Justin Theroux's birthday

Justin Theroux is almost part of the furniture for fans of movies, TV shows, and celebrity gossip. This inimitable actor has starred in all sorts of productions throughout his long and varied career, including The Leftovers, Maniac, and The Girl on the Train. 

On top of that, he’s tried his hand at writing. Incredibly, Justin wrote and directed Dedication, and co-wrote Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, and Rock of Ages during his illustrious career! Perhaps his genius comes from his uncle, Paul Theroux, the famous travel writer and novelist, who knows?

Early Life, Careers, And The Move To Washington, D.C.

Justin Paul Theroux was born on August 10, 1971, in Washington, D.C. As discussed already, his family was exceedingly intellectual. His mother, Phyllis Grissim-Theroux, was an essayist and author. She wrote all sorts of complicated arguments and was incredible at expressing her ideas. His father, Eugene Albert Theroux, was right at the top of the legal profession. They must have had interesting conversations around the dinner table!

Justin attended Lafayette Elementary School when he was young. He then moved to Annunciation School, and the Field School in Washington before going on to the Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts. That led him to transfer to the Big Apple, New York City, to pursue a career in visual arts. However, he soon discovered that acting was in his DNA, thanks to the local Broadway scene. People began talking about him more after he starred in his first, all-singing, all-dancing show, I Shot Andy Warhol, in 1996.

A Diverse Career

Justin’s career was far more varied than many realize. He worked with practically every Hollywood director under the sun. Some of his partnerships included David Lynch, Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, and Noah Baumbach. 

Of course, he was always keenly aware of the risk of being typecast. That’s why he played a part in American Psycho (2000), where he was the narcissistic yuppie friend of Christian Bale’s serial killer. Just a few months later, he made the jump to Zoolander (2001), where he played an evil DJ who helps Mugatu (Will Ferrell) brainwash Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller).

By 2010, he had made the jump to writing. Tropic Thunder was his big project in 2008. He got some much-needed help from Ben Stiller with this one, with both of the men’s talents rubbing off on each other. His creative juices continued flowing in 2010 when he assisted Jon Favreau with the script for Iron Man 2 in 2010.

However, the story didn’t end there. Justin also developed an impressive TV career in parallel with his movie-making. The Leftovers (2014-2017) was a real fan favorite, where he played Kevin Garvey, a police chief who tries to cope with the aftermath of a mysterious event that made millions of people suddenly vanish into thin air! He was also in the 2018 film, Maniac, where he played controversial scientist Dr. James Mantleray. 

Overall, people love Justin for his playfulness and fun. The actor and TV star has a cool sense of humor, loves animals, and has a passion for motorcycles.