?
Walton Goggins
You know, better. I mean, I got. I got. I got. I mean, I. Look, it was. It's a. It's such a long story, but kind of made it, like, kept going. And that day three, it took me.
Sean Hayes
Me.
Walton Goggins
That's when it, like, got really bad. And it took me like an hour and a half just to get out of the tent. I wake up before my kid did, just so that he didn't see me that way.
Sean Hayes
So you'd go do this trip again?
Walton Goggins
Oh, yeah. With you guys.
Sean Hayes
You won't find me.
Jason Bateman
Drive you to the airport. That's it.
Sean Hayes
Oh, what. What about, like, I'm in safari. Safari in Africa. What's.
Walton Goggins
Okay, well, look, what's the. What's the most adventurous experience that you've ever given yourself? Go ahead.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, well, right during COVID like, right before COVID hit, I booked a Scotty thing where we were gonna go on the Orient Express. It's like his dream to go on that train across Europe. And so that's like the most extravagant thing I would have ever done. But that's on a fancy.
Walton Goggins
Oh, you didn't wind up. You didn't?
Jason Bateman
No. Because.
Will Arnett
Have you ever done anything out of nature, though? Either of you guys?
Sean Hayes
Well, I did. I did a day's worth of work. Schedule F on a Knight Rider episode once. They had me in a honey Wago and honey wagons. Let me tell you something. If you're looking to stretch out and catch a nap at lunch, you're catching a lap.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, you are.
Jason Bateman
In the forest. In the forest.
Will Arnett
Good job.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, that's hard. Yeah, those, those. Well, I mean, your legs are straight up and they're. They're flat.
Sean Hayes
Your feet are flat. You got the xylophone wall that is just. You're hearing everybody's business next door. I don't recommend it.
Walton Goggins
You remember your roommate? You remember who it was?
Sean Hayes
Like some old timer, bless his heart.
Will Arnett
Not Ernest.
Sean Hayes
Jack Elam. Might have been Jack Elam, I don't think.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I would go if it was like, you know, the kids say glamping, like, if it was because I love.
Will Arnett
Dude. I've done. I did. When I was. When I was. Your son's eight. I was 15. I did a three and a half week canoe trip up in Northern Ontario, 1985, and we got dropped off on the side of a road and it was. Yeah, three and a half weeks of canoeing and it was. Ended up being a whole thing. And we were. Got way behind because the maps were so old. So we had to portage every day for the last eight days. And we had to get. We had to get rescued by. We paddled into this bay and we were like. We were. We were. We knew we were way behind and we had to meet a bus at a. At a. At a highway, and we knew we were hundreds of kilometer miles or whatever behind and we paddled. We paddled into a bay when we didn't. You didn't see anybody and there was not there no roads up there. There's nothing. It was way up northern Ontario and we. We got. We. We paddle around this corner. There was a cabin there. We saw some people there and they drop Sometimes they drop people, a lot of Americans off for fishing for a week. And on se plane, and there's a couple there, and we paddled up to their. Their dock, and they're like, are you boys okay, by the way? I'd never let my. We were all 15, and then the two guides were 18, right? So the five. Five. Five of us. And then. And then two guides, and we're like, we're. We're kind of in trouble. And at which point the plane that had. That worked for that company drove by and saw our canoes and came. And he landed and asked us what the situation. He said, okay, well, we'll get in touch with somebody. You know, this is way before cell phones and all that shit. And we were like, what's gonna happen? And then, like, two hours later, we see a twin Otter come and land. And it's the Ministry of Natural Resources, and they picked us up, and we strapped a couple of our canoes to the pontoons, and we took off and we got out of there. The craziest thing was at the end of this bay, there were these two small islands really close together, and on each island was a. A wing. And we're like, what's that? And they're like, oh, back in the 50s, a plane tried to take off. It was too heavy, and it didn't make it. That sheared up both wings.
Jason Bateman
Oh, my God.
Will Arnett
And we're like, are we okay? And then the guy's like, you know, bush pilot. He's like, oh, yeah, we'll be fine. Hey, no. No worries.
Walton Goggins
Wow. Were you scared? Did you get.
Sean Hayes
Did you.
Walton Goggins
Do you remember that?
Will Arnett
You know, about day. About day four of us being way behind, we started to get a little bit scared. It was really. We. We were. It was just. We were out there, and we, like. Nobody knew where we were.
Walton Goggins
Were.
Sean Hayes
And so anyway, I couldn't eat when they broke for first team. I had to wait till background. I had to eat when background ate. And I'm like, guys, I've got line. I'm saying a couple lines today, and, no, we're gonna want you to look at my eyes. Yeah. And then we'll let you know. We got to get first team through first.
Jason Bateman
I gotta eat when background ate.
Sean Hayes
But I made it. I made it.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, you made it. You made it.
Jason Bateman
Oh, you look great.
Sean Hayes
Walton, you grew up in Georgia. What can you say?
Jason Bateman
God, it's hot.
Sean Hayes
Anything specifically from that area that has shaped you into the kind of actor you are today? I mean, I guess you sort of. You Basically did season you a bit.
Walton Goggins
Right?
Sean Hayes
You.
Will Arnett
I was going to say this. I don't know if it's Georgia, but also the way that you live your life and you're talking about the stuff you do, you have such an unbelievably freewheeling style. And I mean that as the greatest, as such a compliment. You bring something to every sort of role that you do. You bring this kind of. Yeah. This life, like this kind of free, willing thing that I. That is so alive and fantastic every time you light it up, man.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Will Arnett
And I wonder if that is because of your background.
Sean Hayes
Dude been exposed to stuff, you know, he's got things to draw on.
Walton Goggins
Look, that's a, That's a lot coming from this, this group of men, because I am such big fans of all of you as, as, you know. I mean, Sean, you don't, but I am.
Jason Bateman
Well, that's very sweet.
Will Arnett
Likewise.
