An American film and TV actor, screenwriter and director, Justin Theroux is best known for his performance in Mulholland Drive (2001), directed by David Lynch. Apart from acting, Theroux is also known for his work as a screenwriter for several popular films like Tropic Thunder (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Zoolander 2 (2016). Some of the popular series that he has been part of include Ally McBeal (1998), Sex and the City (1998 – 1999), Six Feet Under (2003 – 2004), and The Leftovers (2014).
Early Life
Born in Washington, D.C, Theroux is the son of Eugene Theroux, a lawyer at the Baker & McKenzie and Phyllis Grissim-Theroux, a journalist and the author who worked with The Washington Post. Paul Theroux, a popular travel writer, and novelist are his Uncles. His cousins Louis and Marcel Theroux are popular British journalists and documentary filmmakers.
Theroux attended different school includes Lafayette Elementary School, Annunciation School, and The Field School and later graduated from the Bennington College in 1993 with a degree in B.A in visual arts and drama.
Personal Life
Justin Theroux was in a relationship with the stylist, Heidi Bivens for 14 years until the duo separated in 2011. He later began dating the popular actress and Friends TV series star Jennifer Aniston after meeting her on the sets of the Wanderlust and got engaged with her in August 2012. The years later, Theroux and Anniston got married on August 5th, 2015.
Movie Career
Justin Theroux had a wonderful start to his career in the film industry as he made his debut with the 1996 American-British independent film titled I Shot Andy Warhol directed by Mary Harron. The film co-starring Lili Taylor, Jared Harris, and Stephen Dorff was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996. The film was also selected to be screened at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2016 and at the time of its release it opened to positive reviews.
Following the success of his debut movie, the actor appeared in four movies in 1997 but he got much appreciation for his roles in the 1997 American Comedy film, Romy and Michele’ High School Reunion directed by David Mirkin. The film co-starring Lisa Kudrow, Mira Sorvino and Janeane Garofalo and Alan Cumming opened to highly positive reviews from the critics and emerged to be a commercial hit at the box office. Later in the year, the actor starred in an independent film, Below Utopia. The film starring Alyssa Milano and Ice – T and Tommy Tiny Lister in pivotal roles was an average earner at the box office.
In his first release of the year in 1998, Theroux appeared in the Edward Vilga directed action thriller film Dead Broke. The film co-starring Jayne Deely, Kevin Dewey, and John Clover received positive reviews and grossed more than eight million USD at the box office. His other film of the year, Frogs for Snakes, directed by Amos Poe received mostly negative reviews and emerged to be a failure at the box office. With no releases to his name in 1999, the actor got a major breakthrough in his career in 2000 as he starred in the black comedy-horror film, American Psycho. The film featuring Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, and Willem Dafoe in pivotal roles premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it received wide critical appreciation. Upon its theatrical release, the film emerged to be a box office hit, grossing more than 34 million USD. Following the success of the film, the actor enjoyed more success with a brilliant performance in Mulholland Drive, an American neo-noir mystery film, which was written and directed by David Lynch. Although the film received contrasting critical reviews it turned out to be a box office hit. His other film of the year, Zoolander, an American comedy film directed by Ben Stiller and co-starring Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell received positive reviews from the critics and emerged to be a box office hit.
In 2003, the actor had a mixed year in terms of his films meeting with contrasting results. While two of his films, viz. Happy End and Duplex did not fare well at the box office, his action comedy film, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle directed by McG got positive critical reviews and grossed more than 259 million USD at the box office. The film had an ensemble cast including Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore and John Forsythe. With no releases to his name in 2004, the actor starred in a Paul Dinello directed film, Strangers with Candy, a prequel to the TV series with the same name. The film starring Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Dan Hedayya, Deborah Rush, and Carlo Alban was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival and it got mixed critical reviews.
After a forgettable year in 2005, the actor continued his bad run in 2006 as his first film of the year, Miami Vice, an American crime film directed by Michael Mann bombed at the box office. His only respite was the Inland Empire, which as listed among the ’30 best films of the 2000’s’ by Sight & Sounds. The film co-starring Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Stanton and Karolina Gruszka received mostly positive reviews. The actor got his next major hit in 2008 with the American action comedy film Tropic Thunder, which was co-written and directed by Ben Stiller. The film co-starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Tom Cruise and Robert Downey, Jr. was a massive commercial hit, grossing more than 180 million USD.
Two years after the success of Tropic Thunder, the actor had a great year in 2010 both his movies Iron Man 2 and Megamind were both commercially and critically successful. Iron Man 2, an American superhero film, which was based on the Marvel comics character, Iron Man was the sequel to the 2008 film of the same name. The film featuring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, and Don Cheadle garnered mostly positive reviews and emerged to be a massive commercial hit, grossing more than 620 million USD. His other movie of the year, Megamind, an American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film featuring Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross and Brad Pitt mostly received positive reviews from the critics, especially for its strong visuals.
Over the next couple of years from 2011 to 2012, the actor had three films, Your Highness (2011), Rock of Ages (2012) and Wanderlust (2012) but only Rock of Ages got decent reviews, whilst the other two films were panned by the critics. After 2012, Justin Theroux took a sabbatical from acting until 2016 made his comeback with Zoolander 2, which released in February 2016. The film featuring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz and Kristen Wiig got mixed to negative critic reviews. Theroux’s other 2016 films includes, The Girl on the Train, an American mystery thriller drama film directed by Tate Taylor. The film co-starring Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans and Lisa Kudrow got generally negative reviews and become a commercial flop.
Television Career
Apart from acting in films, Justin Theroux has a well-establish career in the TV industry; he made his debut on the TV series with Central Park West in 1996 where he played the role of Gary Andrews. Two years later in 1998, Theroux featured in mostly guest appearances in several series’ like Spin City, Ally McBeal, New York Undercover and Sex and the City. At the start of the new millennium, Theroux played the role of Nick Pierce in the Police drama series’, The District where the featured in 27 episodes.
After the much success The District, Theroux next appeared in two episodes of the American action drama series, Alias created by J.J. Abrams. The series was well received by the critics and it also won various awards and nominations including the Outstanding Fight Choreography at the American Choreography Awards and the Excellence in Production Design at the Art Directors Guild. The actor enjoyed great success in his TV career as he starred in Six Feet Under, an American drama TV series, which was created and produced by Alan Ball. The series won widespread critical acclaim and it consistent drew high ratings on the HBO network. It also won several awards including nine Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In 2011, Justin Theroux appeared in the pilot episode of the 2011 series, Documental, which was also written and directed by him. The actor next featured in The Leftovers, an American drama series which was created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta. The series, which ran from 2014 to 2015, Theroux appeared in 20 episodes playing the role of Kevin Garvey, Jr., Mapleton’s Chief of Police.