Walton Goggins—TV’s Best Kept Secret Unleashed

Walton Goggins is one of my favorite actors of this century. Through his authentic Southern drawl and indelible charm, his inherent talent emanates, ultimately nestling itself in the sweet spot of balancing comedy with drama while pushing the boundaries. That’s why Goggins is arguably the best character actor on television. Plus, he gives the best facial expressions in television history.

Right now, he’s on fire, poised to burst into A-lister flames, after having skyrocketed in mainstream popularity due to his stand-out performances in recent shows The Righteous Gemstones, Fallout, and The White Lotus. Since his first appearance on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, way back in the 20th century, he’s been steadily climbing the ladder to some of the most memorable, emotionally complex characters on the small screen. Some had us laughing out loud, while others brought us to tears, leaving us shivering with chills.

Set aside some time and see what I mean. Don’t miss Walton Goggins in his best television roles, ranked.

7

Rick Hatchett

The White Lotus Season Three (2025)

The White Lotus season three saw Walton Goggins play his most straightforward role yet as the enigmatic Rick Hatchett, a jaded, emotionally complex hotel guest on a secret mission to confront the man who murdered his father. His role here differs from others in that everything he does, he plays it close to the chest, behind a mask, careful not to let his emotions bleed through. Inside, though, they’re devouring him alive.

Goggins’ performance in The White Lotus serves as an example of his pristine balancing act between comedy and drama. However, despite his darkly funny moment with the snakes and his masterful reaction to that Sam Rockwell monologue (which you should totally look up and watch), his portrayal here isn’t of an unserious man—it’s of a broken man stuck between identity and suffering, at times with palpable pain that grips you by the throat.

Best Quote: “What if you don’t even have an identity to begin with?”

6

Cooper Howard / The Ghoul

Fallout (2024)

Based on the hit video game franchise, Fallout features Goggins as Cooper Howard / The Ghoul, a disfigured mercenary turned immortal bounty hunter, who serves as a living reminder of everything pre- and post-nuclear-war worlds.

Here, Goggins has the challenge of playing two personas: one, a traditional Hollywood cowboy a la Clint Eastwood, and the other, a literally and metaphorically disfigured man in search of his family. His irradiated pathos shines through those layers of impressive, visually stunning makeup and prosthetics, which he sees and uses as extensions of his expressions, not limitations.

Best Quote: “Well, Lucy MacLean, it ain’t all canned peaches and marmalade left up here, sweetheart. Sometimes a fella’s got to eat a fella.”

Walton Goggins’ portrayal of Cooper Howard / The Ghoul earned him a recent Emmy nomination—his first in a leading actor category, and it was well deserved.

5

Shane Vendrell

The Shield (2002 – 2008)

The Shield kicked off a fabulous, gritty crime drama era on television that I, for one, couldn’t get enough of, and still can’t.

In one of his first major recurring TV roles, Goggins stars as Shane Vendrell, a reckless, racist, bigoted detective whose guilt and remorse over his criminal misdeeds catch up to and take control of him, leading him down a dark, dangerous path. The sensitivity he brought to this role blanketed his scenes in a plethora of emotions that forced audience empathy, even in the face of horror.

It’s not easy to showcase dramatic prowess in a mix of cold intensity with a sensitive demeanor, but Goggins does it with such grace and ease that we want to go through every aching moment with his character.

Best Quote: “The truth is like grits: You can’t serve it up plain. You got to put a little salt on it.”

4

Lee Russell

Vice Principals (2019 – 2021)

Vice Principals is a rib-tickling dark comedy series by Danny McBride that casts a different kind of spotlight on high school administrators. It’s also one of the most underrated shows/comedies of the last decade. If you work in primary or secondary education, the series is a must-see as one of HBO’s funniest original comedy series.

Goggins co-stars with McBride as vice principals, both vying for the coveted principal position at North Jackson High School. As rival administrators, when they’re passed over and the position is filled by an English teacher, they must put their mutual childish hate aside and form an unholy alliance to bring down the outsider by any means necessary.