Walton Goggins
This is what I genuinely live every day. Like it's my last day. And what I mean by that is, you know, I know what it's like to be hungry. I know what it's like to be cold. I know what it's like to be uncomfortable. I know now what it's like to wear really nice clothes. And people say, well, because I've had this beautiful. Do you wear them? Well, that's very kind of you say, but it's like, well, why do you think these people are letting you wear these clothes? I said, because I'm wearing them. Like, I'll never get to wear them again. And that's the truth, you know?
Sean Hayes
You know, we have a friend, and I mean that.
Walton Goggins
And that's okay, too.
Sean Hayes
We have. You do have an allergy to buttons, though. And just like Justin, I do got an allergy to sleeves. You're in a fight with the clothes. You're not.
Walton Goggins
You're not. Hey, man, I'm taking my cues off Richard Gere.
Sean Hayes
I'm taking my.
Walton Goggins
I'm taking my cues. You know what? I did a movie with Richard, man. I did a movie with Richard. Like, this is, this is more a few years ago. And, and, and it was with, with Dinklage and, and, and, and, and, and, and Bradley. And, and, and we were sitting there and it was really, really tired. It was a long, long day. And I looked at him and I said, man, I'm so tired. I'm really tired. You must be tired, Richard. And he said, you know what? You're right. I am. I'm very tired. He said, but you know, the difference between you and Me? I said, no, man, what's the difference? He said, tomorrow morning when I wake up, up, I'll still be Richard Gear. And you won't wow you, man, you're exactly right. You will be. So. It's okay. You're okay. That's really funny now. All right, so. So.
Sean Hayes
So you pack. So you pack up from Georgia. You go to Georgia Southern University. I think I got that right. And you do a year there and you say, you know, you want to know what I think? I know what I want to do.
Walton Goggins
So you jump.
Sean Hayes
Did you ride horseback from Georgia out to Los Angeles? Yeah, I did.
Walton Goggins
I rode a horse.
Sean Hayes
Yep. So you.
Walton Goggins
So I've seen this entire nation. Yeah, I just pulled that horse. So I went the northern route, then came back and then took the southern route just to get to LA.
Sean Hayes
So you pull into Los Angeles there at 19 and, wow, 19 years old. You start the process of chasing the dream. And was it a difficult thing to get an agent and get auditions right away? Did you have a colorful first job to sort of pay the bills during this process? What was it was that first year?
Walton Goggins
Well, you know, I was, I was. Look, we all have our stories, right? I mean, there was no way I was ever going to go to New York. A vertically integrated city was way above my pay grade. I couldn't handle that living.
Sean Hayes
Wait, wait, sorry. Because you. You thought New York would be too expensive to live in.
Walton Goggins
Well, too expensive, but so radically different. Yeah, right. Oh, right. And I, and I, and I then, then, you know, then the urban spread, I kind of grew up.
Will Arnett
Up.
Walton Goggins
Well, not sprawl. No. I grew up kind of like, you know, in the country with space. A little bit. A little bit of space and a big family.
Jason Bateman
A little family?
Walton Goggins
No. Well, I mean, I, you know, I mean, I have a half brother now, but at the time, I mean, I was really kind of raised an only child. And it was my mom and her three sisters and my grandmother and my cousin who's like, you know, she's my aunt's daughter, like my sister. And then all of these crazy, crazy Southern hippies, you know, like all of these guys. I had just a lot of people that kind of came through my life.
Sean Hayes
Right. So New York was too much of a. Of a cultural shock, potentially.
Walton Goggins
So. Well, you know, maybe on some level. Absolutely. But I. And I also think that I was just really attracted to the west, you know, and the idea, you know, growing up in a place where the biggest view that you. That you have is a football field. Right. Because of all the pines and all the rest of it. I just. I just love the idea of seeing from miles in any direction. And so, yeah, I left, you know, at 19, you know, drove across country and with my dad, believe it or not, and, you know, and I had, you know, a number, but I watched.
Sean Hayes
I watched.
Walton Goggins
I mean, I'm not without people in my life that were in this business in the sense that my aunt was an actress in the theater and her husband, my uncle. So I grew up kind of watching them on stage.
Sean Hayes
Sure.
Walton Goggins
But I really didn't. I mean, I like doing this, you know. I mean, I. I did. Like, I didn't know this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I just really wanted to see the world.
Will Arnett
But when you landed day one, what do you do? Like, how do you. What was your plan?
Walton Goggins
Well, I started working right in. In Atlanta. I mean, I started working like there was a. Yeah, like Kyle Chandler was this, you know, in this group and my buddy Ray McKinnon and. And just there was. There were. There was a lot kind of going on in Atlanta at that time. And. And I got, you know, a few gigs there. And one was. Was a pretty big one, you know, called Murder in Mississippi. And it was nominated for like eight Golden Globes with a bunch of really great actors in it. And so I got an agent pretty quick, you know.
Sean Hayes
Cause I'd come out and they said, come on out.
Walton Goggins
Well, kind. I mean, yeah, I kind of.
Sean Hayes
That.
Walton Goggins
I mean, I don't know. They were kind of reluctant. I don't know why they took me, to be quite honest with you, but I didn't know. I mean, I had a guy's phone number. And when I first got dropped off at the Oakwood. No, I got dropped off at this woman. I worked with her husband, and she was like a manager. And I actually put this version of it on my Instagram. But I got dropped off at this apartment. Woman. Her husband picked me up and got back to her apartment, like, right off like Sierra Bonita and Hollywood Boulevard. And she asked me to sign this paper. And I said, I just. I don't really know. I don't think I should do that. I don't even know what I am. And she said, well, if you don't sign it, then know you.
Will Arnett
You have to leave.
