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Walton Goggins has defended age-gap relationships after starring as Aimee Lou Wood’s older love interest on The White Lotus.
The American actor, 53, took on the role of shady Rick Hatchett in the hit drama as he arrives in Thailand with his much-younger girlfriend Chelsea, played by Aimee, 30.
Rick is an illusive American while Chelsea is a chatty Mancunian and their unlikely relationship got fans talking, with many praising the actors’ exceptional chemistry.
And they didn’t shy away from showing all aspects of the romantic relationship, even stripping off for an intimate sex scene in the second episode.
In light of their much-talked-about on-screen relationship, Walton has now given his own thoughts on age-gap romances in the real world.
Walton – who has been married to writer Nadia Conners, 53, since 2005 – said the ‘trope’ is so commonplace he doesn’t think it needs to be discussed anymore.
Walton Goggins has defended age-gap relationships after starring as Aimee Lou Wood’s older love interest on The White Lotus (both pictured on the show)
Walton said the age-gap ‘trope’ is so commonplace he doesn’t think it needs to be discussed anymore and insisted he ‘doesn’t care’ so long as people are happy in their relationships
He said he ‘doesn’t care’ about age-gaps or any other factors in relationships, insisting he just likes to see people in love and happy.
‘Well, I mean, it’s been going on for so long, hasn’t it… an older man and a younger woman, my God, how trite is that?’ he told The Telegraph.
‘It’s a trope at this point, so to really discuss it is just a waste of time. Why would you care if two people find peace and a modicum of joy out of another human being? What does it matter to you?
‘I don’t care, I like to see people happy together.’
Amy recently spoke about how she and Walton worked with an intimacy coordinator for their steamy sex scene, which they felt was important to show on-screen.
She told Elle: ‘We were like, ”This is what we think should happen. This is why we think it’s important.” Because we don’t see a lot of tenderness from Rick to Chelsea the rest of the time.
‘So we have to make sure that when they’re physical and intimate in that way, that you see the love.
‘We don’t want it to be like a f***ing gratuitous [sex scene]. We wanted it to be very tender.’
In The White Lotus, Walton (Rick) and Amy (Chelsea) strip off for an intimate sex scene as they don’t shy away from showing all sides of romantic relationships
Walton isn’t the only one to address age-gap romances as Leo Woodall revealed he isn’t ‘bothered’ by the toyboy label after playing Renee Zellweger’s lover in the Bridget Jones film
Leo, 25 – who is dating Meghann Fahy, 34 – insisted romances between younger men and older women aren’t ‘that unusual’ as he defended the trope
Walton is not the only actor who has spoken about age-gap relationships after being in one on screen, with Leo Woodall giving his thoughts earlier this month.
Leo took on the role of Renee Zellweger’s character Bridget’s much-younger love interest, Roxster, in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.
Leo insisted he isn’t fazed by the ‘toyboy’ phrase, saying romances between younger men and older women aren’t ‘that unusual’ in an interview with The Telegraph.
He said people just ‘aren’t used’ to seeing a younger man/older woman dynamic on-screen, whereas the older man/younger woman romance has been shown ‘countless times’.
In real life, Leo, 25, is in a relationship with his White Lotus co-star Meghann Fahy, 34, who is six years his senior.
