Louis Theroux: 'Now I'm 51, no one needs to see me naked on screen'
The journalist speaks about his upcoming BBC Two docuseries Forbidden America and how his approach to documentary-making has changed over the years.
Over the years, we've seen Louis Theroux get into all sorts of activities whilst filming his documentaries, from looking for UFOs and infomercial presenting, to appearing in pornography.
However, the journalist has said that he now has "a different way of working" and participates less in his documentaries these days, adding: "I'm 51, no one needs to see me naked."
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press during a webinar for his upcoming BBC Two series Louis Theroux: Forbidden America, the filmmaker said that while he's less involved on-screen in his docs, he still tries to establish that he is not all that different from the subjects he's filming.
"I'm coming up on more than 25 years and I've always done stories that touched on areas of life that are in different ways viewed as suspect, or as you say 'othered' or command sometimes understandable, justified sense of judgment and then sometimes an unjustified sense of judgement."
He continued: "Early on I used to participate in the stories, I would take a role in a gay porn film for example – I stripped off naked and had my prospects assessed by the leading porn agent at the time. But now I'm 51, no one needs to see me naked or for a porn agent.
"I've got a different way of working but I do try and hold on to that feeling that the people that I'm among, as different as they may seem in different respects on the surface, are in important ways quite similar to me."
Talking specifically about Forbidden America's second episode, Rap's New Frontline, which looks at the multi-million-dollar rap scene in Florida, Theroux added: "I'm a fan of rap. I see the world of rap as something that I admire and I try and hold on to that sort of respect for the artistry of the people involved and the humanity of the people involved."
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The upcoming three-part documentary, which is Theroux's first series of completely new material since 2018, sees the journalist return to the US to look at the impact of the internet and social media on the most controversial corners of American society.
Louis Theroux: Forbidden America airs Sunday 13th February at 9pm on BBC Two. For something else, visit our TV Guide our check out dedicated Documentaries hub.
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