Walton Goggins
I said, well, I don't. I don't have anywhere to go, like. And she said, well, you got to figure that out. I said, well, can I just spend the night? I'll be out of here. First thing in the morning, she said, yeah. And I left, you know, first thing the next morning. And I had an audition, actually, with a cast director by the name of Pam Dixon. And. And I sat. I was there, you know, four and a half hours early and with my luggage. And. And she said, what? You've been out here the whole time? I said, I. You know, so we'll just bring your stuff inside. Just hang out. And I did and didn't get the job. But afterwards, I had a phone number from a guy that I'd worked with and I ran into at a Rio Bravo in Atlanta, and I called it, and he answered the phone. A pay phone, right? And he said, yeah, man, I'll come pick you up. You can stay with us. And. And that was kind of it. That was the beginning. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I mean, I had 300 bucks, you know, in my pocket and. And then got a job like everybody else, you know.
Sean Hayes
What job?
Walton Goggins
What we do, doing Louisiana fitness.
Sean Hayes
Sure.
Walton Goggins
You know, 5:00am to 9, 9:00am shift making.
Sean Hayes
Were you checking folks in or were you personal?
Walton Goggins
Checking them in, man.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah. Locker keys?
Walton Goggins
Yeah, yeah. Like there was nobody. Yeah. And do you remember where that was?
Jason Bateman
Which LA Fitness that was.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, Oxnard and Colwater.
Jason Bateman
Oh, in the Valley?
Walton Goggins
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Oh, the racquetball courts. I used to play rocketball in there.
Walton Goggins
As a matter of fact. They did, yeah. Did they have that?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, sure.
Walton Goggins
They missed it right there on the LA River. Right on the LA River.
Will Arnett
Would you play there with. With Schwartz?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, Johnny Schwartz.
Will Arnett
Johnny Schwartz.
Sean Hayes
He'd kick my ass every day.
Walton Goggins
But where. And where were you living at that point? I mean, were you living.
Will Arnett
I was living at the top of the Sunset Tower. That's where he kept his Porsche.
Walton Goggins
That's where you started your journey in Los Angeles.
Will Arnett
Listen, I will say, Walton, it's not surprising. Again, I'm going to get down to just what I know from you over the years and that you. That this stuff opened up because you come at life with such great positive attitude. And it is a really great. Not to get too weird, but it is a great example of you come out, you just. You make a call, you're open, you're very positive, and you kind of get in life what you put into it. And it's almost like, I think that that lesson again, that you gave your son, I mean, this is all part of a bigger. If you kind of take a broader view that you've just got this great vibe again, I just. It's no surprise to me, man.
Jason Bateman
People Want to hang out with you.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Well, I mean, look. Look, we all have our path, right? And. What. You know what. How did we. How did we get that first? How do we get a second job? How do we get a third? How do. How a decade later, 20 years later? I mean, hell, we have. I've been at this 30, 30 something years, 35 years. And I. And I. I, you know, I don't. I just don't compare myself to anybody else, really.
Will Arnett
That's so crucial, isn't it?
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. And I've got, like. We have a lot of friends. Friends in common. I've got a lot of friends who are a lot more successful than I am and a lot that aren't, and. But it's the same, right?
Jason Bateman
We're all the same. Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, it is. I mean, we really are. It is.
Will Arnett
Sean was saying something interesting because we were talking about this thing I went to the other night, and Sean said, isn't it funny that no matter what we. On a certain level, nobody thinks that they've made it? I don't care who you are, because you're always trying to. Right, right. You're always. There's no, like, people like, oh, you made it. Like, I haven't made it. I'm, like, thinking about, how do I. Right?
Sean Hayes
And everybody else, they say. And there's this great line. I just saw the movie J. Kelly, which is pretty good. George Clooney says, you know, he spent his whole life trying to get something that he thought he really wanted, and then he got it, and then he realized, oh, wait, it's not over. I gotta. Now I gotta keep it. You know, it's like, so no matter where you are, even if you think you're there, you still gotta work on trying to keep it if you care to. You know?
Will Arnett
Do you think they'll put your quote. Do you think they'll put your quote on the poster? J.B. j. Kelly. Pretty good.
Jason Bateman
Good.
Walton Goggins
Pretty good.
Will Arnett
Why not?
Sean Hayes
On the back.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. On Sunset Boulevard, you know, there it is.
Sean Hayes
It's pretty good. I highly recommend.
Walton Goggins
Can I ask you gentlemen something? Do you ever. Do you. Do you get insecure walking into a room? I mean. Yes. In general. Right. I live my life, every moment, like. Yeah. Right.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Walking into a room.
Walton Goggins
Walking into a room with, you know, like. Like an event or, like a bunch of actors or writers or directors or, you know, like. Like something affiliated.
Will Arnett
I don't get it.
Jason Bateman
I don't get insecure about status because I don't care about it. I get insecure about carrying a conversation.
Sean Hayes
Carrying a conversation?
Walton Goggins
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Really?
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Conversation.
Jason Bateman
No, no, that. But. But. But the work that it takes for me to get up to being a good conversationalist is exhausting.
Walton Goggins
It's exhausting.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. It's exhausting being interested in somebody you don't. You're sitting next to at a table with placards with your name on it next to somebody you don't know, and you have to, like, start from scratch. Hey, what's. You know what I mean? So I get anxiety about that, but not so much about, like, status. I don't care about status.
Walton Goggins
No, not anymore.
Will Arnett
Weirdly. I think it's a. I think. I think that I'm just naive and I don't know what it is that I'm blessed with. That it's. You know, they're just like, I just don't have any sense. Yeah. I had a really cool. I was doing this interview thing the other day. It's gonna come out. But that. And I had the pleasure of sitting next to Benicio Del Toro.
Jason Bateman
Toro. And that's somebody I would like to sit next to.
Will Arnett
Yeah. And the woman said. She said, you know, this idea of imposter syndrome. She said, do you ever. Do you guys ever have the. Suffer from imposter syndrome? And she said, benicho. And he goes, what is that? And I was like, oh, man, that was so dope. And she goes, no. You know, that thing. And he goes, I. I don't know what that is. I was like, yeah, that would make.
