Actor Walton Goggins, who plays The Ghoul (Cooper Howard) in Amazon Prime Video’s hit series Fallout, has confirmed that he has no intention of playing the original Fallout video games, even after the show’s massive success. Speaking in a recent interview with PC Gamer, Goggins said he believes playing the games would restrict his creative approach and interfere with how he experiences his character.
The revelation comes just ahead of the highly anticipated Fallout Season 2, which premieres December 17, 2025. The series became one of Prime Video’s biggest breakout hits, earning praise from longtime fans and newcomers alike for balancing video-game roots with ambitious cinematic storytelling.
Why Goggins Won’t Play the Fallout Games
Goggins made it clear that he has never played any Fallout title — not before filming Season 1, and not now. He said playing the game would change how he sees the world of Fallout and risk reducing his character to a digital construct instead of a living, breathing person.
“No, I haven’t sat down to play the games — and I won’t,” Goggins told PC Gamer.
“All of a sudden, I’m looking at this world from a very different perspective, and as something on a screen in which I am an avatar in. I don’t believe that I’m an avatar. I believe The Ghoul exists in the world. I believe that Cooper Howard exists in the world.”
The actor explained that keeping distance from the source material helps him build a deeply grounded emotional portrayal, something fans widely praised following Season 1’s premiere.
Different Approaches Among Cast Members
While Goggins avoids gameplay entirely, other cast members take the opposite approach. Ella Purnell, who plays Lucy MacLean, has played Fallout 4 and plans to continue exploring the franchise’s games. Their contrasting methods reflect a broader trend in adaptations — where some actors research obsessively while others focus solely on script-based character discovery.
Many fans argue that Goggins’s strategy clearly works, pointing to his widely acclaimed performance as one of the strongest elements of the show.
Fallout Season 2 Arrives December 17
Season 1 ended on major cliffhangers involving New Vegas, Brotherhood of Steel conflicts, and unanswered questions about Vault-Tec’s role. Prime Video promises an even bigger scale for Season 2, with Goggins previously teasing that the next chapter will “blow it out of the water.”
As anticipation builds, the debate around Goggins’s gaming stance has become a trending topic among fans. Some understand his artistic reasoning, while others believe actors should experience source material firsthand. Regardless, excitement for Season 2 remains strong.
