Louis Theroux

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born

May 20, 1970 in Singapore

gender

male

genre

Nonfiction, Travel, Humor

About this author

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Louis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University.

On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel ha...more Louis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University.

On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel had just completed a post-graduate degree at Yale, so Louis stayed with him. "I did menial work to make money and spent two months with a glass blower who made unbelievably tasteless gilded cherub goblets.

Although initially resisting the idea of going into journalism. "All my friends were writing, and I wanted to be different." Louis found a job on a local paper in the sprawling city of San Jose, "a town where nothing ever happens." A year later he went to work for the New York-based satirical magazine, Spy, where "When I asked some rappers to freestyle on gun safety, one of them threatened to beat me up."

As a correspondent for Michael Moore’s 1995 series, TV Nation, Louis anchored sixteen segments. Theroux describes his first assignment: "The Klu Klux Klan were trying desperately hard to repackage themselves and make themselves seem cuddly and nice, but inevitably they left out racist stickers or hate filled T-shirts. It was quite an eye opener." Reports on Avon Ladies in the Amazon and on President Clinton’s hometown of Hope, Arkansas followed.

In 1995, Louis developed his own Weird Weekends and produced a critically acclaimed documentary series premiere. As Theroux describes, "Weird Weekends sets out to discover the genuinely odd in the most ordinary setting. To me, it’s almost a privilege to be welcomed into these communities and to shine a light on them and, maybe, through my enthusiasm, to get people to reveal more of themselves than they may have intended. The show is laughing at me, adrift in their world, as much as at them. I don’t have to play up that stuff. I’m not a matinee idol disguised as a nerd."

Louis has recently taken part in the Clerkenwell literary Festival with friends such as Alex James from Blur and Adam and Joe (who have their own eponymously titled TV show on Channel 4). He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his girlfriend and daughter.(less)

31 posts
Louis Theroux's Blog

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LouisThx: Have a happy and safe Christmas -vrolijk Kerstfeest!

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Published on December 23, 2011 00:38 • 8 views

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Books by Louis Theroux

Average rating: 3.59 · 730 ratings · 93 reviews · 2 distinct works

	The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures 3.59 avg rating — 724 ratings — published 2007 — 10 editions	My rating:
	The Idler 35 : War on Work by Tom Hodgkinson (editor), Damien Hirst (Contributor), Chris Donald (Contributor) 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2005	My rating:

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Quotes by Louis Theroux

“How odd, I thought, that even though I don't believe it still feels nice to be included.”
― Louis Theroux, The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures

5 people liked it

“It's an industry of lonely people in a crowd, Bill Margold was saying. 'They're scared to get close to each other. You're far better off having someone to sleep next to then having someone to sleep with because you have to trust someone you sleep next to. ”
― Louis Theroux, The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures

3 people liked it

“Now, with no hate group to run, Jerry spent his days playing Mah-jong on his computer”
― Louis Theroux, The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures

3 people liked it

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Louis Theroux

Author profile

31 posts
Louis Theroux's Blog

combine editions
Books by Louis Theroux

Upcoming Events

Quotes by Louis Theroux

Add NewVideos

Louis's Fans (22)

Louis Theroux

Author profile

31 postsLouis Theroux's Blog

combine editionsBooks by Louis Theroux

Upcoming Events

Quotes by Louis Theroux

Add New
Videos

31 posts
Louis Theroux's Blog

combine editions
Books by Louis Theroux