Olivia Wilde reveals how Walton Goggins “saved my life” on the set of ‘Cowboys and Aliens’
Olivia Wilde has revealed how she had a near-death experience on the set of the 2011 film Cowboys and Aliens, and how her co-star Walton Goggins saved her life.
The film was a huge budget undertaking at the time, starring members of the Hollywood elite such as Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Despite not meeting expectations at the box office, Cowboys and Aliens almost proved far more costly for Wilde, though, as she feared for her life.
The actor revealed the ordeal while appearing on a new episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, where she told hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, “Walt Goggins saved my life on that movie”.
Recounting the traumatic tale, Wilde said that she and the cast were filming a scene in which they were riding in a convoy of around 40 horses, when her horse leapt across a “six-foot ditch” and “bucked me off in the craziest way”.
Lying injured on the ground, Wilde explained that she was not visible to the oncoming group of horses and riders, to which she recalled thinking, “It’ll be quick. It’ll be like, pulverised, applesauce, out.”
However, the sharp actions of Goggins meant he became the hero of the hour, as Wilde continued, “Walt Goggins had seen it ahead of him, and in a split second thought to turn his horse sideways right in front of me, and let everyone kind of bash into him.”
She added, “He’s a great rider, so he was able to handle that, and people split the two sides around us, thinking he had just gone insane. But he was protecting my body on the ground, and so I owe him my life.”
Thankfully with her life intact, Wilde went on to continue her career, albeit without the plaudits of success on Cowboys and Aliens, as it produced a disappointing return at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.
To this end, Far Out has given her latest directorial turn in The Invite a four-star review, with Lily Hardman saying, “Whether through Wilde’s direction or the stars’ ease with each other, the acting is refreshingly non-competitive for such a dialogue-heavy movie. They are so at ease, in fact, that they may be passed over during awards season in favour of the script that they bring to life.”
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