Ugh, am I alone in wanting this ^^ sweater? It’s not my color, but I still want it. It looks cozy and amazing. Justin Theroux has a big feature in the latest issue of Mr. Porter. He’s promoting The LEGO Ninjago Movie, plus his turn in Mute, a “dystopian neo-Noir set in futurist Berlin.” Apparently, he wears a blonde wig in that one. This interview isn’t bad at all, actually – Theroux so rarely sits down for long-read interviews, I forget that he actually comes across pretty well in these kinds of pieces. He’s humble, he’s a bit sarcastic and funny, and he never really seems bratty or “narcissistic/actory.” You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
His collection of ghoulish skulls, macabre lithographs & more have all been relegated to his office in Bel Air: “That’s why they’re in my office. When it’s not funny, she calls me out. She says, ‘That’s not funny.’”
Whether Jennifer allows fart jokes in the house: “Of course she would allow a fart joke, but I think she actually has a more refined sense of humour than to crack a fart joke. I think she’s funnier than that.”
Why The Leftovers didn’t get any Emmy nominations: “I think we went full classy. I think it’s because we weren’t particularly a zeitgeisty show. We didn’t have any big sell.” What about his oft-seen ripped and tattooed torso? “Maybe in the last poster, I guess. Existential grease doesn’t necessarily rank high. It’s tough to tweet about it.”
The craziness of being married to Jennifer Aniston: “If nothing else, I have a front-row seat to the insanity, to what make this town so bananas….[There’s] this never-ending operative narrative on the pages of a magazine week to week. It’s just not a part of me,. There’s this slightly insane person running around on the covers of tabloids who is mentally ill, clearly. I think it does drive people insane and you can tell who those people are in the world. You have to be the guardian of your own senses. If a tree falls in the forest and you’re not there to see it, you know. But for the most part, it’s not as pervasive in our lives as people think. Occasionally you’ll get whacked by something. It’s definitely something you have to analyse and come to terms with. Which I think [my wife] has done very elegantly and pretty effortlessly.” But, he adds, “I think I came into our relationship the same person as I am now.”
During his Greenwich Village years, he routinely missed auditions, including one for Friends. “No, I didn’t bother. I slept in that day. I wouldn’t have been prepared for [the fame].”
He’s replaceable: “The key to continuing to work is don’t be a jerk. Because you’re infinitely replaceable.”
He hates California clothes: “The clothes that are designed to make you the most comfortable, like flip-flops, cargo shorts and oversized T-shirts, are the ones that give me the willies. I will wear a fleece as a layer for warmth, but not to anchor a look.”
On the normalisation of the rock ’n’ roll tattoo: “Actually, there’s been this cool evolution. When I see people with tribal tattoos that are all bled out, I think, Oh that’s hysterical. And ironic. And cool. And now there’s sort of this thing of getting lazy, boring, terrible tattoos, which I also find hysterical and which I have a few of myself.”
Whether he’s intimidated by Jennifer’s humor: “Why would a man be intimidated by a funny woman? In a perfect world, a relationship is two people laughing together.”
Imagine a world where Justin Theroux went to that Friends audition. Which part was it for? I could see him MAYBE auditioning for Chandler. MAYBE. Justin has that kind of sarcastic delivery which could have worked for Chandler (although Matthew Perry always belonged in that role). Definitely not Ross or Joey, right? Right. But alternate-history time: say Justin and Jennifer met on Friends and fell in love in their 20s. The whole gossip landscape would be fundamentally different, wouldn’t it? Speaking of alternate history, Mr. Porter says outright that Justin and Jennifer fell in love while working on Wanderlust. I’m sure that will be fascinating to Heidi Bivens, his live-in girlfriend at the time.
Photos courtesy of Bjorn Iooss for Mr. Porter.
I always forget about the Heidi Bivens timeline mess. Poor girl.
ETA: I don’t think she’s out there pining over Justin or anything, just that she got dragged into a very messy situation because one-third of THE most gossiped triangle in recent history fell in love with her live-in boyfriend, who left her. That would suck to have something so public go down while you’re trying to process the end of the relationship.
I would say i think a lot of gossip reading folks dont even know about the Bivens situation,i only learned about it on this site. Well Jennifer clearly went unscathed, she never got the homewrecker treatment that Angie got,maybe because Bivens/Justin weren’t married its ‘easier’ to look over. And Jennifer had the American sweetheart image and im sure very well paid publicists to kill the story.
