The popular and critically acclaimed FX drama series Justified, developed by Graham Yost and based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard, returns for its highly anticipated Season 2 on February 9th. Fresh off the epic gun battle that concluded Season 1, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) must now face off against the criminal organizations that are moving in to fill the void left by the removal of the Crowder family’s criminal grip on Harlan County. One such foe is Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale), whose family has been the biggest pot farmers in Eastern Kentucky for generations, and which has undoubtedly led to their long-standing feud with Raylan’s family. Also returning this season is Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), one of the most fascinating and complex characters currently on television. Boyd is Raylan’s long-time friend and ultimate nemesis who is trying to prove to everyone, including himself, that he can reform his past extremist ways.

During a recent exclusive interview with Collider, actor Walton Goggins talked about the appeal of playing the intriguing and often morally ambiguous Boyd Crowder, how his character is starting to find some balance from his past behavior, and how much he enjoys learning about Boyd at the same time the character is learning about himself. He also talked about his roles in the upcoming feature films Cowboys & Aliens, directed by Jon Favreau and due out in theaters on July 29th, and Straw Dogs, also starring James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, and Alexander Skarsgard. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Question: How did this role come about for you? Was there any hesitation in doing another television series, so close to the end of The Shield?
WALTON GOGGINS: There was a lot of hesitation, yeah. My first reaction was, “No,” first and foremost because it was so close to The Shield, and secondly because, after what the critics had done for me and the things that were said about that show, I did not want to sully that with asking people to accept me in another role, and certainly a role that could have been as controversial as Boyd [Crowder]. You don’t say those things about Jews without generating some ire. And so, therefore, I just said, “No, I’m not going to be seen in that way. These people have been too good to me.” But, we talked about it and talked about it and talked about it, and I thought, “You know, if we can do it right and you guys will let me do this role the way that I want to do it, then we may have something special and the critics may actually dig it. Just seeing something so radically different than Shane, so soon, might be a blessing and not a curse.” Continue Reading →