Justin Theroux

Justin Theroux (born August 10, 1971, Washington, D.C., U.S.) is an American actor and screenwriter adept at both comedy and drama who is perhaps best known for his role on the TV series The Leftovers (2014–17). Theroux also cowrote the films Tropic Thunder (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), both of which were major box-office hits.

Family and education

Theroux is the youngest of three children born to Phyllis (née Grissim) Theroux, a Washington Post writer, and Eugene Theroux, an international trade lawyer; his uncle is the writer Paul Theroux. His parents divorced when he was six, and Theroux has said that it was a difficult time for him and his siblings. They were largely raised by their mother.

Theroux also struggled with dyslexia and did poorly in school; he claimed not to have read a complete book until the ninth grade. As a teen, he was into the Washington, D.C., punk music scene, and he gradually became interested in acting. Theroux later attended Bennington College in Vermont, where he studied art and theater. He spent part of his college years in China and can speak Mandarin. After graduating in 1993, he moved to New York City.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Early career: American Psycho and Mulholland Drive

Deciding to pursue a career in acting, Theroux worked as a bartender while auditioning. He soon landed Off-Broadway roles, which led to film and TV gigs. His notable early credits included the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol, in which he played a revolutionary, and guest appearances on the TV shows Ally McBeal, Spin City, and Sex and the City.

In 2000 Theroux had a prominent role in American Psycho, an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s controversial novel about an investment banker who is also a serial killer (played by Christian Bale). The following year he appeared in two major films: David Lynch’s noirish Mulholland Drive, in which he portrayed an unlikable director, and Ben Stiller’s Zoolander, a comedy about male models. In Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), he was cast as an Irish mobster. Theroux later had roles in the films Strangers with Candy (2005) and Miami Vice (2006), both of which were based on TV shows. He also continued to act on television, and in the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008), he portrayed John Hancock.

Screenwriting: Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2

In 2008 Theroux cowrote the hit movie Tropic Thunder, a comedy that chronicles the problem-plagued production of a Hollywood film about the Vietnam War. The all-star cast included Robert Downey, Jr., and Stiller, the latter of whom also served as director and cowriter. Two years later Theroux cowrote the blockbuster Iron Man 2 (2010), the second installment in the popular franchise about Tony Stark, a billionaire inventor (played by Downey) with a superhero alter ego. Theroux also contributed to the screenplays for Rock of Ages (2012) and Zoolander 2 (2016).

Later career: The Leftovers and White House Plumbers

During this time, Theroux continued to act. In 2010 he had a recurring role on the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation, and that year he voiced a character in the animated hit Megamind. However, it was not until 2014 that he had a breakout leading-man role, playing Kevin Garvey in The Leftovers. The dystopian series centers on a society living in the fallout of the mysterious disappearance of 2 percent of people on Earth. The show, which aired on HBO and ended in 2017, earned critical praise and a devoted following.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

Other notable credits from this time include the crime drama The Girl on the Train (2016), in which Theroux played the ex-husband of a woman (Emily Blunt) who becomes embroiled in a missing person’s case; Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017), part of the blockbuster franchise; and On the Basis of Sex (2018), a biopic about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Also in 2018 Theroux appeared in the popular action-adventure Bumblebee, and the following year he had an uncredited role in the megahit Joker, about the comic-book villain.

Theroux then had two prominent starring roles on television. In The Mosquito Coast (2021–23) he portrayed Allie Fox, a mysterious inventor living off the grid with his family in the United States. However, when law enforcement arrives, the family seeks refuge in Mexico; the Apple TV+ series was loosely based on a novel by his uncle, Paul Theroux. In 2023 Justin Theroux returned to HBO, playing G. Gordon Liddy in the miniseries White House Plumbers, a comedic take on the Watergate break-in told from the perspective of the burglars. His costars included Woody Harrelson, who played E. Howard Hunt. Theroux told the New York Post, “I really ended up kind of falling in love” with the colorful Liddy, who served several years in prison. Although he objected to some aspects of Liddy’s character, he told the Post, “there’s a kind of optimism that he had, kind of joy that he had in living his own life, that I think…we all wish we could have on the day-to-day.”

Personal life

In 2015 Theroux married A-list actress Jennifer Aniston. Some dubbed him “Mr. Jennifer Aniston,” though he claimed not to mind the dismissive nickname. Three years later the couple announced that they were separating. In a statement released at the time, the pair said, “We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.” Their divorce was finalized later in 2018.