Fallout Season 2 is over and, with the rave reviews the series received, I have a list of details I'm hoping for in Season 3. Thankfully, I didn't say I wanted to see Cooper Howard in Power Armor more when new episodes are available to stream with a Prime Video subscription. That's because it doesn't sound like Walton Goggins was a fan of his brief scenes in the suit, and that's saying a lot given the prosthetics work he does as The Ghoul.
Howard is seen in the T-45 Power Armor in a flashback set during the Great War. There, he's inadvertently saved from enemy combatants due to a Death Claw, which rips them apart. Goggins spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend about performing in the armor and explained just why he wasn't a fan:
It’s not pleasant working in the T-45. In fact, it’s extremely unpleasant. I thought I had a tough run with becoming The Ghoul – but there’s something so claustrophobic, almost coffin-like, about putting on that armour because you can’t move your body and you’re being pulled in two different directions. There’s gravity and the weight of the machine is pulling your legs and your arms down – and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Mentally, you have to submit to it. It’s not easy. My hat’s off to Aaron.
It sounds like getting out of that Power Armor was just as satisfying to Walton Goggins as removing his prosthetics when they finally wrapped on Fallout Season 2. That makeup process reportedly took hours to complete and, early on, it even affected Goggins' signature southern drawl. At least he didn't have to get into the suit while wearing Ghoul prosthetics, which could've been a real nightmare for the actor.
Walton Goggins is not the first person in the Fallout cast to talk about wearing the T-45 Power Armor. Johnny Pemberton also talked about the struggles and how a simple task like going to the bathroom was an entire process of removing plates and getting him out of the suit, only to do it all over again once he's back in.
As cool as the Power Armor looks, and is in the show, it's apparently quite an ordeal to work with as an actor. Of course, that's due in part to the fact that it doesn't function the way it is presented in the show and is more of a shell for the actors to do their scenes in.
Costume troubles aren't exclusive to Fallout, of course, as this is an issue that comes up for actors across all genres in TV and movies. Paul Mescal struggled with his leather armor in Gladiator II, and some of the coolest superhero costumes in Hollywood were pretty hard to work with. Fortunately, the Power Armor didn't result in anyone having a bad scene in this series and, hopefully, Goggins and co. will become more comfortable working in them as time goes on.
Fallout Season 3 is on the way, though, we have no idea when to expect new episodes. That said, I feel confident that I'll enjoy these upcoming episodes as much as the previous ones. And here's hoping that amid filming, Walton Goggins will have an easier time working with the power suit.