Walton Goggins
Me feel even more of an imposter.
Will Arnett
But it was so dope.
Walton Goggins
Over the edge.
Will Arnett
But. But it. But. But at the same time, it was so cool because it was such a great sort of lesson of like, you don't have to. Right. Like, you can. You can try to. You can kind of let that go. And he has it naturally in. In the most beautiful way. But like, oh, yeah, you don't have to have it. You know.
Walton Goggins
That's right. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I. I've gotten to where, like, you know, I've just gotten. It scares me a little bit, you know, but I've gotten really comfortable at work. Like, it doesn't. You know what I mean? And I. And that's not a feeling that I'm. I'm comfortable with. I like to be. When I'm working, I'm not very social. I'm alone. I'm just off doing my thing. Yeah, I like that. And then you kind of come in. I don't hang out. And just small Talk. I don't have the energy. I'm like you, Sean. I get exhausted. Lost it.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, me too. I'm an introvert for sure. Yeah.
Walton Goggins
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
But you know what, David, you know that famous David. I just looked it up. The David Bowie quote.
Walton Goggins
It's.
Jason Bateman
I love this. It's. You probably know it. Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
So all of this stuff that we're talking about, I think the older you get, the more you're like, I can walk into a room because who gives a shit?
Will Arnett
I just had, I just had an extraordinary, I just had an extraordinary experience. And who knows if it'll translate, but I am up here doing this thing.
Walton Goggins
And where are you, by the way, man?
Will Arnett
I mean, I'm in, I'm outside of, I'm in Montana. And outside of Bozeman, Montana, he's in.
Jason Bateman
The back of an in and out.
Will Arnett
And I'm, and I'm doing this. I have the pleasure of doing these scenes with the great Michelle Pfeiffer, Jay. What do you call her? M. Fife. And, and she's so brilliant. And, and I just had this moment and I think it's age. I don't know if it's age or what it is. And I could just say it honestly that I was just there doing this thing. Thing. And we're shooting, we're literally shooting on the edge of this river that's out there. That's beautiful. It's just, what I'm looking at is insanely beautiful. And then snow capped mountains in the distance and the thing. And we're about to go. I'm like, what am I doing in this scene? And what am I doing? And I just went like, oh, man. I literally was like, anything can happen. Just enjoy it. Just be right here. And then it was just like unreal. Incredible. Yeah. Of just like letting go. And I don't think I could have done it as a younger man. And I think that as I'm getting older, I've just, just let go of so many.
Jason Bateman
So. Yeah, because. Well, because you asked that. Do you have that? Because you asked us that. Do you have, Are you still.
Walton Goggins
Well, I, I guess my, what I was kind of getting at just to hear your, your experiences.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
I, I, I think that I, I, I just carried so much of the, the, the people that I've gotten to play, you know, it's, they're pretty lonely, you know, they're, you know, nefarious and they got a lot going on and they're under a lot, lot of, A lot of pressure mentally and emotionally for the most part. And, and so I quite enjoy kind of being in that, in that, in that state, in that place, especially, you know, at work. But, but, you know, something, you know, happened recently where, where I, it's similar, but I, I just showed up like, yeah, hi, how are you? And I was just right, not. And I was there. I, I'd read the script 250 times. I know, I know what I mean happening, but I, all of a sudden, I just, I didn't need that anymore. I mean, it's like the difference between, you know, your 20s and your 30s. And then for me, becoming a father at 39, so let's call it 40s. And then learning how to be a parent. Oh, God. Oh, God. Now I'm a parent. I'm in my 50s and I'm. And that's okay. I'm. I know how to be a parent. I feel like I know how to tell stories and I just, I enjoy it more than I've ever enjoyed it. So it's just a new experience for me.
Jason Bateman
Me, right?
Walton Goggins
Like, I, I don't, I don't have that.
Will Arnett
But it's freeing though, right?
Walton Goggins
It is so free, man.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I love it.
Sean Hayes
It is.
Walton Goggins
It's so free. I love it.
Jason Bateman
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
Well, do you feel that because, you know, we do this thing where we're playing people and I think all four of us are interested in playing people that don't have it all together, people that are somewhat broken in an interesting way and vulnerable and human and have flaws and all that stuff. And, and have you felt like you've, you know, we're talking about as we get older, we get better, right? Just as people. So do you think that that's at odds with playing characters that don't have it all together? Like as we're starting to get our shit together as we get older, it's sort of at odds with playing characters that are a little bit broken and then in fact, as you get more and more successful, maybe, you know, as we were joking about earlier, you kind of get a little bit soft because things are sort of priv privileged around you and luxurious and stuff. Is it, do you, do you fight that sort of embrace of success? Does it go against what you like to, to, to live in.
Walton Goggins
You know what? That's a, that's a, That's a great question. And I would ask you all to answer that question too, but because I think we're told a lie, you know, early on that, you know, you gotta, you gotta struggle. You gotta, you know, you gotta live in it. You have to be, you have to be up.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Walton Goggins
To play fucked up people.
Sean Hayes
Right?
Will Arnett
Right.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Walton Goggins
The truth is, is. No, man, you don't. You can just be really evolved and not create distance between yourself and that experience. Actually really empathize with these people. And I think that's where I've gotten to in my life. And outside of. I generally empathize with human beings. I believe that all of our paths are by nature narcissistic. We cast ourself as the, the antagonist and the protagonist and our own story, and we just watch how we interface with the world. When you step outside of that. When you really step outside of that narcissistic DNA quality of survival, all of a sudden the world just becomes. It's just easier. Life is easier. It's just calmer. And, And I'm, I'm calmer and, And I, and I feel that happening kind of in, in my professional life. It's happened. God, I had such a hard time. I watched you guys on Kimmel, you know, the three of you on Kimmel. And I listened. I saw you, Sean, and I saw, like, how far, you know, you sat, kind of speaking about your anxiety. And I had, I still have it on some level, but I had it. I really had it.
