Olivia Wilde has revealed that co-star Walton Goggins saved her life during a dangerous horse stunt on the set of the 2011 film Cowboys & Aliens. Speaking on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, the 42-year-old actress described how she was nearly trampled by a herd of horses during a high-speed gallop sequence.
How the Accident Happened
Wilde explained that she was riding alongside Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, leading a charge of 40 horses across the desert. During a take, her horse jumped over a large ditch, bucking her off. She landed on the ground, hitting her head and back, but was hidden from the oncoming horses by a ridge of dirt and dust.
“I remember having my ear to the ground and I could hear it and it sounded like thunder, like they were coming towards me,” Wilde said. “And I had the thought — it sounds so dramatic — but I thought, it’ll be quick. It’ll be like, pulverized applesauce. Out.”
Walton Goggins' Heroic Act
Walton Goggins, who was riding nearby, saw Wilde fall and quickly turned his horse sideways directly in front of her, creating a barrier. The other horses split around them as Goggins absorbed the impact. “Walt Goggins had seen [me] ahead of him and in a split second thought to turn his horse sideways right in front of me and let everyone kind of bash into him,” Wilde recounted. “And he’s a great rider, so he was able to handle that. People split the two sides around us thinking he had just gone insane, but he was protecting my body on the ground. And so I owe him my life. It’s crazy. He’s a real-life hero.”
About the Film
Cowboys & Aliens, directed by Jon Favreau, was released in July 2011 and received mixed reviews. It blended Western and sci-fi genres, set in 1870s America where outlaws, cattlemen, and Apache warriors unite to fight gold-mining aliens. Despite a star-studded cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Dano, the film was a box office disappointment.
Wilde's Recent Comments on Harry Styles
Earlier this month, Wilde praised her ex Harry Styles for handling his “impossible” fans during their nearly two-year relationship. Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she told host Alex Cooper that the parasocial relationship fans have with Styles is a heavy burden. “I think it also had a lot to do with the kind of parasocial relationship people have with him, which is a burden that is very weighty and not something I envy. He carries it with grace,” she said.
