Louis Theroux, the celebrated documentary filmmaker, has revealed which of his films he considers his finest work during a conversation with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall on The Inner Game podcast. Theroux, who has been crafting documentaries for the BBC for nearly three decades, named his 2007 film The Most Hated Family in America as his proudest achievement.
Theroux's Choice: The Most Hated Family in America
During the podcast, Aspinall, who had watched every one of Theroux's documentaries, asked which he was most proud of. Theroux responded, "Well, my son asked me the other day, unusually, because it's not like they're always talking to me about my career and stuff. He was like, 'What do you think is your best documentary?' I said, well I don't really like to say, but probably one I did called The Most Hated Family in America."
Originally intended as a one-off in 2007, the documentary later expanded into a three-part series. It is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The film follows Theroux's visit to the family-run Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, a homophobic congregation known for picketing funerals of fallen soldiers with offensive placards.
Inside the Westboro Baptist Church
Theroux described the church as "a cult-like religious group in Kansas led by a guy called Fred Phelps." He explained, "There's about a hundred of them and they believed that it was their duty to picket funerals, concerts, mainly the funerals of dead soldiers with homophobic placards that used offensive terms saying 'Thank God for dead soldiers' and then the idea of just that the deaths of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were God's punishment for an America that was overly tolerant of homosexuality."
Despite their controversial beliefs, Theroux noted the paradox of their hospitality off-camera. "They were very civil and highly educated," he said. "They were like, 'We know you hate us and God hates you because you're hellbound sinners, but while you're here, would you like a cup of? Would you like some lemonade? Please come in, sit down.'" He added that they were "so friendly" and that the access was granted because part of their belief system dictated that everyone globally needed to receive their message before Jesus could return.
Why Theroux Is Proud of the Documentary
Reflecting on the film, Theroux said, "The first one in particular, for various reasons, I do think, I'm particularly proud of that one. I think that one, you know someone who didn't know who I was, no history with me, they could watch that and be like, 'Oh yeah, that's really good.' I can sort of hold that and go like, 'Yeah, that's really good.'"
Theroux encouraged viewers to watch the documentary on BBC iPlayer, noting that behind the scenes, the church members were welcoming, which made for a compelling and unusual documentary experience.
