The following contains SPOILERS for Fallout, now streaming on Prime Video.

Summary

• Walton Goggins ensured a long-awaited Justified reunion took place on the Fallout set.
• When Fallout was looking for an actor to play Honcho, Goggins immediately recommended his Justified co-star Mykelti Williamson.
• The Western-themed series was the perfect place for actors Goggins and Williamson to reunite.

Nearly 10 years after the show ended, Fallout brought two members of the Justified cast back together. Justified was a Western drama that began in 2010 and ran until 2015. It was revived in Justified: City Primeval in 2023, though much of the cast did not return. The original show starred Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, and Walton Goggins, while Mykelti Williamson was a recurring cast member. Goggins was later selected as a lead actor for Prime Video's Fallout adaptation.

As an integral member of Fallout's cast, Goggins had some sway with the producers. In an interview with IndieWire, he revealed that he used that influence to help ensure that he could reunite with Williamson on set. Williamson was eventually cast as Honcho, a bounty hunter who works to free Goggin's Ghoul from his underground prison. Check out Goggins' full quote below:

This role [for Honcho] was coming up and they asked me point blank if I knew someone. I said, "I know the perfect guy: Mykelti. He would be incredible in this. I can give him a call if you think that it’s a reality." And they called back and said, "We love T, we love him so much." So I called him and he said, "Yeah, man, I’ll get on a plane. I’ll come out there."

We’ve remained really good friends [since Justified]. I love him. He’s a great man. That favor has been extended to me by people that wanted me to just come and play with them, and I do that whenever [I get] the opportunity. I know a lot of people — in my Rolodex, 10 people could have played that part — but Mykelti was the one in my imagination. Whenever you get the opportunity to work with a friend who you have that shorthand [with], and you know they’re going to deliver, you make your phone call to your friend.

Why Does Fallout Have A Justified Reunion?

Goggins Assured A Long-Awaited Reunion

Every faction in Fallout generally has mixed motivations that range from a benevolent search for hope to a brutal and careless desire to survive. Amid the darkness of the nuclear wasteland, Goggins decided to recommend a close friend for the part of Honcho. Unlike the denizens of the wasteland, his actions were wholly friendly and kind. Having been recommended for multiple roles in the past, Goggins has always had the mindset of paying kindness forward. So, when the producers asked if he knew someone for the part, he recommended Williamson.

While admitting that he had 10 people that he could have contacted for the part, Goggins chose Williamson specifically because they happen to be close friends. He had the opportunity to reunite on-screen with a beloved friend, so he did what he could to reconnect. Goggins went on to explain that he has paid recommendations forward before and that it has enhanced many of his friendships. He specifically cited Omar Benson Miller, Rob Corddry, and Michaela Watkins as people he contacted for specific roles.

Goggins ensured that there would be a Justified reunion on set, but his decision also perfectly fit the Fallout world. After all, there is no better place for two Western actors to reunite than on the set of another Western. Though Fallout is a post-apocalyptic story, the wasteland completely reflects the atmosphere of a Western. It made Honcho's character more of a reflection of Williamson's work on Justified. At the same time, the Western genre allows for the Ghoul's slow and horrifying reaction to his freedom, which worked well for the story.

All episodes of Fallout are available for streaming on Prime Video.

Source: IndieWire