17 Sons Of Anarchy Easter Eggs You Totally Missed
16. Cletus In Fur
The greatest supporting role on the show might never have been possible if Sutter had stuck to his guns; Walton Goggins' superlative, brave, and vulnerable performance as Venus Van Dam, the transgender prostitute who wins Tig's heart, wasn't originally intended to take place.
Sutter had brought in actors from his previous television show, The Shield, for supporting roles and extended cameos in the past. However, hed been concerned that doing likewise with lead actors Michael Chiklis and Walton Goggins would overshadow the new show, pushing the central cast of Sons Of Anarchy into the background. Despite this stance, Goggins repeatedly harassed Sutter for a part, and Sutter repeatedly turned him down, finally saying in exasperation, "The only way I'll have you on this show is if you've got t*ts and a wig." Goggins didn't have to think twice; he immediately said he'd do it, leaving Sutter the job of figuring out how to work the character that would become Venus Van Dam into the story.
Why Venus Van Dam? Well, Goggins' character on The Shield, Shane Vendrell, would frequently take the alias Cletus Van Damme: Venus Van Dam is like a saucier version of that pseudonym.