At the time the Bivens situation was on sites all over the Internet. Jen’s PR put out a story saying Justin and Heidi were off and on at best and Jen’s fans went with it even thought Heidi and Justin had been together for 14 years and had lived together in Justin’s apartment for the last 6 of those 14 years. The favorite fan excuse was that 14 years doesn’t matter if you aren’t married. You really don’t remember stories at any other sites during that time? I saw the article about Heidi’s mother saying nothing was going on with Justin and Jen because she had asked him about it at another site though it was discussed here too.
‘But not to anchor a look’ – sorry he sounds like a judgy douche-bro
I don’t know what “to anchor a look” even means!
I think it’s the one article of clothing or an accessory that puts the exclamation mark on the look you are going for?
Like for me, my tired old Birkenstocks anchor my TJ Maxx purchased pajama pants and soft Gap t-shirt outfit to tell the story that I am an fabulous and aging woman who loves comfort and DGAF what my neighbors think as I walk my dog in the mornings.
He’s saying it sarcastically…
Yeah, I got sarcasm from it, too.
I really like him and miss The Leftovers a ton. And I see we have the same desert boots!! Although he probably just wore this for the photo shoot, I’m guessing.
I like what he said about being infinitely replaceable but I find it kind of funny that he just assumes he would have gotten a part on Friends!
@mia
I love it! Does that mean my dramatic black glasses anchored the lounge pants and hoodie I wore to take my son to school this AM? Or would my flip flops be the anchor? The bun on top of my head? I’m so confused. 😀
Mia – in that case, my anchor look is whatever t-shirt Sixlet Major thought was cool six months ago. Cos I wear his cast-offs!
My ‘anchor’ today is a awkwardly fitted T-shirt with puppy slobber down the front (working from home – academic life for the win)
I’m getting clear visuals on all your anchor looks of the day. My red eye flight was delayed so I missed my connecting flight home. So as I sit in the airport, my anchor is my Virginia Beach sweatpants assisted by my sneakers, blue V-neck tshirt and pony tail holder. The big red California bear sweatshirt sitting on my suitcase, Kindle and Starbucks tea complete my chic ensemble.
my anchor today is a ratty old grey Steal Your Face t-shirt with mustard on it that complements my frayed at the bottom yoga pants with the tacky grey stripe down the side and my grey birkenstocks. Also working from home today. Bahama bound in an hour or so!!
this is hilarious. Only such a pretentious hipster twat like Justin would use the expression “anchor a look”. He’s so obsessed by his looks and how he’s perceived. lately I’m anchoring my look with a pair of worn out espadrilles. Is that cool enough for you Justin?
I know lol.
I love him, but who in god’s name “anchors” a look with fleece????
I didn’t get the impression that he ‘assumed’ he would have gotten a Friends’ role. Just that if he did, and it was as popular as it ultimately would become, he wouldn’t have been prepared…
I got the same impression from that comment. I read the entire interview. I enjoyed it. He seems fine to me.
This poor guy is so DESPERATE to be a star, I almost feel sorry for him. Give it up poser, it’s never, ever, going to happen, best to settle for being a tabloid “star” as your employer wife had to do.
It’s a shame The Leftovers, and his performance in particular, were not nominated for an Emmy and I think he’s right in a sense that the show did not hit a pop culture zeitgeist. Most shows that do have strong hooks in the first couple of episodes. The Leftovers was a slow (and depressing) burn until like the 6th or 7th episode of the first season.
Lots of people stopped watching before it paid off it that way that drives popular conversation. But for those of us who stuck with it, it’s one of the best shows ever. So yeah, I wish it had more Emmy love.
I’m one of those people. I made it half way through season 1 and I just couldn’t take it anymore. It was so tedious that I don’t think knowing it gets better could get me back there lol. Have you seen The Path? I’m biased, but it’s such a superior show.
Side note…I love his style.
That show was should have been advertised as a sleeping aid.
I bloody loved that show. So clever.
And Justin should have got all the awards for the Homeward Bound scene. And Ann Dowd for the S2 scene in the woods with Justin.
The Leftovers is for me, without a doubt, one of the best and one of the most touching tv series ever. It gives me so many feelings and I think I will rewatch it at least once, which is something I don’t usually do. They deserved to many Emmys and what have you for that brilliant piece of work. It’s a shame that they didn’t get any of that, afaik.
100% agree – that show affected me more than any other. All of the performances were amazing and it astonishes me that none of the actors were really recognized for their work.
I’m with you. One of the best HBO serials ever.
Yes, one of the best shows ever. SO happy that Ann Dowd, at least, received an Emmy nom, even if Coon (for this), Theroux, Eccleston, and Brenneman (and Regina King last season) were all tragically overlooked. Nonetheless, I think all will benefit professionally from the fantastic work they did in this series. Per Variety, Theroux is going to co-star in Fukunaga’s new Netflix series with Emma Stone and Jonah Hill.
