Louis Theroux

Documentarian known for exploring unusual American subcultures with a humane, witty touch.

Chronology: 1970-05-20 – Present

Origins & Early Life

Louis Theroux ( LOO-ee thə-ROO; born 20 May 1970) is a British and American journalist, broadcaster, documentarian and author. He has received three British Academy Television Awards and a Royal Television Society Television Award. After graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford, Theroux moved to the United States and worked as a journalist for Metro Silicon Valley and Spy.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He moved into television as the presenter of offbeat segments on Michael Moore's TV Nation series. Theroux is known for his numerous documentaries with the BBC, beginning with Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998–2000), followed by When Louis Met... (2000–2002) and 50 BBC Two specials (2003–present). His work includes studies of unusual and taboo subcultures, the crime and the justice system, and celebrities.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The majority of his documentaries are set in the United States, but he has also studied cultures in South Africa, Israel, Nigeria, and the UK. The New Yorker described Theroux's work as "a piercingly humane, slyly funny guide through the funkier passages of American culture".

Source: Wikipedia