Jason Bateman
It's also a little bit of a.
Sean Hayes
Superpower, but, yeah, it is a superpower.
Walton Goggins
And getting ready to walk into a room. Room for people that experience that. And it's like, you gotta. Okay, I'm gonna show. Because I show up for. You know what I mean? I show up for a conversation and nothing gets half assed.
Jason Bateman
That's right.
Walton Goggins
I show up for everything. And if you put that much into it, if you care that much about it, well, then, then, and it's not performative. It's not a performance.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Walton Goggins
But you're, it's. It takes a lot from you. And on the other side of that, you know, you gotta just be alone and quiet and kind of do all of that. And I, I envy people that can just, just move through it, man.
Will Arnett
Right.
Walton Goggins
Without expending like a ton of energy and still be just as charming and all the rest of it.
Jason Bateman
I know, I know.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. But I wonder if they're Similar, because.
Sean Hayes
There have been times when I have been less insecure and really kind of just cruise through it and not really. And I just don't feel like. Well, I might have a lesser level of anxiety. I just don't feel like I'm participating as much.
Walton Goggins
Like, I don't feel like I'm.
Sean Hayes
I'm feeling the day as much. I, I like being insecure in as many things and situations as I can. I just feel like I'm a little bit more. Eyes open, ears open, heart open. If, If I am like, I. I worry when I get too comfortable anyway.
Walton Goggins
All right, so.
Sean Hayes
So you, so you, you, you come out to la, you start working. Do you remember what that job was that gave you a. Oh, wow. I think I might be able to make a living at this. Some people have raised some eyebrows. I'm getting some calls. Was there one that kind of initiated the momentum that you've kept going since then?
Walton Goggins
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very specific. Right? We've all had many before this happened and after this happened, events in our life. And I Valley parked, I sold cowboy boots. Then I became a personal trainer at the. The same gym that I started this thing. I did all of that. And. And then I, I got this movie called the Apostle with Robert Duvall and.
Jason Bateman
Oh, my God, so good. You're so good. And I love that movie. You're great.
Walton Goggins
But I was. I was 24 years old, and it was through the process of kind of, you know, telling that story and, and the relationship that I, I had with. With Bobby on the other side of that, that I felt like, okay, I. I can. You know what, man? Because I always were, and I worked as soon as I got here. I was very, very fortunate. And I, you know, poor kid, Georgia. I just squirreled it away always, and just lived off whatever I made doing whatever job that I was doing. But at that point I thought, well, you know what? I'm just gonna. I'm not gonna do that anymore. And I'm just gonna focus kind of on this. And then, you know, I don't think people really knew what to do with me because on the other side of the. That thinking, my manager, who was actually sitting here was. Was my manager then, and, and she, you know, leaned in my ear or somebody that she was with leaned in my ear and said, hey, man, your life's about to change. That's good. Because it was a Toronto film Festival or whatever. And then on the other side of it, people just thought, well, this. This guy's just. From there, they just Got like, he's just a local hire. You know, they thought you.
Sean Hayes
You weren't even, like. You weren't even, like an actor. You're a real.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, exactly. It's like, okay, what a compliment I guess it is to Bobby Duvall. You know, that's what. That's what he says. But. But. And then I just kept cruising. You know, I just said yes in life more than I said no. And. And I. You know, my 20s weren't under a microscope. I just got to do my thing.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
But now. But now when you walk down the street, you're getting stopped.
Walton Goggins
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
And you have. You have been for. For. For years. But how is it. What's your relationship with. With that? Do you feel like those are two separate people, the person that the public recognizes, wants to talk to? Or have you been able to incorporate that into what seems to be an incredibly authentic person? From the very beginning? You've been very tapped into keeping it real. Not being full of shit. No artifice, no veneer. Yet the public basically has a say on who they think you are as well. And sometimes fame. There's a discomfort with merging those two things. Have you made a fan of that?
Walton Goggins
Oh, you know what? Honestly. And whether you like it or whether you don't, whether you like me or you don't like me, I am me. And I am me privately. I am me publicly. Anybody that knows me very, very well listening to this podcast would say, yeah, he's the. The exact same. And when, like, you know, interfacing with people on the street. Yeah, this is no.
Jason Bateman
This is like, no, because. Because editing yourself everywhere you go is exhausting, too. It's like.
Sean Hayes
Because the person who's not full of. Who's no BS, Would. Would be at a dinner table and enjoying your conversation with your friend. And then a fan would come up and ask for a picture or something. The person who's like, truly, no bullshit. Would say, hey, man, man, I'm having dinner. I can't do that right now. But, like, this is like, an example.
Walton Goggins
Kurt Russell would say that. Kurt Russell did say that. He called somebody out who said, like, I'm a pilot. He's like, no, you're not.
Jason Bateman
You're not a pilot.
Walton Goggins
Tell me about this thing.
Will Arnett
But I'm.
Walton Goggins
That's not my. That's not my personality. That's not where I. I come from. That's not how I was raised. And for me, and I. And I. And I. And I. And I really mean this, man. When I'm stopped on the street Yeah, I mean, I can. It has been a lot. And it has been a lot over the last two or three years, but honestly, man, I feel like I can provide for my family. It just means that somebody else is going to hire me and we have a public job.
Sean Hayes
That's part of the job.
