Olivia Wilde recalls fatal stunt on film set

Olivia Wilde revealed how Walton Goggins once saved her life while the pair was filming Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens.

During the interview, Wilde told both hosts Shepard and Monica Padman of the 2011 space Western, “Walt Goggins saved my life on that movie”. Wilde explained further, “I had a very bad horse accident, and he saved me”. He continued, “Basically, we were galloping across. I’ve ridden horses my whole life. I have a lot of confidence with riding English style; this was Western, different, and we were at that point, like two months in, and we got real cocky with it. And we were pretty competitive”.

Wilde told hosts Shepard and Monica Padman of the 2011 space Western. In the film, set in 1873 Arizona, Wilde played a mysterious woman who joins the cowboys, while Goggins portrayed one of the outlaws drawn into battle.

Wilde mentioned further, “And it was me and Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford galloping like full sprint across the desert. With like 40 horses behind us. And it was like we were like leading the charge to fight the aliens or whatever, whatever we were doing in that movie”

“We got to a part where I could see ahead of us that there was a large ditch, like a six-foot ditch. And I was like, this horse is going to jump that ditch. And I’m on this western saddle, no helmet, because I’m playing like an old-timey lady”. She added, “Spoiler: I was actually an alien. Oh, I know everyone’s seen it, but still. So sure enough, this horse jumps and bucks me off in the craziest way.

Wilde said she hit her head and back on impact and was left lying on the ground, hidden behind a “lip of dirt” that obscured her from the charging horses behind her. “And there was also a lot of dust,” she continued. “And I remember having my ear to the ground, and I could hear it. And it sounded like thunder, like they were coming towards me.

“And I had the thought it sounds so dramatic, but I thought it’ll be quick,” she said of her impending doom. “It’ll be like pulverized applesauce. Out. And I was waiting for it to happen.

“Then Walt Goggins had seen it ahead of him. And in a split second, thought to turn his horse sideways, right in front of me, and let everyone bash into him. And he’s a great rider, so he was able to handle that.

“And people split the two sides around us, thinking he had just like gone insane. But he was protecting my body on the ground. And so I owe him my life,” Wilde concluded. “Wow. He’s a real-life hero,” an astounded Shepard finally responded.

“He didn’t even bring that up when he was on the show,” Padman added. Wilde, who is currently promoting her third directorial feature film, The Invite, recalled the terrifying on-set incident on Monday’s episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.