Every story needs a bad guy—and no one does it better than Walton Goggins.
For six seasons on FX's smash hit western drama Justified, the now 51-year-old actor played what might have been one of the most complex criminal masterminds of all time: the drug-dealing, hate-spewing, bible-thumping Boyd Crowder.
Goggins's portrayal of Crowder—described by series creator Graham Yost as a bad guy who's so charming that audiences wouldn't lose affection for him "unless he was to kill a puppy"—turned him into a fan favorite. He received multiple nominations for his role in the series, including an Emmy nod for Outstanding Supporting Actor. It's hard to believe Goggins's involvement almost didn't happen.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Goggins revealed that he turned the Justified part down because Crowder was originally written as a white supremacist. He only agreed to the role if Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) acknowledged that "Boyd does not believe a word he's saying."
In the end, that pushback paid off. Crowder's personality and ideology evolved over the course of the show, making his character into a multidimensional persona that was both villainous and heroic.
While Goggins may forever be known as Boyd Crowder, his influence extends far beyond the Justified universe. Let's take a look at what helped make Walton Goggins a Hollywood star.
A Southern Start
Goggins grew up outside Atlanta, Georgia, where he said he had tons of space. "I grew up where you could see your neighbors, but they were a fair distance away," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "A field separated me from my neighbors Kermit and Fanny."
He developed a love for acting by watching classics like The Andy Griffith Show and looked up to other Southerners who found success in Hollywood, like Burt Reynolds. He moved to L.A. when he was 19 and worked at L.A. Fitness, and started his own valet company while auditioning. While his notable accent meant he had to play his fair share of hicks and rednecks, Goggins eventually found his stride.
"Boyd allowed me to give a platform to people from rural America," he told Garden and Gun in 2020. "I wanted them to see a person who, without an education, was the smartest guy in the room. Those were the people who I knew growing up. So often people from different regions in this country are reduced to a very narrow interpretation. I wanted to blow that out of the water and to make people proud, in a way."
Everyone's Favorite Villian
As an actor, Goggins has always been comfortable playing characters of dubious morals. After spending a few years landing small roles in films like Murder in Mississippi and The Apostle and guest appearing on series like In the Heat of the Night and High Tide, he got his first big break as the morally corrupt Detective Shane Vendrell in The Shield.
The FX crime drama series ran until 2008, and Goggins was able to transition seamlessly into Crowder when Justified premiered in 2010. His portrayal of flawed characters and ability to make villains sympathetic has become his signature.
"I never set out in this business to be a villain," he told GQ in 2012. "I didn't want to be the robber growing up. I wanted to be the cowboy. But unfortunately, that's not how this industry saw me. So what I've tried to do is infuse my villains with as much empathy as possible. I really believe that without seeing someone three-dimensionally, you have no feelings for them as an actor or as a viewer."
While he's undoubtedly good at playing the bad guy, Goggins has had his fair share of morally conscious characters as well. From a transgender escort in Sons of Anarchy to a gunslinging sheriff in The Hateful Eight, the actor has proven that he can play just about any role to perfection.
In Real Life
Outside of the big and small screen, Goggins says he's not as evil as the characters he's known to portray. "If I'm being honest, ten-percent evil in my real life," he told GQ. "That means that one out of every ten sentences that come out of my mouth? You better watch out."
When he's not acting, he's sharing photography on his blog or running Mulholland Distillery, a spirits company he partnered with. He's also a father, sharing a son with his wife, Nadia Conners. The two were married in 2011.
"To be in a relationship with someone who has something profound to say about everything, that's a real gift to have that in your union," Goggins said in an interview right after they tied the knot. "I do believe, ironically, that love is the great releaser. There's a reason why the song goes, 'all you need is love, all you need is love.' It's powerful and maybe it's just that simple."
Is Walton Goggins in Justified: City Primeval?
As much as fans would love to see Goggins revive his role as Boyd Crowder, he won't be returning to the upcoming Justified spin-off. The series, called Justified: City Primeval, takes place eight years after the original show's timeline and follows a different set of characters.
But don't worry—Goggins has no hard feelings. He told Vanity Fair that he's tuning in just like everyone else. "I'll be front row, man. I can't f—king wait to see Raylan Givens back in a cowboy hat."
Justified: City Primeval premieres on FX on July 18, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the next day.
READ MORE: Boyd Holbrook: Meet the New 'Justified' Villain With a Long History Of Playing Bad Guys
