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Walton Goggins says he sees himself in all of his characters, no matter how in-depth or absurd.
"I see myself in Rick Hatchett [The White Lotus]. I see myself in Lee Russell [Vice Principals]. Baby Billy [The Righteous Gemstones]. Boyd Crowder [Justified] and Shane Vendrell [The Shield] that I play. But, yeah, there are similarities there," Goggins tells GamesRadar+ when asked if he sees himself in Sammy, the uptight protagonist in The Uninvited.
The comedy-drama, written and directed by Nadia Conners, follows retired actor and reluctant homemaker Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) and her agent husband Sammy (Goggins) as they host an important dinner party for Sammy's star client Gerald (Rufus Sewell) - that doesn't quite go as planned. In the first few minutes of the film, we get a pretty clear idea of who Sammy is: tightly wound, impatient, and worried about his career.
After a confused, elderly woman named Helen (Lois Smith) shows up in their driveway, convinced that their house is hers, both Sammy and Rose start to reevaluate their lives and choices. Without giving too much away, Sammy starts to unravel (and said unraveling gives us some of the best lines in the film).
Goggins is known for his impressive range, playing everyone from an eccentric elderly man with megachurch money to a human-turned-zombie who styles himself as a cowboy. Sammy feels a little bit different than some of his more recent dramatic turns, and this could be because of the film's intimate nature i.e. being written and directed by Conners, his wife, and being loosely based on a true story that happened to them both.
"I don't think it's the ambition - even though I'm an ambitious person, but not for the acquisition of fame. I am in search of a deeper meaning and a deeper relationship to what it is that I do for a living. And that is, you know, the great love of my life. I’ve to find a balance between my love for what I do for a living and my profound love for my family. That’s something that I deal with. I think a lot of people who were obsessed with what they do for a living feel [that way], you know."
The Uninvited hits cinemas in the UK on May 9. You can find the complete list of theaters and showtimes here. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.
