Timothy Olyphant & Walton Goggins Behind-the-Scenes Justified Feud: What Actually Happened?

Summary

• Each has their own version of what went down.
• What's clear is that the tension between them was palpable by the end of filming.
• Indications are that they may be back together for City Primeval 2.

Running for 6 seasons from 2010-2015, Justified was a popular neo-Western that still holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and regularly pulled in over 2 million viewers.

Throughout the series, Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant) and Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) were one-time colleagues but now adversaries. Crowder, a career criminal, was a recurring character in Season 1 who became a regular in Season 2 and was at odds with lawman Givens.

As the series went on, though, it appears the fictional rivalry spilled out into the actors' real lives.

The two 'weren't talking' by the end of the show

In an interview with The Independent, Goggins (who's currently filming the next season of White Lotus) said the pair 'had a tough time towards the end of Justified' as they were 'so deep into these people we were playing, and they were polar opposites'.

Olyphant, who also served as an executive producer on the show, has confirmed the beef between the two. But his version of events is based on creative differences. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Olyphant admitted that sometimes the two actors really got on each other's nerves.

'I adored working with Walt from the jump, but these actors, they're a pain in the ass. They get really into their work! There was this thing where, as the show went on, and especially as the thing came to an end, where I would come from the writers' room. They'd add things that were like, 'Here's what we need Walt to do in order to get to this finale we want.' Then Walt would say his character would never do that, and then I'd be like, 'Goddamn it.' We'd get really frustrated with each other.'

He also raised the point that 'people have a hard time saying goodbye' when filming comes to an end, likening it to when 'summer camp comes to an end'.

Mutual respect

While both actors have acknowledged the difficulties they faced as Justified reached its conclusion, it hasn't done anything to diminish their respect for one another.

Goggins is on record as saying: 'I respect and love him greatly, and I feel respected and loved by him greatly'. Time, in this instance, appears to have been a great healer and Goggins believes that 'like brothers', they 'just needed to separate'.

For his part, Olyphant says he 'would work with [Walt] again in a heartbeat'. He described Goggins as 'something special' and said it was 'fun to see him in his new job (Fallout )'.

Could we see them back on screen together in Justified: City Primeval 2?

It certainly can't be ruled out. While Olyphant fully reprised his role as Raylan Givens for the 2023 series, Goggins only appeared in one episode.

Crucially, his appearance came right at the end of the series finale – just when it seemed everything was wrapped up nicely. In the final episode of Justified, we saw Crowder safely locked up in Tramble Prison, where Givens paid him a visit. Episode 8 of City Primeval saw him escape custody. We then saw the newly retired Givens receive a phone call from the marshal's office.

Justified: City Primeval was less successful than the original series, averaging about 600k viewers per episode. Still, it has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The potential rematch between Boyd Crowder and Raylan Givens hinted at in the finale would likely boost ratings.

With both men seemingly open to the idea, it's a case of watch this space.

All six seasons of the original Justified and Justified: City Primeval are currently available to watch:

• Hulu
• Prime
• Fandango at Home

Source: The Independent, Vanity Fair.