Walton Goggins plays The Ghoul on the Fallout TV show, who over the course of the series becomes a memorable and conflicted link between the world as-was and as it is in the present day. It’s a fantastic performance, which will be no surprise to those who’ve followed Goggins’ career, and while basking in the aftermath of the show’s success the actor revealed a surprising detail about one of the locations.
Some of the outdoor scenes in Fallout were filmed in Namibia, on what is sometimes referred to as the Skeleton Coast, including in an actual diamond mine (thanks, GamesRadar+). A new photograph released by Amazon shows The Ghoul at this location, looking downcast and moody as is his wont, but Goggins says the real explanation is a little more base.
“[Amazon] just posted some film stills,” writes Goggins on Instagram, “this is one of them. It looks like I’m trying to look cool and all… but I’m not. See we were filming in an abandoned Diamond mine in Namibia. We weren’t really allowed to touch the ground too much. It’s still owned by someone and there’s still diamonds on the ground. The photographer caught me trying to find one.. without my hands!! No shit!”
Goggins signs off with some laughing emojis, adding “Always the outlaw!” The mine was abandoned in the 1950s, before becoming a tourist attraction, and now obviously a shooting location. Strewn with diamonds. I mean, you can’t blame Goggins for having a good look.
Aaron Moten, who plays the Brotherhood character Maximus, also spoke to GamesRadar+ about filming in “the sands of Namibia,” saying:
“We were transported, truly, to a desolate set… That first feeling–I remember walking out and doing the scene. It took away a lot of the work you sometimes have to do as an actor. I obviously believe where we are. It felt like I got to reinvest in my scene partners and really dig deep into the story.” That’s a little part of the show’s magic, perhaps: it didn’t so much recreate the wasteland as just find parts of Earth that already looked like it.