He says they didn’t “sell” it. Does he think everyone is as stupid as he and his “wife”? They pushed that show for months for Emmy nominations. It was a BAD show, it had few viewers, it was never going to make him a “star”.
It was as far from a bad show as is possible, and if you read my post, you know he’s working with A-list talent on his next project (because he more than proved his acting mettle on TL). His “selling” comment was about the zeitgeist point–TL was never going to be a big commercial success a la GOT. Too dark, abstract, and cerebral. He has consistently said he’s after good projects not empty stardom but, sure, everyone associated with TL wanted awards recognition. Carrie Coon said she may never work on an artistically more rewarding project.
I have no idea how much it was sold – take little interest in that sort of thing.
But Theroux certainly changed my view of him through his work in that show. I went from a vague opinion of “superficial man in whom I take little interest” to “actor I underestimated capable of top quality work”.
I think they only started promoting it prior to Season 3. I have had HBO Now for a couple years (to watch Game of Thrones, naturally) and I didn’t know The Leftovers existed until last Spring when they started the 3rd season promo.
Justin Theroux is way cooler than his skinny jeans let on. (Waaaay too tight, ugh.) In the few interviews I’ve seen, he comes across as very smart, articulate, funny and humble every time.
@tracking: He has a real project, or one of those Aniston type projects, you know the kind that gets announced but NEVER made. IF he does indeed have a project in the works, it must be with Ben Stiller or Jason Bateman. lol
Maybe Chandler(but that part was written for Matthew Perry,he was excellent) and who says it was a main character? I do remember seeing him in a couple of Sex and the City episodes.
Not ready for the fame? Did he know back than that ‘Friends’ was going to be a big hit? Funny that he seems to assume he would’ve gotten a role.
Well, he is clearly playing the “what if” game, recognizing that he wouldn’t be ready for the fame that being on that show involved.
Even if he would play that game, he would not have most likely become famous anyway because it’s hard work. We don’t know for what role he auditioned and he couldn’t even be bothered to go, he was not meant for the work ethic to become famous on his own, that’s why he married into fame. Only Aniston became really famous post-Friends and considering Theroux has worked consistently in TV, he only broke through dating an A-lister.
He was Joe in Six Feet Under (I do love his acting in dramas!) and didn’t break through, it was only upon rewatching SFU a couple of years ago that I realised Theroux was Joe as he didn’t jump out as a STAR to me when I watched it in late 00s. The ‘What If’ game is pointless as he’s not the type of person that will attract or work for that type of fame. He wasn’t ‘ready’ for it? It was never waiting for him anyway which is why his match with Aniston is even more hypocrite.
He was also on his high horse about famous people:
It’s like, once you’ve seen Tom Hanks win the Golden Globes, the Oscars, you’ve seen his wife, what kind of car he drives, when you watch his movies, you can’t fully get really lost in them.
If I was roped into a seven-year TV contract I’d probably hang myself.
He always sees himself as outside of that world but vacations with A-listers now and married one who for sure exposes her private life when necessary. I would prefer Tom Hanks over his bestie Terry Anderson for sure. For me, he seems sneaky about his ambitions and true nature. He’s super vain, seems punk only in his attire not his spirit and arrogant to the point he cannot see that he’s not that his lifestyle is not that different from A-listers only he does not have the CV to back up his arrogance.
It doesn’t seem like he’s ripping on Hanks, just saying that once you get too big of a glimpse into an actor’s personal life, it can get in the way of how you view his/her performances.
I have this weird thing with Matthew Rhys now, that I didn’t when I watched (and loved) him in Brothers and Sisters. In The Americans, all I can see him as is “the guy who’s now partners with his co-star who is acting with her in a TV show.” It distracts me so much that I can’t get into the show, that “suspension of disbelief” just won’t come for me. Weird, I know, but it’s why I get what Theroux is saying about Hanks.
Friends went on for 10 years, and the girls had many boyfriends throughout. Maybe his audition was for Tag, fun Bobby, Mike, or Joshua… etc, etc. I’m sure every decent looking reasonably talented guy in Hollywood got an audition for Friends.
But he would not have gotten fame for those roles so I don’t think he is talking of that here.
So he auditions for “Friends.” JustJen meets in their 20s, falls in love, marries by 30. We still have “is she or isn’t she pregnant” tabloid covers, but they’re significantly less frequent and annoying. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie meet while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith, but this time there is no triangle. Just a line. They have some really hot sex a few times, realize that they don’t actually like each other that much, and move on. What a world.
That’s assuming Brad was single. He (or she) could likely have been married to someone else, so there could have still been a triangle.
