Documentary maker Louis Theroux has shared his insights on hate speech, free speech, and his career in a new interview. His latest film focuses on the Westboro Baptist Church, featuring an ex-postal worker who joined the group after seeing them on TV, including in a Theroux documentary. When asked how this makes him feel, Theroux said his job is to counteract and challenge hateful views, showing both why they are “wrong-headed” and where they come from. He acknowledged that a few people may find the hatred appealing, calling it “the price you pay”.
On free speech, Theroux said it is a question of how much power someone has and whether he feels able to hold them to account. He recalled being told he was “one of the chief workers of iniquity in the entire history of man, right up there with Pontius Pilate and Herod”, which he described as “an amazing compliment”. He noted that it is important not to write off people whose ideas you disagree with, but instead take a more open approach to present an alternative view.
Theroux reflected on his early career, saying he felt the need to make programmes entertaining through immersive behaviour, such as being photographed naked for a documentary about the adult film industry. Now, he believes that as long as the story is interesting and emotionally engaging, “grand, slightly tongue-in-cheek gestures aren’t required quite so much.”
He deliberately avoids politics or topical subjects, focusing instead on relationships, angst, and “profound acts of self-sabotage”. This approach has made his early programmes still watchable after 20 years, as they “speak to things about the human condition that are perennial.”
Theroux revealed he turned down a chance to make a film about Shamima Begum, the British teenager who joined Islamic State, because he did not like “being in a media scrum”. When asked about his obituary, he said, “As long as they spell my name right and say that I was beloved by my family, that would be number one.”
On the memes and memorabilia produced by his fans, Theroux admitted: “My embarrassing part of my brain is secretly kind of thrilled by it, but I try to pretend that I don’t care… After being in TV for 25 years, you never take for granted that people appreciate what you do.”
