Walton Goggins
Born 1971 · Age 54
American actor and producer known for roles on The Shield, Justified, Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones, Fallout, and many films. Co‑founder of Ginny Mule Pictures and co‑producer of Oscar-winning short The Accountant.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Birmingham, Alabama
Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. born to Janet Long and Walton Sanders Goggins Sr.
Raised in Lithia Springs, Georgia (family move / upbringing)
Goggins was raised in Lithia Springs, a suburb of Douglas County, Georgia (exact year of move not specified; placed approx. mid‑1970s).
Attended Georgia Southern University for one year
Attended Georgia Southern University for approximately one year after high school before pursuing acting full time.
Graduated Lithia Springs High School
Graduated from Lithia Springs High School (year inferred from age/birth year).
First recurring TV appearances (In the Heat of the Night)
Early television appearances including In the Heat of the Night (credited across 1989–1992).
Moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting
Moved to Los Angeles at 19; worked valet and at LA Fitness while taking acting classes and auditioning.
Role in Murder in Mississippi (TV film)
Early credited role in the NBC television film Murder in Mississippi.
Feature film role: The Next Karate Kid
Appeared in The Next Karate Kid (credited role: Charlie).
Breakthrough film role in The Apostle
Appeared as Sam in Robert Duvall's The Apostle, an early role that earned national attention.
TV movie: Beyond the Prairie (Almanzo Wilder)
Played Almanzo Wilder in Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (CBS TV movie).
Co‑produced and starred in short film The Accountant
Co‑starred in and co‑produced The Accountant, a short film that garnered critical acclaim.
The Accountant wins Academy Award (Live Action Short Film)
The Accountant (co‑produced by Goggins) won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Co‑founded Ginny Mule Pictures (with Ray McKinnon, Lisa Blount)
Formation of production company Ginny Mule Pictures, which produced The Accountant and subsequent indie films.
Married Leanne Kaun (first marriage)
Married Leanne Kaun (also reported as Leanne Knight) in 2001; the couple lived in Laurel Canyon.
Slamdance Film Festival Spirit of Slamdance Award (The Accountant)
The Accountant won the Spirit of Slamdance award (Slamdance 2001), adding to festival recognition prior to Oscars.
Film cameo: The Bourne Identity
Small role as a research tech in The Bourne Identity.
Cast as Shane Vendrell on FX's The Shield
Joined the main cast of The Shield (series run 2002–2008), playing Detective Shane Vendrell across multiple seasons.
Film role: House of 1000 Corpses
Appeared in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (supporting role).
Produced Chrystal (Sundance selection)
Ginny Mule Pictures produced Chrystal (starring Billy Bob Thornton), which screened in the Sundance Dramatic Competition.
Death of first wife, Leanne
Leanne Kaun (first wife) died by suicide on November 12, 2004; they were estranged but remained married.
Produced Randy and the Mob
Ginny Mule Pictures produced Randy and the Mob (Goggins credited as producer and actor).
The Shield concludes
The Shield concluded its run in 2008 after seven seasons; Goggins had become widely known for Shane Vendrell.
Television Critics Association nomination for The Shield
Nominated for Individual Achievement in Drama by the TCA for The Shield (2009 nominee).
Produced That Evening Sun; SXSW Special Jury Prize
Ginny Mule produced That Evening Sun (Goggins producer/actor); the film won the SXSW Special Jury Prize.
Film role: Predators (major supporting role)
Played Stans, a deadly death‑row inmate, in the sci‑fi action film Predators.
Cast as Boyd Crowder in Justified (pilot)
Played Boyd Crowder in the Justified pilot; originally intended to die, but positive testing led to his character surviving.
Promoted to Justified series regular (May 2010)
Walton Goggins was promoted to the main cast of Justified starting in season two (announced May 2010).
Primetime Emmy nomination for Justified (Supporting Actor)
Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Boyd Crowder on Justified.
Ram Trucks 'Code of the West' commercial appearance
Appeared in a Ram Truck commercial as part of their 'Guts & Glory' campaign.
Film role: Cowboys & Aliens
Appeared as Hunt in Cowboys & Aliens (supporting role).
Married Nadia Conners
Married filmmaker/producer Nadia Conners (date from IMDb: July 28, 2011; Wikipedia lists August 2011).
