Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Justin Theroux has built an unusually varied Hollywood career, moving between acclaimed television dramas, studio comedies, independent films, and major screenwriting assignments. As an actor, he is best known for playing Kevin Garvey on HBO's "The Leftovers," one of the most critically acclaimed television dramas of the 2010s. His other notable acting credits include "Mulholland Drive," "American Psycho," "Six Feet Under," "Wanderlust," "The Girl on the Train," "Maniac," "The Mosquito Coast," "White House Plumbers," "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," "Fallout," and "Running Point."

Theroux has also earned significant income behind the camera. He co-wrote Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder," wrote "Iron Man 2," co-wrote "Rock of Ages," and helped write "Zoolander 2." "Iron Man 2" alone grossed more than $620 million worldwide. Theroux reportedly earned $75,000 per episode during "The Leftovers," which would amount to roughly $2.1 million across the show's 28 episodes before bonuses or other compensation.

His public profile increased significantly during his relationship and marriage to Jennifer Aniston. Following their separation, Theroux continued a prolific acting career and later married actress Nicole Brydon Bloom.

Early Life

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

Justin Paul Theroux was born on August 10, 1971, in Washington, D.C. His father, Eugene Theroux, was a corporate lawyer, while his mother, Phyllis Theroux, is an author and journalist. Justin grew up in a notably literary family. His uncles include writers Paul, Alexander, Peter, and Joseph Theroux, while documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux and filmmaker Marcel Theroux are his cousins.

Justin attended a series of schools before enrolling at the Buxton School in Massachusetts, where he became involved in acting. He later attended Bennington College in Vermont, graduating in 1993 with a degree in visual arts and drama.

After college, Theroux moved to New York City, where he pursued acting while also working as a visual artist.

Early Acting Career

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Theroux made his television debut in 1995 on the CBS series "Central Park West." The following year, he made his film debut in "I Shot Andy Warhol."

During the late 1990s, he steadily accumulated supporting roles in film and television. He appeared in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," "Frogs for Snakes," and "American Psycho," while making guest appearances on shows including "Ally McBeal," "Spin City," and "Sex and the City."

One of his first substantial television roles came on the CBS police drama "The District," where he played Nick Pierce. Theroux appeared in more than two dozen episodes between 2000 and 2001.

In 2001, he appeared in David Lynch's acclaimed psychological drama "Mulholland Drive" as filmmaker Adam Kesher. He also had a memorable supporting role that year in Ben Stiller's comedy "Zoolander," beginning a professional relationship with Stiller that would later extend into screenwriting.

"Six Feet Under" and Film Work

Theroux joined HBO's "Six Feet Under" in 2003 as Joe, a musician who becomes romantically involved with Brenda Chenowith, played by Rachel Griffiths. He appeared across the show's third and fourth seasons and shared in a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the ensemble cast.

Around the same period, Theroux appeared in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Duplex," and several episodes of "Alias." He later appeared in Michael Mann's "Miami Vice" and reunited with David Lynch for "Inland Empire."

Theroux made his feature directorial debut with "Dedication," starring Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

He also demonstrated a willingness to take highly unconventional roles. In David Wain's 2007 comedy "The Ten," Theroux played Jesus Christ, and the following year he portrayed John Hancock in HBO's Emmy-winning miniseries "John Adams."

Screenwriting Career

Alongside his acting career, Theroux developed a lucrative second profession as a screenwriter.

His major breakthrough as a writer came when he collaborated with Ben Stiller and Etan Cohen on the screenplay for 2008's "Tropic Thunder." The action comedy starred Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black and became both a commercial and critical success.

Theroux's work on "Tropic Thunder" led to one of the biggest writing assignments of his career: Marvel hired him to write the screenplay for 2010's "Iron Man 2." The film starred Robert Downey Jr. and grossed approximately $624 million worldwide.

He also worked as a creative consultant on the animated film "Megamind" and provided the voice of Megamind's father.

Theroux later co-wrote the screenplay for 2012's "Rock of Ages" and reunited with Ben Stiller to write "Zoolander 2," which was released in 2016. His screenwriting career gave Theroux a substantial source of income separate from acting and helped establish him as one of Hollywood's relatively rare performers who could move comfortably between leading roles and major studio writing assignments.

"Parks and Recreation" and "Wanderlust"

In 2010, Theroux had a recurring role on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" as Justin Anderson, a charming attorney who dates Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler.

Two years later, he starred alongside Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd in the comedy "Wanderlust." Theroux played Seth, a long-haired member of the rural commune where Aniston and Rudd's characters find themselves after leaving New York City.