I always wonder what the triangle would have been like if Gwyneth was the one he had married.
I don’t think it would have been so inflamed, or lasted so long, since GP is distinctly less likable.
@perplexed There wouldn’t have been a triangle with Gwyneth. Come now you know her better than that. lol JA was always in her shadow since he dumped Gwen after she cheated with a producer. Once he was engaged she thought about breaking them up and was confident she could do it.
Hopefully Heidi has moved on already 😉
Sometimes I wonder about JustJen’s marriage. It’s odd. I find it odd that after 14 years together, Heidi and Justin’s relationship could just be homewrecked by Jennifer.
Sometimes people just get used to one another and only an external “challenge” will make them question what they have. Life can be really nuanced, but people will follow the narrative that fits into protecting their “favourites” I guess.
Yeah, from the outside I still really don’t get them as a couple. I have no doubt that their relationship is genuine or anything like that. I guess they must just be two people who are actually pretty different than their public personas.
I enjoyed the interview. He’s shockingly, well, normal, aside from the home office decor. But sometimes you need dark things to write light.
I have always thought that he’s tempered what was Jen’s/Huvane’s incessant triangle mongering. I think he’s been a moderating influence. I know she’s kind of aged out of the tabs but I think he helped push her in another direction and relax. As dreadful as I think Cake was, I think she started to change the conversation about her career and I’m surprised she hasn’t initiated anymore projects like that.
She seems much more chilled out now so I don’t snark anymore.
Me too.
Her new project Dumplin’ sounds promising.
I want to NOT like him, for some reason…but I do. I really do.
I personally think Jen traded up. I am not usually attracted to the hipster types, but he is cute with a great body, funny, and appears intelligent. I would take him over Brad any day.
Oh, he is definitely better than Brad. But Jennifer had a lot of men in between the two. It’s not like she went from Brad to Justin. She went from Harry, dick, tom , John Mayer etc… Then she lucked out with Justin.
He’s intelligent and crazy hot, without the baggage that comes with Brad. And Jen has her own fortune, so she can maintain her lifestyle. I think she found the partner that will sip Margaritas in Cabo,then go on a juice cleanse with, and not have aspirations to save the world. It works.
Same here. Brad has never done anything for me. I thought he was cute in “A River Runs Through It.” Otherwise, I’m not that impressed.
Current Pitt? Debatable. 2004-Pitt that cheated on her? No. They’re not that different imo.
Both of the men are cheaters.
Both men are meticulous about their appearances. Aniston was with Ken Doll Pitt who clearly liked grooming and picked roles he had to get buff for. And Pitt is a fan of botox/fillers which was overkill at one point (WWZ?). Theroux dyes his chair and is ripped for no special acting role which means he maintains a very strict diet and workout plan as a normal way of life. He likes his wife’s beauty products.
Both are faux-intellectual while being terribly cliché. Pitt with his side art hobbies and self-help quotes, Theroux with his strange collections and general ‘punk’ outlook on life (Justin it’s OK to wear shorts in the summer and not long black jeans, you’re not ‘anchoring a look’, it’s just damn seasonal wear :D)
Aniston being married to an A-lister was part of her relevancy, if she’d been with JT during her Friends days, she would have been less famous post-Friends and no media scrutiny/attention. History played out different and she’s the powerful one in this relationship so it doesn’t matter who her partner is, she’ll never trade up because she doesn’t need to; she can do more for him than he for her (connections which counts for so much more than Aniston having a hot dude by her side, please). Theroux traded up. I’d also say Pitt scrubs up nice although he ain’t shit but then we have Theroux being besties with Terry Anderson so besides the fame, I’d say they’re quite similar. Neither a prize or particularly interesting.
Overkill Botox for brad? More like allied – current Pitt. He looks more like 50 + year old ken doll now more than ever.
Questioning if Justin is better?? Brad pr team said he abused his kids. Yes I believe pushing your son and standing nose to nose is abuse and who know whatver diarrhea was flowing from his mouth (I think it was racist stuff) . Omg.
Justin is definitely better. He treats his animals better than Brad treated his kids.
I’m not questioning anything as I concluded that neither is a prize, point blank. Yes Pitt abused his family and abandoned them, the details about it are unknown so I’m not going to guess what they are and the situation sad enough anyway.
But like I said, JT is friends with Terry Richardson who abused many models in many ways, including coercive control. The evidence could be found on a blog which I don’t know exists anymore but I don’t want to revisit it anyway. Even high profile models like Coco Rocha and Rie Rasmussen have spoken out against him. If you’re a female A-lister working with him (Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Miley, Madonna) he will treat you professionally but if you’re not, they make the women (often underage or barely legal girls who started modeling) do disgusting things that have nothing to do with modelling. This bears repeating over and over again.
