The Goggins Box

Walton Goggins shines in multiple roles on Showmax.

- Genevieve Terblanche

“Walton Goggins” is a somewhat absurd name for a performer – it’s a children’s TV character name like Gonzo from Sesame Street (1969-now) or one of The Wombles (1968-1976). But if you’ve been sleeping on this unpredictable actor, there’s a whole body of work available on streaming site Showmax to wake up to, because it’s Walton’s world out there. Here are just three shows to start you off…

SONS OF ANARCHY

Drama (2008-2014), seasons 1-7, episodes around 45 minutes each.

This isn’t Walton’s biggest role (he appears in just six episodes between seasons 5 and 7), but it’s the one that made us sit up and take notice of his range as a performer. Walton first arrives in this tough, macho biker world of drug deals and beatdowns in season 5 episode 5 (episode titled Orca Shrugged) as the charming, self-assured transgender female prostitute Venus Van Dam, who has been hired for a blackmail scheme. Venus is no stunt, she is a fully realised and complex character – and one of the bikers winds up treating her with surprising respect.