Walton Goggins
It is part of the job. And I genuinely love meeting people I don't know. I live my life differently in that way. I never meet a stranger I. I like. You know, even where we live now, which is radically different than where we've lived our entire life. You know, I wasn't. My friends are the. The painter and the plumber and. And then. And the artist and all the rest of it. But that's. Man. Listen, I. I was raised in a household with crazy Southern hippies. Yeah, crazy. Like. Like insane. And with love. With love, yeah. Oh, absolutely. But certifiably and. And insane in the best way. And we all are like a Christmas at our house, like, with, you know, one little heater, whatever. More often than not, somebody would go to the store, and then whoever went to the store would come back with three or four people, and that would happen to a couple people would come back. So then all of a sudden, like, in a. Like this, you know, family of whatever. Yeah. There would be like 25 people. People sitting in our. Around our Christmas tree that were, you know, when we had food and then we would go. Because we didn't have gifts for them, we would just go pick out. You know, I remember giving my Atari, like, Pitfall game to somebody. Just like my mom said, just go in there and pick out something you can give away. And. And I went in and wrapped it up in a Christmas present. I'd just been playing it, like, all morning and, you know, and gave it out. Like, that's. That's kind of what we did. And. And that's, you know, I don't know. It's just kind of how I live my. My life.
Jason Bateman
I love that. Wait, I just wanted to ask. Well, like, you know, we could go through tons of your stuff, Hateful H. And go Cowboys and Aliens, the Unicorn, like all those great things that you've done.
Sean Hayes
SHIELD And. And anyway, on and on, but only.
Jason Bateman
Because it's the big recent massive thing. Is White Lotus, right?
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Is like. You were so fucking great in the. That and it was such a great season, and it. The world watches that show so massive.
Will Arnett
That must have felt different.
Sean Hayes
And you got to work with your buddy Sam Rockwell, our pal Sammy.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I love Sam.
Sean Hayes
That must have been Fun. But shooting in Thailand must have been. Well, maybe not for you. You probably loved all the. The hot, sweaty conditions, right? Lots of open toed shoes.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, just like, like, okay, like in the.
Jason Bateman
That provided your own wardrobe.
Walton Goggins
I went to that part of the world 18 years ago, and it's a long story. I've said it, so I won't repeat it here, but I went all over Southeast Asia once I got to a certain point in my life after studying, like, I didn't. I didn't party really, in my 20s, you know, I just. I was hyper focused on what it was I was asking myself to do. I didn't go to. I mean, you know, I went to Roxbury Wall of Brown Derby. Right. Or the. Yeah, yeah, the Brown. All the places over in Los Feliz with Elaine and. What's the name of the place? Yeah, sure, sure. Anyway, I did all of that, but barely. And so then when I turned 30 years old and we were on the second year of the Shield, or after the first year of the Shield, I just said, you know what? This is my time now. I'm just gonna finish a job and I'm gonna take off and go somewhere in the world and just hang out and get to know that place. And I've done that now. Now, you know, family and with family. Yeah, for God. I mean. I mean, I'm 54 years old, so I've been doing that for 24 years.
Will Arnett
But it just gives you such a richness of life that's not just about the, the doing this stuff. It gives you real world experience, though. Sean and I talk about this all the time.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Like having that kind of real world experience and getting out in the world is important, man.
Jason Bateman
I know.
Walton Goggins
How do you do that? How do you. How did you find something new to bring back to the table?
Will Arnett
I. I try to do that too. I try.
Jason Bateman
I think. I think it's what Will just said. I have to force myself to get out of the house. So. So I have.
Sean Hayes
I'll put on CNN International, you know, and I'll just. I'll see how. How it's all going.
Will Arnett
I like to go places, man.
Jason Bateman
But even like the dumbest thing I need to do, when Jason asked me to go to the Dodgers game, I was like, yeah. And by the way, never been like, to a Dodgers game and like this, those seats. But just as far as an experience goes, it's like, wow, I have that brain now.
Will Arnett
Yeah. And you didn't take the 101. You took Sunset. That was New for you too.
Walton Goggins
That's an adventure.
Sean Hayes
And it was an 18 inning game.
Jason Bateman
Oh, my God.
Walton Goggins
Take the five, man.
Will Arnett
It was great, though.
Sean Hayes
Now what about to talk before we let you go. Tell us about fallout. Tell us about. So you're, you've. You've made a friend of the three hour makeup session. It's certainly worth it. My God, what an incredible job they do with you.
Walton Goggins
It's a, it's a big. It's a. You know what? We're, We. We got to do this. You know, you get a call from Jonathan Nolan, you know, the first word out of your mouth is yes. You know.
Jason Bateman
Right, right.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. Read the scripts afterwards. And one of the writers was, she wrote Tomb Raider and, and she was a friend of mine, Geneva Do Robertson and, and, and Graham Wagner, I knew through some friends was just a fan of his really. But, but, but it started, it was all on the page. I didn't know like, how we would, how they would tell this story. And, and, and it was a lot like day one was, was really intense thinking, like, man, I'm too old for this. Like, I don't know how I can, I can, I can pull this off. It was in New York and It was like 99 degrees with a heat index of like 106. And. Yeah, good. And then we kept. Go ahead.
Jason Bateman
No, just say your makeup. Like, it's like you don't have a nose.
Walton Goggins
No. So how do I do have a nose?
Jason Bateman
I know, but how do they do, how do they get rid of your nose?
Walton Goggins
You know, I, they. It's. It's called cgi.
Jason Bateman
Oh, okay. Oh, I didn't know. I thought it was like. Yeah, okay.
Walton Goggins
Still there. Yeah, yeah. They do that like in, in, in, in the Post. So people see me when I, when I do my nose. Actually, I just saw these screeners that they send out to everybody and one scene they didn't do the effects on yet for the credit. Oh, that's my nose.
Sean Hayes
Now.
Walton Goggins
Do you have to put, do you.
Sean Hayes
Have to act with like a tracking mark on the tip of your.
Walton Goggins
Yeah, it doesn't affect me because I can't see it. But is it like a little X.
Sean Hayes
Or a dot or a green?
Walton Goggins
It is five dots or 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 dots. I'll send you a photo.
