The White Lotus Star Walton Goggins Had A Scene-Stealing Guest Spot In This Sitcom

Part of what makes HBO's "The White Lotus" such an appealing anthology series (although the "anthology" label is debatable at this point) is the fact that with each season, viewers get a chance to experience the externally luxurious yet emotionally laborious vacations of a different group of characters portrayed by an inspired collection of actors. In particular, character actors tend to steal the show with their dynamic roles, often showcasing a range of emotions that can leave someone laughing themselves silly in one scene or feeling intense intimidation by them in the next. With season 3 more than halfway completed, one of the absolute standouts enduring their stay at the White Lotus wellness resort in Thailand is the mysterious Rick Hatchett, played by Walton Goggins.

Goggins' performance thus far in "The White Lotus" season 3 is yet another showcase of his broad range as a character actor. Upon his introduction in the first episode, Rick immediately intrigues viewers with his uncertain, cold energy. Given his rough, abrasive exterior in contrast to his younger, wanderlusty girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), he's immediately captivating and perhaps the most narratively interesting character in the season thus far, especially given how his reasons for visiting Thailand become apparent halfway through.

As one of Hollywood's most eclectic character actors, Walton Goggins is perhaps one of the best examples of a "that guy" type of performer that most would probably recognize in numerous projects but may not come to mind as a household name (although, arguably, he should). With two Emmy nominations for his performances in FX's "Justified" and Prime Video's "Fallout," as well as notable appearances in films that range from franchise fare like Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp" and a standout performance in Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight," Goggins' impressive career is one worth celebrating. He even has an Academy Award on his mantle. 

With such a colorful resume that runs the gamut of genres, one of Goggins' most memorable performances is in a guest spot on one of the best sitcoms of the 21st century: "Community."

Dan Harmon, creator of "Community," returned to the series for season 5 after being fired by Sony Pictures Television before season 4 was produced. Season 4 remains the most reviled season of the series amongst critics and fans alike, so much so that it was dubbed the "gas leak year" amongst the series' creative team. The incredibly impressive season 5 is widely considered a return to form for "Community," with one of its funniest episodes being "Cooperative Polygraphy." This episode follows the surviving members of our beloved study group, who are just coming out of the funeral for their fallen friend, Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase). Upon his death, Pierce's "life vapors" were put into an Energon pod (basically a lava lamp) courtesy of his religious organization. As the study group copes with the passing of their beloved yet comically problematic friend, Mr. Stone (Walton Goggins), executor of Pierce's estate, appears in the study room with a team to conduct lie detector tests on the group, and for a hilariously brief moment, the group's sworn frenemy, Benjamin Franklin Chang (Ken Jeong), who immediately departs from the test after Mr. Stone interrogates him on his, err, pleasurable activities he has practiced while in the study room. Following the lie detector tests that were clearly a ploy from Pierce to manipulate his friends one last time beyond his grave, Mr. Stone reads Pierce's will.

Walton Goggins' reading of Pierce Hawthorne's will is one of the most memorable performances by a guest actor in the entire six season (and future one movie) run of "Community." All six surviving study group members are given individual final messages from Pierce, all delivered to deadpan perfection by Goggins. Kicking off with Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) and concluding with Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), each of them is also given a liquid nitrogen-cooled cylinder of Pierce's "hyper-virile" sperm, and Goggins earnestly announces Pierce's ridiculous requests regarding his will. It cannot be stressed enough how Goggins' performance in his will-reading is one of his best showcases as an actor. By taking the role as seriously as possible, Goggins serves as the episode's anchor, allowing viewers to laugh at the absurdities of Pierce's legacy while also grappling with the emotional issues of the study group that carry throughout the episode.

Six years after "Cooperative Polygraphy" aired on NBC, the cast of "Community" and Dan Harmon virtually reunited for a stay-at-home table read fundraiser to benefit the World Central Kitchen and Frontline Foods during the pandemic in 2020. The cast read through the episode's script, with Pedro Pascal filling in for Walton Goggins as Mr. Stone. The table read was a delightful moment for longtime fans of "Community," especially with the appearance of Donald Glover, who departed from the series a little under halfway through season 5 to pursue his own creative projects, including his acclaimed FX series "Atlanta."

However, the most memorable aspect of this table read was Mr. Stone's reading of Pierce's will. Given that Pedro Pascal was filling in for his future "The Uninvited" co-star Walton Goggins in this fundraiser, he was cold-reading the script, so when he realized what Pierce's final parting gifts to the study group were, he kept breaking into laughter. To be fair, it would not be surprising if Goggins' initial reading of the script for "Cooperative Polygraphy" brought him to such laughter, but the absurdity of Pierce's will, paired with the deadpan delivery of Goggins, is such an impressive marriage of layered comedy writing and acting, respectively. The deadpan delivery is also complemented by the episode's end tag, in which Mr. Stone is an extravagant life-of-the-party at a local bar alongside the study group. After Britta asks him how Pierce passed away, a visibly drunk Mr. Stone reveals that he died due to dehydration from filling his cylinders. Just when the absolute ridiculousness of Pierce's final acts continued to pile up (or fill up), Goggins' puts the cherry on top of this comedic sundae with one of the most tragically hilarious final punchlines in any sitcom episode of this century.

New episodes of "The White Lotus" air on HBO and stream on Max each Sunday at 9 pm ET.