Why The Fallout TV Series Kept Walton Goggins' Mutated Ghoul Character 'Hot'
With every new fresh hell unleashed upon the world, it feels like each day we're inching closer and closer to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the "Fallout" games. Technology continues to advance, but 1950s-esque ways of thinking are gaining popularity. Well, at least we can look forward to atompunk/retrofuturistic aesthetics and the ability to befriend robots. Prime Video has been working on a series adaptation of the mega-popular game series for quite some time now, revealing their first look all the way back in October of 2022. Due out in 2024, the "Fallout" series boasts an impressive cast, including "Yellowjackets" star Ella Purnell as Lucy, David Lynch Dreamboat Kyle MacLachlan as Hank, and everyone's favorite character actor, Walton Goggins as The Ghoul.
Mutated, noseless beings known as Ghouls are common in the "Fallout" games, and are among the first groups of survivors who attempted to rebuild civilization. Some emerged as a result of the Great War, but some Ghouls were intentionally made with controlled exposure to radiation. Goggins' Ghoul is a character created specifically for the series adaptation, a ruthless bounty hunter who follows a strict code of ethics. While Goggins might be cracking up audiences with his role as Uncle Baby Billy on "The Righteous Gemstones," this role is a return to his more familiar roles in projects like "Justified," "Django Unchained," and "The Hateful Eight."
In a new first look with Vanity Fair, the character is described as "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly all rolled into one." The Ghoul was previously known as Cooper Howard, and the series will occasionally explore his life before the war. There's gotta be a reminder of the humanity that once was, which also led to the decision to ensure that despite the mutations ... the Ghoul needed to be "kind of hot."
A cunning creep
The Ghoul is positioned as somewhat of a walking urban legend in the "Fallout" adaptation, with series co-creator Jonathan Nolan telling Vanity Fair that he knew Goggins would be perfect for the role. "Walton's equally adept at drama and comedy, which is so difficult," Nolan said. "There is a chasm in time and distance between who this guy was and who he's become, which for me creates an enormous dramatic question: What happened to this guy? So we'll walk backward into that."
Ghouls in the game vary in presentation, with most looking like something out of a zombie movie or the cover of an Iron Maiden album. They had to modify that baseline look for Goggins, not just because he's a more advanced Ghoul than what the games typically portray, but also because, as Nolan said, "You have to be extremely careful with it when you're putting a full appliance on someone's face because you hired that actor for a reason." He continued, "Their face is their instrument. [You want] the tiny little expressions and changes that they make."
Prolific prosthetics designer Vincent Van Dyke was given the instruction that the audience needed to be able to see Walton's performance while still clearly resembling a Ghoul from the game, and Nolan specifically requested that he still look hot. Lest we forget, Goggins also starred on a sitcom called "The Unicorn" which centered on the fact he was the hottest, most eligible bachelor in town. Goggins has the goods and "Fallout" was wise not to hide it under a mountain of latex.