I’m not going to say that 1 type of abuse is worse than the other, no victim deserves their pain to be thought of as less, there would be no reason whatsoever. JT is very close to TR, that’s a big nope for me even if I disregard all other annoying aspects of this hipster douche.
I agree. I prefer a little edge to guys, and he has that, but he isn’t pretentious. I prefer dark over fair anyway.
wow he is just SO COOL.
(eyeroll)
A favorite Justin quote via Lainey: “It’s like, once you’ve seen Tom Hanks win the Golden Globes, the Oscars, you’ve seen his wife, what kind of car he drives, when you watch his movies, you can’t fully get really lost in them.” What say you now Mr. Aniston?
Other good ones: “Unless you hit your television with a sledgehammer, you’re not going to be able to be an individual.” “If I was roped into a seven-year TV contract I’d probably hang myself.” “Fame is something I think happens as a result of trying to do good work. If you’re trying to be famous, your work usually suffers.” Come again, hungry, hungry hipster?
Gunther?
LOL! Perfect!
I was going to say chandlers roommate when Joey moved out? Can’t remember his name… got a goldfish ( as in pepperidge farm )
Sometimes I love his style . Sometimes I don’t.
He’s definitely hot though and dare I say sexy?
yeah i thought It was a known fact that he cheated on his longtime girlfriend with Jennifer Aniston ? But her fans defend it by saying “he wasn’t married So it doesn’t count.” 🙄
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫”I love you baby, but face it, she’s Madonna”….♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
Lmao
You caught it! 🤗Luv!
I dont care how he got together with Jennifer. We dont know the whole story. I like them together and he is very good looking. I agree she traded up. He comes off as far more intellectual than Pitt who is a bore and a flake.
+1
I wasn’t involved with Justin, so it’s irrelevant to me what these people do in their love lives.
Yeah, I think the same. Maybe it was messy but I did read that they were off and on often but who knows.
I’m sorry to all his fans but this dude gets creepier by the minute. His dyed hair and beard. The way he meticulously dresses. The way he surely spends hours in front of a mirror and uses hair and makeup products by his own wife’s admission. I’m sorry. He looks so constructed and metrosexual, crafting his image is a huge part of his day I guess. A huge no for me. I get a really bad vibe from him.
He’s creepy and weird because he puts some effort into his appearance?
Yes accompanied by him trying to make out like he’s some cool punky dude. You don’t marry an A-lister after dating a civilian after more than a decade and pretend you go with the flow. Dude is calculated, meticulous and up his own arse all the while trying to pretend he ain’t about that fame life yet getting more high profiles roles and subsequent exposure. He got the fame and recognition without putting any of the work in as that’s beneath him. I just can’t.
Artemis he comes from a famous family of writers and intellectuals, so he probably isn’t impressed. He has been in the industry long enough he wouldn’t be impressed. I believe it.
@Jamieee I agree. I don’t want a schlub who doesn’t care. He may be more high maintenance than I like in a relationship but I am not dating him.
not “some” but LOTS of effort….too much effort, so much that he sounds and looks very calculated and obsessive by his looks. And the way he talks about fame and clothes and celebrity, yes, he’s very much a calculated due IMO. The creepy factor is his terribly dye at hair and beard, the too much cosmetic procedures (he does for sure botox and peelings and who knows what else), his carefully designed and dyed eyebrows, his too tight clothes he wears looking always really uncomfortable, he barely can move, showing his biceps like a Jersey Shore cast member…I mean is too much, too much going on. I prefer men with less vanity. It would creep me out to have a bf or husband who spends more time than me in front of a mirror. But again, just an opinion and is perfectly fine to disagree. To each their own.
That header picture is the SEX. I like these two, they seem to be best buds.
His styling in that shot is very sexy. The way he speaks about her is lovely.
@Tracking – “The way he speaks about her is lovely.”
I love him anyway for the joy of The Leftovers but ^ that’s another reason I really like and have a lot of respect for him.
On a separate note, bit bewildered by the “ugh” followed by the “am I alone in wanting this ^^ sweater? It’s not my color, but I still want it. It looks cozy and amazing” in the OP?
Why the “Ugh”? Is it because it’s worn by someone the OP loves to hate?
I hate them together. I just do.
Disclaimer: I’m tired, PMSing and have never liked JA.
Temporary insanity?
He looks always so fake to me, like a wax figurine or one of those characters from Thunderbirds.
Oh, so the way they fell in love is sort of “uncool” too, huh? Funny how things turn out.