Olivia Wilde says Walton Goggins saved her life during a dangerous horse scene on the set of Cowboys & Aliens. Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, she described a moment when a stampede could have turned fatal.
The moment that turned frightening fast
Wilde said she was galloping at full sprint across the desert with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford while 40 horses charged behind them. During the take, a horse jumped a large ditch and bucked her off, leaving her on the ground and out of view of the riders behind her.
She said she hit her head and back, then realized the horses could not see her because of a lip of dirt and the heavy dust in the air. Wilde recalled hearing the approaching herd “like thunder,” and said she briefly thought the outcome would be quick.
How Goggins stepped in
According to Wilde, Goggins spotted her in time and turned his horse sideways directly in front of her. She said he let the other horses split around him while protecting her body on the ground.
Wilde called him “a real-life hero” and said, “Walt Goggins saved my life on that movie.” She also said he was skilled enough on horseback to handle the impact as the herd rushed past.
A costly film, but not a box office hit
Cowboys & Aliens, directed by Jon Favreau, opened in July 2011 and teamed Wilde with Craig, Ford, Goggins, Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano. The movie underperformed commercially, taking in $175 million worldwide against a production budget in the $160 million range.
Even so, the film drew some favorable notices. Variety praised it as “a full-bodied, roundly satisfying yarn,” a sharp contrast to its box office results.
| Film | Worldwide Gross | Production Budget | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys & Aliens | $175 million | In the $160 million range | Included a dangerous horse scene involving Olivia Wilde |
The actor’s story places the near-disaster at the center of one of the movie’s most intense behind-the-scenes memories. It also leaves Goggins with a dramatic credit that had nothing to do with the script.
