What is it about that type of person who is universally liked? We all know one, two, or maybe even a handful. They might not be the funniest, the most intriguing, or the best looking, but they possess an irresistible gravitational pull that is often just inexplicable. Is it the fact they are so malleable in social situations that wherever they may be placed, they can seamlessly slot in? Do they have a sense of charming familiarity that makes them feel like an old friend? Or is it merely just their pleasant demeanor that radiates from within?

Regardless of its derivation, this specific, and rare attribute is a gift, and one that has seen journalist and documentarian, Louis Theroux reach the very summit of his profession. Over a television career bridging 25 years, from Weird Weekends to Miami Mega Jail, what makes Theroux such a deft interviewer?

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

The Disarmingly Charming Nerd

     BBC

There are a variety of techniques the stuff-upper-lipped Brit employs to translate well both on-screen, but more pertinently, to his respective show’s subject. Theroux is naturally awkward, rigid, and stiff, peculiarly socially inept for someone with a job that requires such gregariousness. Yet, it is through this inherent awkwardness that he endears himself to those he is interviewing. There is a lack of conviction in his voice, and the soft tone that always makes him sound a little unsure about what he’s saying completely disarms him of any initial threat the interviewee may feel as though he is posing them and their beliefs.

This unassuming approach perfectly lends itself to empowering the subject and allows them to speak openly and freely without imposition. The bespectacled nerdiness of Louis Theroux is another pacifying quality he has contained within his arsenal, and again helps to massage and relax a conversation. This in turn enables him to effectively get right to the crux of the contentious issue that’s being discussed without being provocative.

Theroux’s Non-Judgmental Approach

Rarely do we see Louis’ personal view on a situation. His interviews are unadulterated, and uncontaminated by individual bias; thus, his opinions on the topics in question uphold his impartiality as a journalist. Subsequently, this non-judgmental approach facilitates a more open, less emotionally-fueled debate.

As is so often the case with interviews, the journalist, newspaper, or television company’s own narrative regularly attempts to shape the viewer’s perspective that resembles something akin to their own. However, Louis Theroux, with his strict objectivity, will never obscure the judgment of his viewership, enabling us to make up our own minds on the talking point while presenting his own arguments in a subtle, understated, and often humorous way.

This further eases an unnatural situation for an interviewee, and again, authorizes them to speak without fear of judgment. Theroux tees up his challenging questions in a quietly clever manner, which usually follow interviewees’ contradictions in rhetoric and active hypocrisy, yet even these questions are asked in a polite, unthreatening, and unprejudiced fashion and are simply utilized to reveal more about the interviewee.

Jumping in at the Deep End

Whether it be jumping head first into the New Orleans rap scene and becoming the first white, middle-class MC in the city, trying his hand at Broadway acting, grappling, rolling, and throwing himself into the world of pro-wrestling, or being confronted by Neo-Nazi’s and South African animal hunters, he never fails to get fully immersed in the culture of those he is documenting.

His willingness to develop a greater, more insightful understanding of the different cultures he’s exploring through a whole host of weird, wacky, and wonderful ways just add to his personable, likable persona. This is another method deployed by the documentarian, who uses these techniques as an exercise in truly initiating a more personal relationship with those being interviewed.

Ultimately, interviews are a fine balancing act, a craft that many an interviewer will spend years harnessing and honing. The art of the interview can be performed effectively using a plethora of styles. Yet, Louis Theroux’s wholesome, relaxed, and placating tactic is as much a tack as it is his natural being. The ball is never in his court; he doesn’t intellectually rally with his “opponent”, he merely observes and bears witness to their viewpoint.

There is a certain passivity about his harmless lanky exterior, mellow voice, and constantly raised eyebrows. He manages to appear as a fence-sitter to the documentary’s chosen voice, while concurrently exposing his true feelings to the audience without forceful, overbearing bias. In his interviews, it is a case of ostensibly surrendering control to the subject, creating the illusion that they are at the wheel; however, the hidden secret is that Louis Theroux always has both feet firmly on the pedals.