Walton Goggins Shines in The Righteous Gemstones

Walton Goggins is an actor’s actor who moves easily from one genre to the next. From Fallout to The White Lotus, Goggins disappears into each role while remaining entirely recognizable. He knows how to tap into material even when it gets wild.

Goggins and Danny McBride also collaborated on the HBO comedy Vice Principals, which paved the way for their next project together.

The Righteous Gemstones follows the Gemstone family. Eli, the widowed patriarch played by John Goodman, acts as a traditional preacher despite his own flaws. The rest of the family stays far from Eli’s virtuous ways. A life of inherited wealth has corrupted Jesse played by McBride, Judy played by Edi Patterson, and Kelvin played by Adam Devine, leaving them as examples of what not to do.

Goggins plays their uncle, Billy “Baby Billy” Freeman. He once enjoyed popularity thanks to a singing career with his sister and the departed Gemstone matriarch Aimee-Leigh played by Jennifer Nettles, but those days are gone. Now he works as a grifter who sells fraudulent supplements during COVID-19, relies on financial assistance from his in-laws, and uses the Gemstone name to boost his own profile.

Goggins is Every Bit As Committed to Stealing Any Scene He’s In

Baby Billy commands attention whenever he appears on screen. With an exaggerated Southern drawl and bright white teeth, Baby Billy fits naturally into this family of professional grifters. He delivers memorable lines in the show, including the line, “I’m just asking for an eight-ball and two million dollars.” He also spends time developing Teenjus, a doomed teenage Jesus prequel.

Goggins steals scenes effortlessly. Whether he performs a cover of “There’ll Come a Payday” poolside inside a giant clam suit or hosts the Bible-themed game show Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers, he commits fully to the bit. That level of dedication stands out even inside a cast that includes McBride, Patterson, and Devine. Goggins possesses a rare magnetism.

Viewers often find themselves rooting for Baby Billy. He has flaws, but so does the rest of the family. His ideas fail often, but he keeps trying. The Righteous Gemstones never suggests that these characters are righteous, and words like deplorable might describe them better. Goggins thrives in that exact space.

Source: Polygon