'The Unicorn': Walton Goggins sheds his ruthless villain image from 'Tomb Raider' and 'Ant-Man' for new comedy series
Starring Walton Goggins in the lead, a new half-hour comedy series titled 'The Unicorn' centers around a close-knit group of best friends. The series sheds light on the life of Wade Felton, who tries to cope up with his life after losing his wife. Created by Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, the project was originally developed as a single-camera but was later picked up by CBS to pilot as a multi-camera.
The actor, who is known for portraying dark shades in 'Tomb Raider' and 'Ant-Man and the Wasp', is all set to take on a light-hearted role in the comedy series. Goggins feels the role is "closer" to him than anything he has ever played. In a conversation with the TCA Corps, he said, "When this came along, I fell deeply in love with him and his struggles and fell in love with his friends and his community."
"I'm in a place at 48 where kindness, and sincerity and being earnest are very important to me, and this show spoke to all of that. It touched me in a way that's deep and meaningful," he added.
The actor has mostly filled the shoes of a dark character in recent times. In the Ant-Man sequel, he played Sonny Burch, a black market tech dealer with ties in the FBI. Goggins played Burch as a ruthless villain, who was willing to kill anyone that gets in his way. However, the actor feels he brings a human touch to those roles. "There are sadistic people out there for sure, but that isn’t the person I play," he said in an interview with New Toronto.
"Jumping off of a boat in the middle of the ocean and surviving on a beach – if you can’t pepper that in with some kind of reality, then it’s not a movie I want to see," he added, shedding light on how he makes an "emotional investment" in the characters.
Goggins has also worked with world-class directors like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg in pivotal roles. He was seen in the 2015 film 'The Hateful Eight' as the new sheriff of Red Rock. He first collaborated with the director in the 2012 film 'Django Unchained' and essayed the role of Billy Crash, a sadistic overseer and slave fighting trainer. That same year, Goggins also appeared in Spielberg's film 'Lincoln', in which he portrayed Congressman Wells A. Hutchins.
The actor also played Detective Shane Vendrell in the FX series 'The Shield' and Boyd Crowder in the FX series 'Justified,' for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Peppered with gray shades, the actor has impressed critics and viewers in a variety of roles. But, it is the villainous streak that has pulled onlookers towards him. As he plays an innocent widower in the series that premieres on September 26, it will be interesting to see whether his fans can see him in a new light.