Louis Theroux

Louis Theroux is a British-American documentary filmmaker, broadcaster, journalist, and author known for his distinctive approach to investigating unusual subcultures and extreme characters. Born in Singapore in 1970, he is the son of American travel writer Paul Theroux and was raised in London. He studied Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. Theroux first came to prominence as a correspondent on Michael Moore's TV Nation before creating his own BBC series, Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends, which immersed him in eccentric American subcultures. He went on to make dozens of acclaimed documentaries exploring subjects from religious extremism to the adult entertainment industry to the US prison system, always bringing his trademark combination of politeness, genuine curiosity, and quiet persistence. His books include The Call of the Weird, in which he revisits subjects from his early documentaries, and Gotta Get Theroux This, a memoir that became a Sunday Times bestseller. Theroux has won multiple BAFTA awards and his podcast Grounded with Louis Theroux has attracted millions of listeners. His audiobooks and books offer the same disarming intimacy that makes his documentaries so compelling, giving readers and listeners a front-row seat to his extraordinary encounters.