Walton Goggins on Playing a Villain in Vice Principals

Walton Goggins talks about what it’s like work on Vice Principals

Vice Principals may not have hit its stride quiet yet, but a lot of its individual parts work well. Both Walton Goggins and Danny McBride are entirely in their own element, and that makes it easier to take some of Vice Principal’s hiccups. Goggins especially looks be having a great time as Lee Russell, and that comes through in spades in a new interview with Esquire.

Speaking directly of the second episode, Waltons says it was “glorious” to destroy that house. For those that haven’t watched episode two yet, “A Trusy Steed,” you should probably go do that. And because Goggins is a true gentlemen, he gives full credit for Vice Principals to his costar, Danny McBride:

"” I love the man. What this show will do for him, which I’m so excited about, is affirm his abilities in people’s minds. This is all him—he wrote it with his writers, but it’s his voice.”"

Here’s a clip of the episode in question:

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Vice Principals is indeed the child of Danny McBride, though it certainly wouldn’t be the same show without Goggins. He is Russel — he embodies the character fully. Speaking about some of the controversies that have come out of Vice Principals so far — specifically the idea of two white men trying to “take down” a black woman — Goggins doesn’t see the big deal, calling writers who call the show out for that as “lazy.” He also admits that conversations were had about how this was going to look and play out.

It is perhaps too early to fully judge Vice Principals for that. Two episodes into what will eventually be eighteen isn’t really enough time. Still, the show’s not going to win any awards for its sensitivity, but then again, that’s not why people watch Danny McBride. Goggins later goes on to reveal that he originally auditioned for Eastbound & Down, so his relationship with McBride goes back a bit.

He also loves being cast as a villain, calling villains a “neon sign of three-dimensionality.” He does it well, that’s for sure. A good villain can be far more compelling than a hero, and right now Russel is a bit more fun to watch on Vice Principals than Gamby.

Next: Vice Principals Recap: A Trusty Steed.

The whole interview is surprisingly far-reaching, and defiantly worth a read if you’re even halfway interested in Goggins beyond Vice Principals. As of right now, it is by far the best interview to come out of promoting Vice Principals.

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