Ralph Ineson's Nightmare Co-Star: The Goat That Terrorized Him
The Office's Finchy reveals his traumatic experience working with an aggressive four-legged actor on The Witch set. The goat's violent behavior left the British actor injured and seeking culinary revenge.
Ralph Ineson will forever be remembered as Finchy from The Office, no matter what other impressive work he tackles. That iconic character from what many consider television's greatest comedy series remains his calling card. But since those days, Ineson has built an remarkable career, moving far beyond afternoon bingo commercial voiceovers to become one of Britain's most sought-after performers, appearing in major productions like Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein reimagining, Robert Eggers' recent Nosferatu, and even joining the Marvel universe in the surprisingly solid Fantastic Four: The First Steps.
From Struggling Actor to Horror Icon
Ineson's journey from Chris 'bloody good rep' Finch in Gervais' brilliant 2001 sitcom has been anything but smooth. After nearly a decade of struggling to secure significant parts, his breakthrough came around 2009 when he landed the role of Amycus in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. He reprised this character in the final two Potter films and grabbed a small part in the original Guardians of the Galaxy before collaborating with Eggers on 2015's The Witch.
This A24 supernatural thriller, set in 1600s America and featuring an early performance by Anya Taylor-Joy, established Eggers as a director of exceptional talent. The film earned widespread critical acclaim and numerous awards worldwide. However, Ineson's role as the patriarch of the cursed Puritan family came with unexpected challenges.
When Animals Attack: Charlie the Goat
The biggest obstacle wasn't mastering period dialogue or conveying supernatural terror—it was working alongside Charlie, a massive goat cast as 'Black Phillip.' This four-legged performer outweighed Ineson by a full 56 pounds and made filming a living nightmare.
'I didn't have a lot of gas in the tank, really. He was horrible. Really, really horrible. From the moment we set eyes on each other it was just kind of hate at first sight. He had two modes: chilling out and doing nothing, or attacking me,' Ineson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Eggers confirmed his lead actor's ordeal, explaining that Charlie would consistently do the opposite of what was required—becoming violent during calm scenes and remaining motionless when action was needed. The situation escalated when the goat rammed its horns into Ineson's ribs, causing a dislodged tendon that required medical attention.
Sweet Revenge Served Hot
Despite the animal's problematic behavior on set, Charlie became a fan favorite, particularly for the disturbing scene where the creature rears up on its hind legs. This popularity didn't sit well with the injured actor.
'It's wonderful that his fantastic performance is bringing notoriety to the film, but there's a little part of me that's like, Seriously? That f—er?' Ineson admitted.
Eventually, the actor found his own form of payback. 'There's an incredible restaurant in London called The Smoking Goat. When Robert (Eggers) was in town, we went there for my wife's birthday and shared this incredible goat dish. We remembered Charlie. Not so fondly,' he recalled with obvious satisfaction.