Louis Theroux is a man of many talents, he is recognized as an award-winning journalist, presenter, and author. When Louis Met… and Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends are two of his most popular series that helped him build a loyal following. As of 2023, Louis Theroux has a net worth of $4 million.
Background
Louis Sebastian Theroux was born on May 20, 1970, in Singapore. He is the son of Anne and Paul Theroux, his father is a well-known travel writer and novelist from America. Thanks to his father, he is a dual citizen of the UK and the United States.
He came to England with his family when he was a year old and grew up in London. In 1979 or 1980, he moved from elementary school to Tower House School in East Sheen.
Louis was a bright child and attended Westminster School, a posh prestigious school located on the Westminster Abbey grounds. He majored in Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, and graduated with honors in 1991.
Early Career
Once he graduated, he went stateside. Theroux’s first job was working as a writer for Metro Silicon Valley, a free local newspaper in San Jose, California. In 1992, he was employed as a journalist for Spy, a monthly magazine that published satirical pieces.
Louis’ first jump into the spotlight came as a reporter for Michael Moore’s TV Nation, a program filming pieces on quirky cultural topics such as marketing Avon to women and the Jerusalem syndrome.
When TV Nation came to an end, Theroux was offered a development deal by the BBC, which he used to create his first programs.
Making Documentaries
Theroux explored niche subcultures in his first BBC documentary, Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends. Viewers loved how he interacted with guests and got them to share details about their personal lives. He documented survivalists, adult stars, black nationalists, and white supremacists.
He then worked on When Louis Met.. from 2000 to 2002. He followed the daily lives of famous British celebrities in each episode, interviewing them along the way. More documentary opportunities opened up after these shows pulled in strong ratings. They can still be viewed on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
Other Ventures
In 2005, Theroux published the first of his many books titled “The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures.” In the book, he describes his return to the US to learn more about the guests featured on his shows.
His autobiography, ‘Gotta Get Theroux This’, came out in 2019 and in November 2021, he published ‘Theroux the Keyhole’, a diary written during the pandemic lockdowns.
In April 2020, Louis began the BBC Radio 4 podcast titled, “Grounded with Louis Theroux” from home. He conducted interviews with well-known individuals who he finds fascinating such as his cousin, Justin Theroux.
Personal Life
From 1998 until 2001, Theroux was married to Susanna Kleeman but it was only a marriage of convenience, he revealed. On July 13, 2012, he married his long-time partner, Nancy Strang. They have three boys and currently reside in North London.
