Walton Gogginsis a character actor known for seemingly everything from gritty Westerns (Justified) toDanny McBridecomedies (Vice PrincipalsandThe Righteous Gemstones). In anticipation of his performance inFalloutand the upcoming third season ofThe White Lotus, now’s the perfect time to analyze the actor whose experience extends fromTarantino moviestoMarvel moviesand beyond. Butthere’s one Walton Goggins role that proved not only how versatile an actor he is, but also how seriously and sensitively he tackles even the most surprising characters to come his way: Venus Van Dam inSons of Anarchy.
FX’sSons of Anarchyis essentiallyKurt Sutter’s retelling ofHamletset within the world of California’s motorcycle club culture. It follows Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) as the club’s heir apparent, as he discovers his late father’s original manifesto, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his demise at the hands of new club president Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and Jax’s own mother Gemma (Katey Sagal). Rounding out the cast is the ensemble of bikers and a wonderful array of guest stars, fromJimmy Smitsas Nero to Walton Goggins as Venus.
Sons of Anarchy
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
‘Sons of Anarchy’ Doesn’t “Other” Walton Goggins' Character
As a series about an outlaw biker gang,Sons of Anarchywas not the most progressive series on television by any stretch, but in its depiction of Venus Van Dam, there wasn’t much they got wrong. There’s definitely an argument to be made that cis men shouldn’t play trans female characters, and in today’s climate, it’s unlikely that an actor like Goggins would be cast in the role of Venus Van Dam anymore. But, in this case, it is only with precisely this kind of sensitivity and severity that a performance like Goggins' works.
Sons of Anarchycertainly uses Venus' gender as a punchline every now and again, butin its depiction of her as a person, it does well not to “other” herthe way other shows might. Following in the footsteps ofDavid Duchovnyas DeniseinTwin Peaks, a role established in 1991 and reprised in 2017’sTwin Peaks: The Return, Walton Goggins takes on the role of a trans woman in a world rarely accepting of such characters. However, despite typically conservative characters surrounding both Denise and Venus, their well-rounded humanity quickly earns them inclusion into their respective communities.
Venus Van Dam Is Given a Deep Backstory in ‘Sons of Anarchy’
Walton Goggins stars as Venus in six episodes ofSons of Anarchy’s seven seasons,first appearing as a sex worker who agrees to help the club blackmail someone. Jokes about established necrophiliac Tig Trager (Kim Coates) finding Venus attractive are low-hanging fruit, but the series foreshadows its eventual maturity by maintaining Venus' decorum, as she even rejects Tig’s advances at first. “It was not farcical but definitely full of humor,“Goggins told Entertainment Weekly. “But we felt there was another side to her that merited exploring.” Ultimately, Venus became “really three-dimensional,” as Goggins says, whenher backstory was revealed.
The show divulges the fact that Venus faced sexual abuse as a child, designed to counteract her gender identity issues. “Nero was the one who took me in, kept the wolves from my door,” in Venus' words, but, eventually, when her teenage son is put in the custody of her abusive mother, it’s time to get the Sons of Anarchy involved.The characters seem reluctant to help at first, poking fun at Venus' gender identity, but they soon relate to her on such a deep level that Jax even shoots Venus' mother in cold blood for expressing hatred towards her. This gives way to more tender moments between Venus and the club, who come to accept her for who she is.
‘Sons of Anarchy’ Gives Venus a Rare Happy Ending
The season prior, Tig failed to save his daughter, Dawn (Rachel Miner), blaming her connection to him and his outlaw lifestyle. Still mourning his loss,Tig’s pride at being able to help Venus put her son on a bus in Season 6 is a welcome sight, and the two bond over their similarities.They stay in touch, and eventually, Venus cares for Tig when he is shot in Season 7. As she tells him, “I was born a man, but I believe my true genesis happened a bit later, when I was stirred by the gods of love and beauty, and transformed into an angel whose sole purpose is to bring light to the shadows and a little bit of joy to all those lost souls who can no longer find it.”
Venus and Tig become a couple and are even afforded a love scene in the series. As is typical of penultimate acts, however,Tig and Venus soon become torn over whether to continue their relationship.This is partially due to Tig’s ties to violent hate groups, particularly those with biases towards gay and transgender people. Eventually, Tig admits his faults, confessing his love for Venus. He asks her to accept his lifestyle the way he accepts hers as a sex worker, and they compromise. This kind of prioritization is the best one could hope for from Tig, but it shows growth nonetheless. As a character with a complex (and at times troubling) sexuality himself, it’s fitting that Venus becomes Tig’s best chance at a happily-ever-after, as well as him becoming hers. This is something sadly stillrare to see in many LGBTQ+ storieson television.
Sons of Anarchytreats its audience to some closure by featuring Venus and Tig as a couple in the series finale. It’s clear thatthe two develop a romantic relationship that extends towards the show’s end and beyond.“That’s the underlying motivation,” says Goggins. “I think compassion is inherent in all of us, and once we step outside our preconceived ideas about a person or situation, and we just come from a place of compassion, you change.” Venus was certainly a tool towards progression within the Trojan Horse of this typically straight, male series, and Goggins' dedication towards this character should be commended for his role in that.
All seven seasons ofSons of Anarchy areavailable to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
