Walton Goggins Says 'The Unicorn' Season Two Is Looking To Bring 'Laughter And Comfort'

The Unicorn is back tonight with its second season premiere! When we last saw Wade, played by Walton Goggins, he had just struck up a connection with a mystery woman and was determined to see where things could go.

CBS' Matt Weiss spoke to Goggins about the new season, the show's impact and what it's like to shoot a show in 2020.

MW: Walton, good morning! The Unicorn season two starts tonight but before we get into that I just want to know, what's it like to put on a new show in the year 2020?

WG: Complicated. First and foremost, you think what is the content? What do people want to see, but at the end of the day I think you have to just come from your heart. Go with what you feel is right. I think for all of us, living kind of in this time, who haven't had the opportunity to do things that we're accustomed to doing, or were used to doing, or that give us purpose it's obviously very, very, very, difficult.

In our line of work, not getting an opportunity to tell stories for the last nine months it's been difficult. It's really, really hard. Then when we went back to work, all the protocols that one has to kind of go through with the mask and all of those things to keep everyone safe. I think we all thought on our show, how are we really going to do this?

As soon as those masks came off and we started the first tape it all just kind of fell in line and you realize how much you missed the very thing that you love to do. I think that the gratitude kind of abounds for all of us getting an opportunity to go back to some degree of normalcy.

MW: You mentioned having to wear masks on set. I imagine it's very difficult. I've heard stories of people had to be separated, different bathrooms, all kinds of stuff like that. What was the hardest part for you?

WG: The hardest part for me is not looking my crew in the face. I get to see the actors when they take their masks off, but we have 100 people that work on our show and I'm friends with all of them. Still to this day, we've been back for a little over a month, I haven't been able to see their beautiful smiles. I just imagine them. I don't even want to think about it, I start tearing up to be quite honest with you because they're such wonderful people.

But at the end of the day, I had a birthday yesterday which was kind of cool, and they surprised me with this cake. I couldn't believe it. I was looking at this candle and I said you know; I would make a wish but to be quite honest with you it's already come true. There's no place I'd rather be than with this entire group of people telling this story. We will take what we can get.

MW: Happy birthday man! What a week for you.

WG: Thanks man. Thank you very much.

MW: Very cool. Now at the end of season one we saw Wade has this very strong connection with the mystery woman, so where are we going to pick up with that here in season 2?

WG: Him trying to find that mystery woman [laughs]. No, I mean that's just kind of what it is you know. When your life kind of can change on a dime and you meet someone. Maybe there are multiple fish in the sea, I don't know the answer to that question, but when you meet someone that you think could be the one and then you leave that meeting without a name, or phone number, or no way to get in touch with her, In the 21st century that's kind of rare but you just want to see her again. You want to talk to her again to see if it's true.

He ultimately does find her. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that, It's about what happens after he finds her. How we build things up in our mind and sometimes we're right and sometimes we're wrong. Sometimes it lands right in between. Things aren't always as they seem, sometimes things are more than what they see.

MW: Another thing I like about this show is the unique perspective with Wade being a widower, but he's also raising two young girls. Have you had anyone reach out to you and say, you know, thank you for putting this POV out there?

WG: So many people and not just men that have reached out, but women. I come from divorced parents and so I know for my mom, the struggles that she had. It's hard. It's not easy and yes, the answer to your question is, my personal friends and people that reach out to me on social media who have said thank you for making me laugh at my own situation.

I think that's kind of what it is. There are struggles for sure like in every version of raising children or just being a single, but there are also so many laughs. Life is absurd and we need to be reminded of that.

MW: If there's anything this year has taught us, I think we can all relate, life is pretty absurd.

WG: Yeah, I'm with you.

MW: Last question before I let you go here. New season coming, a lot of people have been starved just for something new to watch. What does it mean to be able to put out something new, something fresh for people can put everything else aside for a little bit?

WG: I'm very grateful to CBS for putting us back on the air kind of in this way and for making it possible that all of this content can get out there. All of the content on CBS being able to be put back on the air. For me, I think and the people in our cast, our people our crew, and writers the thing that we're so excited about is that that we feel like the world needs this show. They needed it before, pre-pandemic and they need it now more than ever.

I mean we're all dealing with loss on a daily basis and we've been dealing with it as a world for the better part of nine or 10 months when everything really changed. We're hopefully going to remedy some of that loss with laughter and comfort. I think that's what we all need right now and hopefully we can fill that bill. That's what we're trying to do.

MW: Thank you so much for the time today Walton, been great talking to today and happy birthday again!

WG: Thanks man. Lovely to talk to you as well.

Tune in for the season premiere of The Unicorn tonight at 9:30 PM ET/PT, only on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access. Check your local listings for more information.