Vice Principal Russell is exuberant (and impeccably dressed) as a catty, reckless, borderline sociopathic town gossip, which we all know is when Goggins is at his most unhinged. He’s capable of transforming and letting loose in a way that leaves us beyond entertained and craving more. He and McBride are quick with the insults—Goggins being a master at their reception with his unbothered facial expressions. Hands down, Lee Russell is one of Goggins’ best, most iconic television roles to date.

Best Quote: “It’s every mother for himself!”

3

Boyd Crowder

Justified (2010 – 2015)

Justified was one of the best crime dramas on television in the 2010s. Goggins’ role as Boyd Crowder was the first time the actor was fully recognized in the public eye. Though compelling in The Shield, his performance in Justified made him so popular, thanks to his use of verbal prowess to intimidate others.

The Elmore Leonard adaptation follows lightning-fast gunslinger and U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) as he’s reassigned to his hometown Kentucky district full of hills, hollers, and hoodlums. It also means returning to face his nemesis, the Machiavellian Kentucky crime boss Boyd Crowder, son of a notorious Harlan County criminal.

Goggins regularly stole the show as a particularly thoughtful character prone to noirish dialogue, ambitious pyrotechnics, philosophizing, and plotting in equal measure. What’s so unique about his role as Boyd Crowder is the character’s gray morality and alignment. It adds a layer of emotional complexity that Goggins has become known for encompassing and knocking out of the park.

Best Quote: “I’ve been accused of being a lot of things. Inarticulate ain’t one of them.”

2

Baby Billy Freeman

The Righteous Gemstones (2019 – 2025)

Perhaps my favorite comedic role of Walton Goggins’ is that of Uncle Baby Billy Freeman in The Righteous Gemstones, a dark satire about a televangelist family that secretly is quite corrupt, selfish, and beligerantly childish.

In his second collaboration with Danny McBride, Goggins found another magnum opus character, a man so absorbed in an unhealthy mix of pride, shame, and his own b.s. that he’s just as compelling, if not more, than the titular family. As a former child star with a strained family connection, Uncle Baby Billy is desperate to claw his way back in. He’s a selfish opportunist and will do whatever it takes, even if it means creating and hosting the best Bible-themed game show of all time, Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers.

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else breathing life into this role other than Goggins. From his authentic Southern flair to his desperate evangelical shenanigans, he gives us a layered portrait of a very funny but deeply flawed man—a beaming testament to his ability as an actor.

Best Quote: “Go outside, nerd!”

1

Venus Van Dam

Sons of Anarchy (2008 – 2014)

To this day, Sons of Anarchy remains one of my favorite gritty crime dramas, featuring what I consider to be Walton Goggins’ most unforgettable, iconic, stand-out performance of all time. I first encountered Goggins in this award-winning biker drama (I was late getting to The Shield, what can I say?), and his performance literally took my breath away. Goggins’ heartfelt portrayal of a transgender prostitute trying to survive in a cruel world grabbed me by the heart, and that’s why it’s number one on my list.

Goggins turns up in six episodes as Venus Van Dam, who is a friend of SAMCRO. Venus becomes a trusted ally of the biker gang and eventually finds her place as the other half to biker Tig Trager’s (Kim Coates) whole. She connects with Tig’s inherent child-like loneliness in what is the most beautiful, heartfelt performance and expression of self, truth, and love that I’ve ever seen.

His performance here is ovation-worthy and is one that will bring you to the edge of your seat, then to your knees. In a word, his performance is spectacular.

Best Quote: “I was born of man, but I believe my true genesis happened a bit later, when I was stirred by the gods of love and beauty and transformed into an angel.”

---

No matter what he does, Walton Goggins will forever remain one of the best character actors of our time, who’s known for his prismatic performances in any genre. Don’t miss seeing him in other great television roles, such as Nathan Miller in Deep State, Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery in George and Tammy, and Richard “Rip” Taggart in SIX. Goggins also voices the character Cecil Stedman in one of the best animated shows for adults, Invincible.