Louis Theroux facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis Theroux
Theroux in 2018
Born	Louis Sebastian Theroux (1970-05-20) 20 May 1970 (age 55) Singapore
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Education	Westminster School
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Occupation	Documentarian journalist broadcaster author
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Susanna Kleeman ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2001)​ Nancy Strang ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Paul Theroux (father)
Relatives	Marcel Theroux (brother) Justin Theroux (cousin) Alexander Theroux (uncle) Peter Theroux (uncle)

Louis Sebastian Theroux (born May 20, 1970) is a famous British and American documentary filmmaker, journalist, and author. A documentarian is someone who makes non-fiction films about real people and events. For his work, he has won three British Academy Television Awards and a Royal Television Society Television Award.

After graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford, Theroux moved to the United States. He started his career as a journalist for magazines. He then moved into television, where he presented unique segments on Michael Moore's show TV Nation.

Theroux is best known for making many documentaries for the BBC. He started with Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends and then made When Louis Met... and over 50 specials. His films often explore unusual groups of people, crime, and celebrities. Most of his documentaries are filmed in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Louis Theroux was born in Singapore. His mother, Anne, is English, and his father, Paul Theroux, is a well-known American writer. Because of his parents, Theroux has dual British and American citizenship. His family is full of writers and actors. His older brother, Marcel Theroux, is a writer, and his cousin, Justin Theroux, is an actor.

When he was one, his family moved to England. He grew up in south London. He attended Westminster School, where he became friends with future comedians Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. He was also friends with Nick Clegg, who later became a major political figure in the UK.

From 1988 to 1991, he studied Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, and he graduated with the highest honors.

Career in Documentaries

Theroux's first job as a journalist was in the United States. In 1992, he began writing for Spy, a humor magazine. He also worked as a reporter for Michael Moore's TV show, TV Nation. On the show, he reported on interesting cultural topics. For example, he looked at the Ku Klux Klan's attempt to rebrand itself as a group for white people's rights.

After TV Nation ended, the BBC hired him to create his own shows. This led to his famous documentary series.

Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends

In Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998–2000), Theroux spent time with unique groups of people, mostly in America. He would live with or near them to understand their lives. His subjects included survivalists and groups with strong beliefs about race, like black nationalists and white supremacists.

His goal was to show the strange side of everyday life. He said he felt lucky to be welcomed into these communities. He wanted to show viewers more about them, often in a funny way that showed him as an outsider in their world.

When Louis Met...

In the series When Louis Met... (2000–2002), Theroux spent time with a different British celebrity in each episode. He would follow them in their daily lives and interview them along the way.

In one episode, he met with the politician Neil Hamilton and his wife, Christine. During filming, the couple was arrested because of false claims made against them. In another episode, he interviewed publicist Max Clifford, who was caught trying to trick Theroux on camera.

BBC Two Specials

Starting in 2003, Theroux began making longer, more in-depth documentaries for the BBC. These specials often returned to American topics. Subjects included criminal gangs in Lagos, Nigeria, and Neo-Nazis in America. He also explored topics like mental health in children and the prison system.

His 2007 special, The Most Hated Family in America, was about the Westboro Baptist Church. It received very positive reviews from critics around the world.

My Scientology Movie

In 2016, Theroux released a feature-length documentary called My Scientology Movie. The film is about his attempt to learn more about the secretive Church of Scientology. The movie was shown at the London Film Festival in 2015 before being released in theaters.

Forbidden America (2022)

Forbidden America is a three-part series about how different groups in the United States use social media. One episode, "Extreme and Online," looks at the American far-right. This is a political movement that grew popular on the internet. In the episode, Theroux interviews well-known figures from this movement.

Louis Theroux Interviews

In 2022, the BBC launched a new series called Louis Theroux Interviews. In the show, he has one-on-one conversations with famous people from entertainment and music. The first series included interviews with the rapper Stormzy, actress Dame Judi Dench, and singer Rita Ora. The second series, which began in late 2023, featured boxer Anthony Joshua and actress Joan Collins.

The Settlers (2025)

In early 2025, Theroux released a documentary called The Settlers. In it, he spends time with the growing community of Israeli religious-nationalist settlers in the West Bank. The film explores the lives of both settlers and Palestinian activists. It was filmed against a backdrop of rising tensions in the region.

Books and Podcasts

Theroux has written three books. His first, The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures (2005), is about him returning to the U.S. to revisit people from his TV shows. In 2019, he released a memoir called Gotta Get Theroux This. His third book, Theroux the Keyhole (2021), is a diary he kept during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK.

In 2020, he started a BBC Radio 4 podcast called Grounded with Louis Theroux. He interviewed famous people from his home during the lockdown. In 2023, he launched a new podcast with Spotify called The Louis Theroux Podcast.

Personal Life

Theroux was first married to Susanna Kleeman. He later explained it was a "marriage of convenience" to help her get legal work permission in the U.S. They divorced in 2002.

On July 13, 2012, he married his long-time girlfriend, Nancy Strang. They have three sons together. The family lived in London but moved to Los Angeles for a few years so he could film his LA Stories series. They later returned to their home in London.

Theroux is an atheist, which means he does not believe in a god. He has said he has a fear of flying. In 2023, he shared that he has alopecia, a condition that has caused him to lose his facial hair. He is also a fan of the Queens Park Rangers football club.

Awards

British Academy Television Awards

Emmy Awards

Royal Television Society Television Awards

See also

• List of TV Nation episodes
• List of Louis Theroux documentaries