Filmmaker and actor Olivia Wilde has revealed that actor Walton Goggins saved her life during the production of the 2011 western film Cowboys & Aliens. In an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, Wilde detailed a harrowing horse riding accident that nearly killed her.
The Accident on Set
Wilde recalled a scene where she, Daniel Craig, and Harrison Ford were galloping at full speed across the desert with about 40 horses behind them. She was not wearing a helmet because it did not fit her "old-timey" character. As they approached a six-foot ditch, Wilde realized her horse would need to jump it, and she became terrified.
"Sure enough, this horse jumps and bucks me off in the craziest way, and I fell off, I hit my head and my back and was laying (on the ground), but unfortunately, I was on the other side of this kind of lip of dirt, so meaning that the 40 horses behind me couldn't see me," she said. The dust in the air obscured the view of the approaching riders, and Wilde feared she would be "pulverized."
Goggins' Quick Thinking
Walton Goggins, known for his roles in The Hateful Eight, Justified, and Fallout, was riding nearby and saw the accident. He acted swiftly to protect Wilde. "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," Wilde recalled. "He's a great rider so he was able to handle that, and people split the two sides around us, thinking he had just like gone insane, but he was protecting my body on the ground. And so I owe him my life."
Fan Reactions
Fans of Goggins, who recently gained a new audience playing Rick Hatchett in season three of The White Lotus, responded warmly to Wilde's story. One commenter said, "Just another reason to love Walton Goggins!" Another added, "One national treasure saving another national treasure." A third fan called him "literally the nicest guy in the world."
