Olivia Wilde described a harrowing near-death experience on the set of the 2011 film "Cowboys & Aliens," where she was nearly killed in a horse stampede and saved by actor Walton Goggins. Wilde shared the account on a recent episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast.
Wilde, who has extensive experience riding horses, explained that she had become overconfident while filming the Western. She was two months into production alongside co-stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford when the incident occurred.
"We were leading the charge to fight the aliens," Wilde recounted, describing a scene where she, Craig, and Ford were galloping at full speed with approximately 40 horses behind them. She noticed a large, 6-foot ditch ahead.
"Sure enough, this horse jumps and bucks me off in the craziest way, and I fell off," Wilde said. She hit her head and back, landing on the other side of a dirt lip. The dust and the position of the horses behind her meant they couldn't see her.
Wilde recalled hearing the thundering hooves and bracing for impact, believing her death would be swift and final. "It'll be like pulverized applesauce out," she thought at the time.
However, Goggins, who was riding behind her, saw the situation unfold. In a split-second decision, he turned his horse sideways in front of Wilde, using his own body to shield her from the oncoming stampede. Wilde noted that Goggins, being a skilled rider, was able to manage the maneuver, while other riders split off, thinking he had acted erratically.
"He was protecting my body on the ground," Wilde stated, calling Goggins "a real-life hero" and saying she owes him her life. Wilde played Ella Swenson and Goggins portrayed Hunt in the Jon Favreau-directed film.