He has a lot to be excited about.
Even his hair looks excited, jutting up wildly.
Hes animated and moves a lot, but hes not wired and out of control.
He just exudes enthusiasm and seems happy to be where he is, talking about his work.
Hes great fun to talk to; enthusiastic and warm interview subjects are something of a gift.
Heres how our chat with Walton Goggins went.
How do you respond, when you get that script (forThe Hateful Eight)?
You know, Quentin doesnt really have to ask how anybody feels about his material.
and you just hear this laugh, this signature laugh that Quentin has.
You get them, and theyre just like lyrical poetry.
At the end of it, he just walked out and he saw the smile on my face.
I said I have one question for you.
Am I the Sheriff, or am I not?
And he said I want you to answer that question and I dont want to know your answer.
So, he gave me that power and I made my decision.
Are you sharing that decision, or is that for you?
Its like the briefcase inPulp Fiction, really.
I havent even shared it with my wife.
That actually feeds into something I had down to ask you about.
You have the character on the page, but how do work out the rest of the stuff?
Is that you, is it collaborated with Quentin?
All of this is from Quentins imagination.
For me, that certainly was the case.
It almost tells us a different story about him.
So how does that come?
We both share this responsibility.
But his physical mannerisms, cause hes an agitator, man.
I suppose, the way one does when they mature.
I love how into their characters people seem to be.
Well, Quentin inspires that.
The cast that he assembles, he has written the material for, for the most part.
And it is not the 90% that you bring to his story that hes looking for.
Its not the collaboration with Quentin, his ideas that give you the final 10%.
It is the magic that happens beyond that.
He knows that he will get that.
He sets conditions for that kind of creativity to happen.
And you are consumed with the story.
First and foremost because its Quentin, and secondly because you just dont want to let the man down.
So, the Mannix character was written specifically with you…?
Well, I think it was.
And he was a fan of my work.
So, Ive been in that world, in that Quentin-speak.
So, the writers on my show spent every week trying to write in that vein.
I think that played a part in it.
I would like to ask you about working with Kurt Russell.
How was that moustache in person?
These guys are icons, man.
Hes my hero, man!
These guys are my heroes.
No one can command a room the way that Kurt Russell does.
Both of those guys just fill it up when they walk into it, even if they dont speak.
But Kurt and his moustache, there was a scene in particular.
Its in the movie, but Im not giving anything away by saying this.
In that fit of anger, he didnt know what to do with his hands.
He couldnt grab a gun, he knows the legalities.
I couldnt hold it together.
So thats the only thing that saved me from ruining his take.
What an honour, to be the man that Kurt Russell cleared his moustache at.
I made Kurt Russell so mad he cleared his moustache out.
A Jason Statham film.
I mean, Im gonna get this wrong.
I dont watch a lot of Jason Statham films… but, I guessThe Expendables?The Expendableswas great.
So Ill go withThe Expendables.
(Right, so that should be the end of the interview, right?
Except, it wasnt really.
I had a minute left of my time slot.
He was happy to answer another question, the time was there, and so I went for it.
House Of 1000 Corpses.
I love it so much.
I have so many memories of it.
Rob Zombie is a visual treasure, man.
The first time I met him, I was really intimidated.
And Im expecting him to Arrrr!, whatever that is.
He just walks up and says Hi, how are ya?
Nice to meet ya.
Just, so normal!
So demure and soft and kind and open.
It was the beginning of what has been a fifteen-year relationship.
I just love and respect the man so much.
Thank you, Walton Goggins.
The Hateful Eight is in UK cinemas from 8th January.
