It’s hard to imagine someone like Louis Theroux has an interview bucket list. Having infiltrated the worlds of porn, professional wrestling, and gangsta rap during his decorated career as a documentary filmmaker, you’d think the man had done it all. But no, even Louis Theroux has a list of dream interviews he’d love to do before he retires.
One of the more prominent criticisms of Theroux’s impressive body of work is his subjects are relatively low-hanging fruit. On the surface, it seems like he doesn’t push the envelope enough when planning a new series, as they are all fairly easy targets from the perspective of his audience – whether it be prisoners, Nazis, the Church of Scientology.
While this is somewhat true, I think it somewhat misses the mark in terms of what Theroux is setting out to achieve. Within his documentaries, we see this man extend his humanity to some of the vilest people on the planet, taking an almost anthropological angle to his work. Despite his intelligence, he is never shown to take easy shots at the people he interviews.
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There’s a truly endearing quality of Theroux’s charm within painfully awkward silences, with his patented look of bewildered amazement as his guest confidently says the most appalling thing you’ve ever heard. He demonstrates an impressive balance of courage and vulnerability when out of his comfort zone.
When Louis Theroux revealed to the Daily Star that he had his own list of dream interviews, it piqued our interests. What sort of ambitious, crazy ideas could the man have in store? Well, here’s the rundown, ranked from least likely to most likely. Enjoy.
The Top 3 Dream Interviews Of Louis Theroux
1. Tom Cruise
If you’ve ever watched his documentary My Scientology Movie, this one probably isn’t much of a surprise. In the film, Theroux interviewed former members of the church, highlighting their alleged abuse within its inner workings.
Tom Cruise has been a fairly prolific member since 1986, having stayed in its British headquarters on previous trips to the UK.
“Only because of my history with Scientology, I would go for Tom Cruise,” Theroux explained.
“People are either scared to ask him about it, or they feel like it would create an awkward mood. I just think someone talking to Tom Cruise about what’s really going on inside Scientology would be really valid.”
There is literally no chance in the world that this one happens.
2. Lisa Marie Presley
Even Louis Theroux deemed this person on his list of dream interviews as a “bit of an odd one.” Lisa Marie Presley is the only child of Elvis Presley, as well as being formerly married to Michael Jackson.
Theroux has an interesting connection to the King of Pop. Back in 2003, a documentary was released titled Louis, Martin & Michael, in which Theroux attempts to get closer to Jackson – an idol of his – for an interview.
Since then, Theroux has been rather outspoken about the allegations surrounding Michael Jackson, which would presumably be the focus of his desired interview with his former partner. While Theroux expressed to The Telegraph back in 2020 that he is “still a fan” of the artist, this one still might be a bit of a reach.
3. Shamima Begum
Perhaps the most intriguing (and likely) entry on this list of dream interviews for Louis Theroux is the “Bride of ISIS” herself, Shamima Begum.
Theroux has toyed with the idea of making a documentary on ISIS for some time now. Here, he suggested that he’d like to either interview a “regretful Jihadi” or “a bigot who is still signed up to it.”
“I feel I missed the story of ISIS when it was going on. Anyone in a position of authority I would have liked to have done, or even now a regretful jihadi like Shamima Begum. I tried to get out there to talk to repentant jihadis but it didn’t happen.”
Begum married a member of the Islamic State in Syria when she was only 15 years old, three weeks after leaving the UK with her two friends. Seven years later, Begum is a public voice against the group and is looking for a chance to return home to London after all this time.
The reason this one seems within reach for Theroux is because of Begum’s shown willingness to talk to other journalists and documentary filmmakers. She feels as if spreading her message of anti-terrorism will prevent similar radicalisation and Louis Theroux seems as good an outlet as any to get her point across.
