Justin Paul Theroux, born on August 10, 1971, in Washington, D.C., is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.
Born to Phyllis Grissim Theroux, a journalist and author, and Eugene Albert Theroux, a corporate lawyer, Justin grew up in a creatively inclined family with deep literary roots.
His father is of French-Canadian and Italian descent, while his mother has English and German ancestry.
Theroux’s early life was marked by challenges, including a diagnosis of ADHD, which made traditional schooling difficult.
He attended multiple schools, including Lafayette Elementary, Annunciation School, the Field School, and Buxton School in Massachusetts, where he first discovered his passion for acting.
After graduating from Bennington College in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in visual arts and drama, Theroux moved to New York City, initially aiming to pursue a career in visual arts.
Siblings
Justin has two siblings, an older sister, Elizabeth Theroux, and a younger brother, Sebastian Theroux.
Elizabeth and Sebastian grew up alongside Justin in Washington, D.C., in a family shaped by their parents’ divorce when Justin was six years old.
However, more information about his siblings is limited, as they have not pursued careers in the entertainment industry or sought public attention.
Career
Theroux began his acting career in the mid-1990s, debuting in the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol.
His early work included stage performances in off-Broadway productions and roles in films such as Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), American Psycho (2000), and Mulholland Drive (2001), the latter directed by David Lynch, which significantly raised his profile.
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Theroux’s ability to navigate both comedy and drama led to roles in films like Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Zoolander (2001), and The Girl on the Train (2016).
His television work is equally notable, with standout performances as Kevin Garvey in HBO’s The Leftovers (2014–2017), a role that earned him critical acclaim, and as Allie Fox in Apple TV+’s The Mosquito Coast (2021–2023), adapted from his uncle Paul Theroux’s novel.
Beyond acting, Theroux has made significant contributions as a screenwriter, co-writing high-profile films such as Tropic Thunder (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), and Zoolander 2 (2016).
His collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau on Iron Man 2 stemmed from Downey’s recommendation after their work together on Tropic Thunder.
Theroux also made his directorial debut with the 2007 romantic comedy Dedication and has served as an executive producer on projects like The Mosquito Coast and the Emmy-winning Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2019).
His voice acting includes roles in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Megamind (2010), and Disney+’s Lady and the Tramp (2019), where he voiced Tramp.
Accolades
Theroux’s most notable award is the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for producing Live in Front of a Studio Audience, alongside collaborators like Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel.
For his acting, Theroux received widespread praise for his role in The Leftovers, earning a nomination for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2016.
That same year, he was nominated for three additional awards for The Leftovers, including the Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, which he won in 2017.
Earlier in his career, he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2005 for his role in Six Feet Under.
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