Jason Bateman
Oh, my God. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Walton Goggins
So we did it, man. And it. And it. And it came out and it was really well received and became, you know, one of the biggest shows in the, in the, in the world. I mean, it truly is a global experience. I mean, this game, you know, resonates so deeply with so many people all over the world, and we got an opportunity to do it again and, and, and jump right back in there. I've been on a. On a. On a long run, one of the.
Jason Bateman
Best pilots I've ever seen. First episodes I've seen. It's. It's amazing.
Walton Goggins
Thanks, man.
Will Arnett
Did you shoot the second season back in New York too?
Walton Goggins
No, no, no, We're. We're in, in LA now, man. We're.
Sean Hayes
We're here.
Walton Goggins
Yeah. And. And it feels. It feels good to. To be back here and to work with an LA crew, you know, to see all of rare to work. So it's so tough here in this town right now, but it feels great to look out and go, yeah, we're back home. And so we did it. We did season two. And look, we've all been down these roads a number of times. And you know that if you get this first season, if you can get a critical mass to like it, and I knew it with a shield and with Justified and with like the Righteous Gemstones or any of these things, that, that you have an opportunity to do something. Something transcendent, really. I mean, if you can play it safe or you can go for it. And that's what everybody did. And it's coming out on December 17th on Amazon. Yeah, man. And we're really, really, really excited about it.
Sean Hayes
Well, you always go for it. You always go for it. And as I said at the top, you never drop us. You take us with you. You carry us safely on these great creative journeys that you take us on.
Will Arnett
Dude, what was the show that you and David Danny did that killed me. That was the other one.
Walton Goggins
Before vice principal, vice principals.
Sean Hayes
Anything.
Will Arnett
You guys killed me in that. Dude.
Walton Goggins
Thanks, brother.
Sean Hayes
I. I would. I. I'd give a limb to. To work with you one day, buddy. So my, My fingers are crossed.
Will Arnett
Likewise. Same.
Sean Hayes
This will have to do. Until then, thank you so much for coming on the show and talking well.
Will Arnett
And you're just a legend. Legend, dude.
Walton Goggins
You are, buddy. I'll buy you a glass of whatever you want whenever I see you next. And I look forward to just take.
Sean Hayes
Me on a horseback ride. You know, I gotta get cultured.
Will Arnett
Anything.
Sean Hayes
What if.
Walton Goggins
What if I.
Sean Hayes
What if I season. What if I.
Walton Goggins
What if you woke up with me in Mongolia?
Sean Hayes
In a tent in Mongolia? I would need a. I would need a few batteries. It'd have to be a lot of batteries in there.
Walton Goggins
Okay, man. All right, y'.
Will Arnett
All. Great to see you dude.
Walton Goggins
All right, I'll see you soon.
Sean Hayes
Bye, bud.
Walton Goggins
Okay.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. The slam.
Will Arnett
He slammed it.
Walton Goggins
He did it.
Jason Bateman
I love him.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I. I feel a little. I do feel a little seasoned. Just. Just even talking to him. I don't need to go to Mongolia, just.
Jason Bateman
I know. By the way, those are the kind of guys like, obviously we have tons and tons of favorite episodes. This is one of my favorite ones. Like, that guy I can talk to forever. That he's.
Will Arnett
How great is his vibe?
Walton Goggins
That's a good dude.
Will Arnett
He's just. His lust for life is just incredible and infectious.
Sean Hayes
Wouldn't you want to invite him over?
Will Arnett
It's funny when he talks about walking into. In a room. Every time he walks in a room, he lights it up and it's genuine. It's not put on. That's so funny to hear him say that. As I said, I saw him the other night. He just comes in and he just has this, like, joie de vivre.
Sean Hayes
As we say, he's got sparkle fairy.
Will Arnett
He does have sparkle. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
When he was talking about. When you were talking about your experience outdoor, I wanted to tell my story about my camp when I went to camp.
Sean Hayes
Let's hear that.
Jason Bateman
As a kid, I went to music camp at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, and it was in the middle of the woods. And that's my only kind of outdoor, long term, woodsy kind of thing. Sure.
Will Arnett
Okay.
Jason Bateman
Anyway, who cares? Yeah. But after two weeks of being in a camp in the middle of the woods, I was ready to say bye.
Sean Hayes
Bye.
Will Arnett
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Walton Goggins
Smart last.
Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
Sort of.
Sean Hayes
My cousin Freddy showed up to surprise us.
Walton Goggins
Oh, sounds like a real nice surprise.
Sean Hayes
Exactly. So now I have to get him a gift.
Jason Bateman
But I haven't gotten my bonus yet.
Walton Goggins
So if we can make it something.
Jason Bateman
Really nice but also not break the bank, that'd be perfect.
Sean Hayes
How about a Keurig for 50% off?
Will Arnett
Bingo savings all season.
Walton Goggins
The holiday wrote it long.
Sean Hayes
We're with you all the way.
Will Arnett
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Jason Bateman
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Walton Goggins
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Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Walton Goggins
This episode features the ever-versatile and charismatic Walton Goggins (known for "Justified," "The Shield," "Vice Principals," "The Righteous Gemstones," "Django Unchained," and more), joining Jason, Sean, and Will for a spirited and thoughtful conversation. Goggins discusses his wild new adventures, his unusual path through Hollywood, his southern roots, and the outlook that grounds his craft and infectious personality. The discussion is an engaging mix of hilarious banter, vulnerable storytelling, and deep dives into craft, family, resilience, and fame.
After the usual goofy banter between the hosts about Will’s wardrobe and leftover dinner plans, Sean introduces Walton with a heartfelt tribute highlighting the breadth of his work and the trust audiences place in him.
“He’s the kind of actor that gives you the grin of expectation and the feeling of relief that you’re in good hands wherever you’re going.” (Sean, 08:54)
Walton jokes immediately, referencing earlier jokes about Ernest Borgnine's infamous habits, showing his instant comfort with the crew.