Feature roles in Lincoln and Django Unchained
Had supporting roles in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.
Sons of Anarchy guest role (Venus Van Dam)
Portrayed Venus Van Dam, a transgender sex worker, across multiple episodes (2012–2014).
Ginny Mule involvement: Rectify creation (series later premiered)
Ginny Mule Pictures helped create the drama series Rectify (series later ran on SundanceTV; Ginny Mule members were creators/producers).
Guest appearance on Community
Appeared as Mr. Stone in Community's 'Cooperative Polygraphy' episode.
Role in The Hateful Eight; Hollywood Film Awards ensemble win
Played Chris Mannix in Tarantino's The Hateful Eight; ensemble won a Hollywood Film Award (2015).
Starred as Lee Russell in Vice Principals (HBO)
Co‑starred alongside Danny McBride across 2016–2017 in HBO's Vice Principals (18 episodes).
Three major 2018 film roles: Maze Runner, Tomb Raider, Ant‑Man and the Wasp
Played Lawrence (Maze Runner: The Death Cure), Mathias Vogel (Tomb Raider), and Sonny Burch (Ant‑Man and the Wasp).
Listed partner in Mulholland Distilling
Recognized as a partner in boutique spirits company Mulholland Distilling (date of partnership not precisely specified in sources).
Critics' Choice Television Award win for Vice Principals (Supporting Actor, Comedy)
Won Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Vice Principals (award year listed as 2018).
Starred in The Unicorn (CBS) and The Righteous Gemstones
Lead role in CBS sitcom The Unicorn and a starring role in HBO's The Righteous Gemstones (began 2019).
Multiple Critics' Choice Television nominations across career
Accumulated multiple Critics' Choice Television Award nominations (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015; wins include 2018).
Them That Follow – Newport Beach Film Festival award (Ensemble)
Appeared in Them That Follow; ensemble won at Newport Beach Film Festival (2019).
Short film lead: John Bronco
Starred as the title character in the short comedy John Bronco (2020).
Voiced true crime podcast Deep Cover
Contributed voice work to Pushkin Industries' true crime podcast Deep Cover: The Drug Wars.
Voice role on Invincible begins (Cecil Stedman)
Joined the voice cast of Invincible (Amazon/Prime) as Cecil Stedman (2021–present).
Portrayed Earl 'Peanutt' Montgomery in George & Tammy miniseries
Featured in the George & Tammy miniseries (2022–2023).
Cast in I'm a Virgo (Amazon Prime) as Jay Whittle / The Hero
Joined the ensemble of Boots Riley's I'm a Virgo (appearing in 2023).
Gotham TV Awards nomination (Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series)
Nominated for Gotham TV Awards (2024) for performance in Fallout (nomination listing).
Starred as Cooper Howard / The Ghoul in Fallout (Amazon Prime)
Played a leading role in Fallout (Prime Video) — a physically transformative role requiring prosthetics/makeup; series credited with high critical/streaming success.
Primetime Emmy nomination for Fallout (Lead Actor)
Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in Fallout (2024 Emmys).
Fallout SXSW appearance with collaborators
Participated in SXSW 2024 promotional events/appearances for Fallout (photo and panel appearances documented).
Film role: The Uninvited (Sammy) released
Appeared in The Uninvited (2024) among other film projects in the mid‑2020s.
Astra TV Awards nomination for Fallout (Best Actor in a Streaming Drama)
Nominated for 2024 Astra TV Awards Best Actor in a Streaming Drama for Fallout (nominee list).
Primetime Emmy nomination for The White Lotus (Supporting Actor)
Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for The White Lotus (2025 Emmys list entry noted as pending).
Joined ensemble cast of The White Lotus Season 3
Appeared as Rick Hatchett in season 3 of The White Lotus (set in Thailand); Emmy nomination (2025) for supporting actor from this role is pending/announced.
Hosted Saturday Night Live
Hosted Saturday Night Live episode credited as 'Walton Goggins/Arcade Fire' (2025 episode).
Aired first Super Bowl commercial promoting eyewear with GoDaddy (Super Bowl LIX)
Promoted an active eyewear line in a co‑branded commercial with GoDaddy during Super Bowl LIX (first Super Bowl ad appearance).
Key Achievement Ages
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