Olivia Wilde Credits Walton Goggins With Saving Her Life During Cowboys & Aliens Filming

Olivia Wilde has shared a harrowing account of a near-tragedy that unfolded on the set of Cowboys & Aliens, crediting her co-star Walton Goggins with an act of heroism that likely saved her life.

The 42-year-old actress and filmmaker opened up about the incident during a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Podcast, describing a frightening moment during filming of the 2011 adventure film. Wilde was part of a high-speed horseback sequence alongside Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, galloping across desert terrain with approximately 40 horses thundering behind them as part of a scene depicting a charge against the film's alien antagonists.

The scene took a dangerous turn when Wilde's horse jumped over a substantial ditch, throwing her from the saddle in what she described as a particularly violent fall. The impact left her on the ground with head and back injuries, positioned just beyond a ridge of dirt that obscured her from the view of the oncoming herd. Dust from the stampede further reduced visibility.

"I remember having my ear to the ground and I could hear it and it sounded like thunder, like they were coming towards me," Wilde recalled. She acknowledged the gravity of the moment, saying she braced herself for the worst possible outcome.

What happened next, according to Wilde, was a split-second decision by Goggins that altered the course of events. Recognizing her perilous situation ahead of him, Goggins maneuvered his horse sideways directly in front of her prone body, absorbing the impact of the charging horses. His skilled horsemanship allowed him to maintain control as the other riders and animals divided around him and Wilde, creating a protective barrier.

"Walt Goggins had seen [me] ahead of him and in a split second thought to turn his horse sideways right in front of me and let everyone kind of bash into him," Wilde explained. "People split the two sides around us thinking he had just gone insane, but he was protecting my body on the ground. And so I owe him my life."

The 2011 film, directed by Jon Favreau, also featured Paul Dano and Sam Rockwell in its ensemble cast. Wilde has maintained a presence in both acting and directing in the years since, most recently drawing attention for her work on Don't Worry Darling.