Walton Goggins’ “off the rails” interview

Walton Goggins is in the fourth decade of his career, and thank to The White Lotus, he’s finally a full-blown celebrity. As observed, he’s been enjoying his newfound fame, a “that guy” no longer, but with this kind of scrutiny comes speculation. Chiefly, speculation around his relationship with his White Lotus co-star, Aimee Lou Wood. Are they friends? Were they ever friends? Were they more? Are they fighting? What IS the deal with Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood? Well, a British journalist took a crack at the internet’s #1 celebrity mystery, and it did NOT go well.

Ed Potton, writing for The Times, interviewed Goggins as he is promoting a new film, The Uninvited, written and directed by his wife, Nadia Conners (check out the trailer here). The film is about an actress who puts her career on hold for her family, and her high-powered agent husband, played by Goggins. There is temptation to see art imitating life in a creative woman feeling sidelined by life while her husband excels, but when asked how “autobiographical” the film is by Potton, this happens: “Wow — I’m so happy that you’re getting in there,” [Goggins] says, looking a bit less than happy.

So, right away, this interview is spiky. As a longtime Goggins observer, that doesn’t exactly shock me. He doesn’t have a reputation for being a particularly difficult interview, but he’s smart and quick-witted and jocular, a combination that means I’ve seen him snipe in interviews before. He also only likes to talk about his personal life on his terms, which is not at all unusual for a celebrity, but it does make maintaining boundaries tougher. I understand why people press on more personal topics when the subject is willing to discuss their morning naked routine or the death of their first wife in public. And a married creative couple making an entire film about the challenges of being a married creative couple invites a certain line of questioning. Potton can ask, even SHOULD ask in that circumstance, just as Goggins is free to refuse to go there, as he did.

But that’s where you leave it. Potton asked his question, Goggins didn’t really want to engage in that line of questioning, move on. Where this interview goes “off the rails” is when Potton will NOT drop the subject of Aimee Lou Wood. Remember, this interview is happening as Goggins is promoting his wife’s film.

The first time Potton brings up Wood, the prompt is “have they fallen out?” and Goggins responds: “I’m not gonna have that conversation.” Right then, the door is closed. He flat out says he won’t talk about Wood. His American and British reps both interject, telling Potton to move on.

He does not. When asked later if he and Wood are going to work together again, as is rumored, Goggins says “nothing” and his publicist again tells Potton to “talk about The Uninvited a bit more”, and Goggins calls his wife’s film which he is promoting “the thing you’re least interested in”. Potton concludes: “Frankly, yes.” You can’t even pretend?! You’re talking to him because of this film! The least you can do is PRETEND to be interested in it! 

But Potton can’t pretend, he brings up Wood again, and Goggins says, “There is no conversation to be had about that.” When Potton “make[s] a last, forlorn attempt” at the subject, Goggins “gasps”, saying, “What the f***, Ed! […] Come on buddy. Wow.” And there, Goggins’ publicist ends the interview.

To quote Lainey, “As an interviewer myself, I can understand why he went for it…the first time.” And Goggins seems to understand that, too, firmly declining to talk about Wood but not sounding particularly rude about it. Potton asked his question, Goggins refused to answer, MOVE ON. It’s the pushiness for me, bringing up Goggins’ supposed feud—which we aren’t even sure is happening! They could just be co-stars with nothing in common now that work is done!—several MORE times after Goggins already clearly said he wasn’t talking about it.

Let’s be clear, this interview went “off the rails” not because Walton Goggins is an asshole, but because Ed Potton is. It’s one thing to ask the question everyone is wondering about, that’s essential to journalism, even celebrity journalism. But to keep going like that is obnoxious. Goggins isn’t a politician setting democracy on fire, he’s promoting a movie. F-cking relax, there’s no reason to hold his feet to the fire like that. 

I can see the myth of Walton Goggins as a difficult actor growing, but in this case, any difficulty is not on him. That interview was a job for him, and his job was to promote his new movie. Potton’s job is to get an interesting soundbite out of him, and he tried, but Goggins was not going to talk about Aimee Lou Wood. But Goggins DOES provide other interesting soundbites in the interview! Potton got good quotes about Goggins’ “sexy” receding hairline, his teeth, his childhood, his first wife, working with Mike White—Potton got PLENTY of solid material out of that interview. So why keep pushing the one topic Goggins clearly doesn’t want to address? I wonder if he’s still enjoying his new celebrity, or if the bloom is off that particular rose.

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