Adam Scott (retired), Diego Luna (Andru, Lamaquina), Eddie Redmayne (Jackal Day), Jeffrey Wright (Agency, Last of Us), Walton Goggins (White Lotus, Jewel on the Right), Cooper Kels mentors: Monsters Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air Air You’re not often getting a thing about a air air air air, a air air, etc. You’re not often diving into a story about career-building failures, sleepless nights, identity struggles, and emojis. But it really unfolded during a wide, refreshing, honest roundtable, bringing together six actors who have been praised. Everything rides creative and critical highs. You can see the round table above and get the overview below.
The session was part of the Hollywood Reporter’s annual drama actor Emmy Roundtable, filmed at the front post base in West Hollywood at Soho House in May. And while it was closed with toast (as Goggins cheerfully offered up “Nothing to be rich in friends”), the path to that moment was paved with laughter, vulnerability, hard-earned perspective.
“What type of Walton Goggins is?”
The group began by considering the meaning of being labeled “type” in Hollywood. Goggins was quick to joke that “Walton Goggins type” usually says “solitary and sad.” Wright added: “I think Walton will speak for all of us.”
As the conversation unfolded, each actor reflected how the industry saw it. Wright shared that he often has to “slot himself into different rooms” because he compares his adaptability to “having multiple personality disorders” due to the lack of written roles for someone like him. Redmayne spoke about how his early career shifted from quirky roles to drama in the English era after all theories’ releases. And now he joked.
For Luna, typecasts came with ethnicity. “Before Star Wars, the only project I provided was drug dealers,” he said. Even if he had become “good” the ceiling was clear. He now believes in seeing more freedom in how the story is told and who tells them, and changing the appetite of viewers for industry gatekeepers.
Bruise feedback, self-doubt, creative fuel
Inevitably, the conversation turned into the harsh early lessons that shaped them. Goggins recalls what his first acting teacher told him. Rather than discourage him, the comments fired him.
However, Koch received a very different kind of criticism. The acting teacher told him whether he told him he was not cast for his “gay voice.” “It’s not the moment,” Koch said when asked if it motivated him. “I hated it,” however self-doubt remained, and the group nodded as they were recognized. “I’m scared,” Koch admitted. “I don’t know if that’s over or not.” Redmayne and Luna said they opposed the idea that fear would eventually fade.
For Scott, like Ethan Hawk in the 90s, he stopped chasing what he thought was, and he stopped realizing, “The only thing you have is you, and you are the only person who can bring it.”
Nerves, nearby mistakes, and sticking roles
Even after decades in business, anxiety remains. Wright spoke about returning to the agency for season 2 and questioning whether he could pull it off. “It takes some energy,” he said. “It comes from a desire to do it well.”
Redmayne shared a vivid memory of starting all theories without sleep and soaked in the bath at 4:30am, a day before filming. “I learned that if not ideal, I can survive 48 hours and function.”
Goggins looked back at his early years with humility and gratitude, including the time he almost lost his spot with his shield. He is now approaching new opportunities with confidence that he can accept what he calls “child-like abandonment” and that he can “understand it.”
Koch spoke for years about auditions for Menendez-related projects before he was eventually cast in Monster. “I felt like I had to tell this story,” he said, describing it as one of the roles that didn’t leave him entirely.
Be recognized and create connections
Inevitably, fame emerged. In particular, it means how fans approach it and being part of a cultural conversation. “Can I take a photo?” The most common refrain added that people would like to offer compliments first. “I would rather connect.”
Goggins shared a more intense version of its vision, reminiscing of fans who yelled at him from the balcony on a White Lotus run, and passed the car. “This is something culture is involved and you just happen to be a part of it,” he said. “It’s a blessing, not a curse.”
Luna described the passion of Star Wars fans as profound and positive. This is a fan who knows the work closely and offers genuine appreciation. “They care just like you,” he said.
For Scott, retired fans often approach him and talk about how they watch the show with their loved ones. “It really immerses in their lives in a different way,” he said.
Traveling beyond destinations
Throughout the discussion there was a recurring theme: the value of the journey. Wright shared his story with Al Pacino about rehearsals for the American Angels. “The journey was far more important than the ultimate destination,” Wright said.
When the dialogue got caught up, the actors exchanged their favorite emojis (Scott is the classic dad’s thumb, Luna is a little dance boy who works to suit every emotion).
The Round Table was closed with Goggins’ final toast-covered notes of warmth and friendship.
Jeffrey Wright from “The Last of Us” Season 2 | HBO ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 | HBO
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