- Goggins visited Thailand shortly after the death of his first wife
- Leanne committed suicide having gone missing in 2004
- “I spent the next three years looking for an excuse”
Walton Goggins may have put forth one of his finest ever performances during the third season of The White Lotus, but Thailand has not always brought such happy memories for the Django Unchained star.
Twenty years ago, Goggins found himself in Thailand for the first time, although under far more tragic circumstances. The Fallout actor had travelled to southeast Asia in the aftermath of the death of his first wife, Leanne.
Life on the Other Side of Tragedy
It was discovered that, after going missing in 2004, that Leanne had tragically taken her own life. Speaking to GQ about Leanne’s death and the journey that followed it, Goggins revealed how he never thought he would recover.
“It’s a very complicated story. Ultimately it was revealed the decision that she’d made. And yeah—I thought it was really unrecoverable for me. Life on the other side of that.
“And I spent the next three years looking for an excuse—not to end it, but certainly putting myself in situations that were questionable, not with drugs or anything like that, just life experiences and traveling. And I really went all over the world.”
Goggins would venture to Cambodia, Vietnam and India after Thailand. Two decades later, and the Justified star would be hit with a strong sense of de ja vu. As well as an incredibly emotional full circle moment.
Walton Goggins Reveals his Full Circle Moment in Bangkok
“The first island we were staying on. I realized, ‘I’ve been on this road before’. And then the next island we went to, I realized, ‘I’ve definitely been on this beach before. I know this boardwalk.’ And all of the things kept coming back.”
While filming in Bangkok, a flurry of memories came back to the two-time Emmy nominee, as he stood in front of the hotel and dock where Mike White and co were shooting a scene in the Thai capital.
“That’s where I was the very first day I came here, 20 years ago, and in so much f**king pain, man.
“I think I haven’t had the time to fully unpack the symmetry between those two people showing up at the same place, separated by 20 years. And a wife and a kid and peace and all the rest of it. I thought, God, I wish I could hug that guy. I wish I could whisper in his ear, ‘You’re going to be okay. Life continues, and it continues for everybody if you can just hold on and lean into it and keep walking the walk that you’re walking, and keep looking for the answers.’”
In the aftermath of the White Lotus season three finale – in which Goggins’ Rick Hatchett and his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) meet their heartbreaking demise – Goggins took to Instagram to share his love for the story of the season, his co-stars and the crew who made the whole season possible.
