Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout will finally bring the world of the popular video game series of the same name to the small screen. Developed by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, the television series features Walton Goggins as The Ghoul / Cooper Howard, a mutated gunslinger from the source material.
In an interview, Goggins discussed playing a video game character and revealed exactly why he felt he did not need to research his character and the source material. At the same time, Goggins also talked about what appealed to him about playing a video game character in the first place. Here is everything Goggins said about his role in the new Fallout series.
Walton Goggins Explains Why He Did Not Research About Fallout After Accepting Jonathan Nolan’s Offer
Walton Goggins plays the role of The Ghoul / Cooper Howard, in the upcoming Amazon Prime adaptation of the classic video game series Fallout. Goggins recently sat down for a conversation with Rolling Stone, where he discussed his role in the series and revealed how he prepared for it.
During the interview, Goggins admitted that he wasn’t a gamer and did not know about the original game series. When co-creator Jonathan Nolan offered him a part in the series, Goggins immediately accepted it without learning about his character. However, he eventually googled the Fallout games but stopped his research after reading just one article.
“There’s nothing to be gained here for me. There will be enough people in that room that will protect the integrity of this game and the people that watch it, that are players of this game.”
Goggins made the above statement, explaining that he did not want his performance to be bogged down by a need to be loyal to the source material. Instead, the Justified actor wanted to look at the source material with a fresh lens and be critical of it without the burden of living up to the status of the games.
Walton Goggins Addresses the Appeal of Playing the Ghoul in Fallout
In the same interview, Goggins was asked about what appealed to him about playing video game characters like The Ghoul / Cooper Howard. Goggins revealed that he was attracted to the duality of the character as Ghoul and Howard have completely different personalities.
“The Ghoul is very, very different from Cooper Howard. He’s much more reserved. And that was a bit challenging for me to find both of them. Because you don’t really understand one unless you understand the other.”
Goggins further elaborated on the difference between the two personalities by stating that Ghoul is a rascal, but there is a layer of sadness underneath his behavior. In contrast, Howard is more patient and caring, viewing him as a product of the Greatest Generation of Americans.
Goggins’s comments make it clear that he brought his own nuance and interpretation to the material, which depicts the character primarily as an antagonist. Aside from Goggins, Fallout also stars Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten in the lead roles.
Fallout is scheduled to release on April 11, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video.