"I know you had to masturbate every day to lead Male's Navy." (Walton, 09:50)
Walton is fresh in the middle of a press tour (junket) for "Fallout," his hit Amazon series. The guys dig into on-set logistics, particularly Goggins’ smart trick: owning a trailer/van and renting it back to productions as his dressing room.
“You buy it yourself, then you rent it back. So they give you the money for dressing room rental... It pays for itself.” (Sean, 12:52)
He describes the hardship but also the fun in using his trailer as both a home and basecamp, especially while filming in remote deserts.
"I just stayed at base camp. Everybody else leaves... I just had my food." (Walton, 13:20)
Walton recounts taking his 14-year-old son on a life-changing, two-week horseback expedition across Western Mongolia—a mix of wild travel, hard truths, and father-son bonding.
“My son looked at me and he said, ‘I’ve never been this happy in my life, Dad.’” (Walton, 17:17) “This is really fucking hard, Dad… I said, ‘Buddy, you can accept that this is your reality and actually learn, or you can let that fester.’” (Walton, 17:24)
The group riffs on their own outdoor limits with Sean and Jason emphasizing their love for “creature comforts” and Will reflecting on his own teenage adventure canoeing in Ontario—a story complete with survival, rescue by bush pilots, and wild bush country.
“About day four of us being way behind, we started to get a little bit scared. Nobody knew where we were.” (Will, 33:07)
Walton speaks candidly about his hardscrabble Georgia upbringing with “crazy Southern hippies,” parental divorce, and learning to be content with very little.
"We just didn't have much... But we didn't want for much." (Walton, 21:46)
He talks openly about not growing up with luxury, learning to value both comfort and discomfort, and ties this to how he approaches acting and life.
“I know what it’s like to be hungry. I know what it’s like to be cold. I know now what it’s like to wear really nice clothes... I’m wearing them like I’ll never get to wear them again.” (Walton, 34:45)
“I got dropped off at this apartment… she asked me to sign this paper. I don’t really know. If you don’t sign it, you have to leave... Can I spend the night?... [Then I] had an audition and sat with my luggage for four hours.” (Walton, 40:41)
“Through telling that story and the relationship I had with Bobby... I can do this. I’m just gonna focus on this.” (Walton, 58:12)
“I just don’t compare myself to anybody else, really.” (Walton, 43:29)
The group dives into “imposter syndrome,” insecurity at industry events, and the exhaustion of performative socializing.
“It’s exhausting being interested in somebody you don’t know, sitting at a table... and you have to start from scratch… I get anxiety about that, not about status.” (Jason, 45:19) “I live my life, every moment, like… I know what it’s like to be hungry… I just want to see the world.” (Walton, 34:45)
Goggins shares that he's the same person on the street as in private, and feels gratitude rather than hassle at being recognized.
"Whether you like me or you don't... I am me privately, I am me publicly… I genuinely love meeting people I don't know. I never meet a stranger." (Walton, 60:30)
Walton and the hosts discuss the old myth that you have to be broken to play broken people, and how age and empathy are more powerful tools as a performer:
“You can just be really evolved and not create distance between yourself and that experience… Actually really empathize with these people.” (Walton, 54:48)
Sean and Walton talk about how anxiety can be a superpower, not a drawback.
"I show up for everything. And if you put that much into it, well then… it’s not performative. It’s not a performance... But it takes a lot from you." (Walton, 56:23) "I like being insecure in as many things and situations as I can. I just feel like I'm a little bit more. Eyes open, ears open, heart open." (Sean, 57:08)
“This is my time now. I’m gonna finish a job and take off and go somewhere in the world…” (Walton, 65:19)
"Do you have to act with a tracking mark on the tip of your...?" (Sean, 67:52)
"Four dots. I'll send you a photo." (Walton, 68:00)
“It became one of the biggest shows in the world... We got an opportunity to do it again.” (Walton, 68:10)
On grit and growing up:
“Look, I’m a poor kid from Georgia, and my parents divorced when I was three. I grew up around a bunch of… curious and really colorful Southern women… We didn’t have much, but we didn’t want for much.” (Walton, 20:59, 21:46)
On adventure and fear:
“Nobody’s coming to get you. There’s no helicopter coming to airvac you out of here, man. You gotta go. You gotta ride.” (Walton, 20:13)
On acting and personal growth:
“You don’t have to be fucked up to play fucked up people… You can just be really evolved and not create distance between yourself and that experience. Actually really empathize with these people.” (Walton, 54:48)
On presence and age:
“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.” (Jason quoting David Bowie, 47:30)
On being the same in public and private:
"I am me privately and I am me publicly... I never meet a stranger." (Walton, 60:30, 61:46)
On resiliency:
“I’ve just gotten to where I’m really comfortable at work. When I’m working, I’m not very social. I’m alone. ... It scares me a little bit, but I've gotten comfortable there.” (Walton, 46:50)
The conversation is a blend of smart, heartfelt sincerity, off-the-cuff humor, and real vulnerability. The authenticity and warmth of Walton’s personality shine through, making the discussion lively, moving, and genuinely fun.
Walton Goggins’ journey is as textured as the types of characters he plays—rooted in tough beginnings, wide-open curiosity, a love of adventure, and a refusal to let go of humility or wonder. His stories brim with lessons about parenting, resilience, being open to strangers, and evolving as both a person and an artist. Whether he’s recounting near-disaster on a horse in Mongolia or describing his circuitous route into Hollywood, Goggins embodies a lust for life and a big-hearted presence that impacts those around him—hosts included.
The episode is a love letter to cultivating empathy, keeping it real, and approaching each new experience (on screen and off) with courage and a sense of adventure.
Recommended For:
Fans of acting and showbiz, those interested in resilience and creative growth, anyone curious about the adventure of life—and all lovers of Walton Goggins’ signature blend of grit, warmth, and wit.
“You can just be really evolved and not create distance between yourself and that experience… Actually really empathize with these people.”
– Walton Goggins, 54:48