Walton Goggins Opens up About ‘Life-Changing’ Experience Filming ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 (Exclusive)

Walton Goggins spent a “life-changing” six months in Thailand shooting Season 3 of The White Lotus. The Emmy-nominated actor, 52, opened up to PopCulture.com about his work on the upcoming installment of the critically acclaimed anthology series, calling the experience one of the “highlights” of his career.

Goggins stars on the show, set to premiere in 2025 on HBO, alongside an ensemble cast that includes Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger and more.

“It was a life-changing experience truly for all of us to be down there,” he told PopCulture. “Getting the opportunity to work with [show creator Mike White] is tantamount to getting the opportunity to work with Quentin [Tarantino] or any other great filmmakers out there.”

The Fallout actor continued, “It’s the golden ticket for any actor, because the way in which they weave their narratives is so complex and so rich – to play, to turn yourself over to those imaginary set of circumstances. I think everyone worth their weight in salt who’s been given an opportunity to go on that ride would say that it is one of the highlights of their careers. …. It has been that way for mine.”

A fan of the series before his casting, Goggins jumped at the opportunity to join Season 3. “This was just such an unexpected offer to come and play,” he admitted. The Righteous Gemstones star continued, “All of a sudden you’re given that opportunity, and it’s everything that you hoped it would be. As long as you do it without ego and [with] humility, and you’re there to learn and just give what it is that you have to offer – that’s a recipe for success in my mind.”

The Justified actor recently returned to his Western genre roots for Walmart’s Deals of Desire campaign, also starring Lisa Rinna, Ian Somerhalder, Anthony Ramos, Chad Michael Murray, and Taye Diggs. The 10-chapter series featuring everyone’s favorite drama tropes rolls out a new episode every week, starting Nov. 11, and corresponds with Walmart’s Black Friday Deals.

Playing “ne’er-do-well” character Slippery Jim, Goggins said he had “a lot of fun” filming the Deals of Desire campaign, which he described as “full of drama and full of comedy … and some action here and there.”

“The writers and the team behind it with Walmart’s help just made it something that was so palatable and just a lot of fun leading into this holiday season, where we celebrate and give thanks and honor the people that we love,” he told PopCulture.

As a young man, Goggins relied on a grant he won in a Walmart essay contest to attend college, so the retailer holds a special place in his heart. “It’s just a company that I respect, and Black Friday deals have been a big part of a lot of people’s lives – certainly my family’s lives when it came to shopping for Christmas presents,” he shared.