Theroux and Aniston had known each other before making "Wanderlust," but their relationship became romantic around the time of the film's production. Their subsequent relationship dramatically increased Theroux's visibility in celebrity media.

"The Leftovers"

Theroux landed the defining dramatic role of his career when he was cast as Kevin Garvey on HBO's "The Leftovers."

Created by Damon Lindelof and novelist Tom Perrotta, the series takes place after 2% of the world's population inexplicably disappears in an event known as the Sudden Departure. Theroux played a police chief and father struggling with the psychological and supernatural consequences of the event.

"The Leftovers" premiered in 2014 and ran for three seasons through 2017. Although its initial audience was relatively modest, the show developed an intensely devoted following and became increasingly acclaimed as it progressed. Theroux's emotionally demanding performance was central to that reputation.

He appeared in all 28 episodes. Theroux was reportedly paid approximately $75,000 per episode, which would equal roughly $2.1 million over the full series before bonuses and other compensation.

His performance earned nominations from the Critics Choice Television Awards and several critics organizations and remains widely regarded as one of the strongest performances of his career.

Film and Television After "The Leftovers"

While starring in "The Leftovers," Theroux continued working in films. He appeared opposite Emily Blunt in 2016's "The Girl on the Train," reprised his Evil DJ role in "Zoolander 2," and made a cameo as the Master Codebreaker in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

In 2018, Theroux appeared in the Netflix science-fiction miniseries "Maniac" alongside Jonah Hill and Emma Stone. That same year, he appeared in "Mute," "The Spy Who Dumped Me," and "On the Basis of Sex" and voiced Decepticon Dropkick in "Bumblebee."

He voiced Tramp in Disney's 2019 live-action/CGI remake of "Lady and the Tramp." Theroux also became involved as an executive producer on ABC's "Live in Front of a Studio Audience," the television special created by Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel. The production won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), giving Theroux an Emmy as part of its producing team.

"The Mosquito Coast"

Theroux took on another major television leading role in 2021 with Apple TV+'s "The Mosquito Coast."

The series was particularly personal because it was adapted from the novel written by his uncle, Paul Theroux. Justin played Allie Fox, an inventor and idealist who takes his family on the run through Mexico and Central America.

Theroux also served as an executive producer alongside his uncle and others.

"The Mosquito Coast" ran for two seasons, further extending Theroux's career as a television leading man after "The Leftovers."

"White House Plumbers" and "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"

In 2023, Theroux returned to HBO in the five-part limited series "White House Plumbers." He portrayed G. Gordon Liddy opposite Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt. The dark comedy dramatized the Watergate burglars whose actions contributed to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.

Theroux followed the series with a role in Tim Burton's 2024 sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." He played Rory, the boyfriend and manager of Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz. The film became a major box-office hit and introduced Theroux to another large franchise audience.

"Running Point," "Fallout," and Later Work

Theroux joined Kate Hudson in the Netflix basketball comedy "Running Point." He plays Cameron "Cam" Gordon, the chaotic former president of the fictional Los Angeles Waves basketball team whose trip to rehab leaves his sister Isla in charge.

Theroux initially appeared in a recurring capacity before becoming a series regular for the second season. The series was renewed for a third season.

He also joined the second season of Amazon's "Fallout" as Robert House, the powerful pre-war businessman associated with New Vegas. Theroux's portrayal expanded the role of the character significantly from the show's first season.

His other later work included an appearance in the blockbuster sequel "The Devil Wears Prada 2," alongside Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. The film grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide.

These projects continued a pattern that has defined Theroux's career: alternating between prestige television, large studio movies, comedies, and character roles rather than pursuing a conventional movie-star trajectory.

Justin Theroux Net Worth

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Relationship and Marriage to Jennifer Aniston

Theroux was in a relationship with stylist Heidi Bivens for approximately 14 years before the couple separated in 2011.

He subsequently began dating Jennifer Aniston after the two worked together on "Wanderlust." Theroux and Aniston became engaged in August 2012.

They married on August 5, 2015, in a private ceremony at Aniston's Bel Air home. Guests were reportedly told they were attending a birthday celebration for Theroux so the couple could keep the wedding secret.

Aniston had purchased the approximately $21 million Bel Air property in 2011, and she and Theroux extensively remodeled and decorated the home together during their relationship. They held their wedding on the property.

Theroux and Aniston announced their separation in February 2018. They emphasized that the split was amicable and remained friendly in the years that followed.

Nicole Brydon Bloom

Theroux later began dating actress Nicole Brydon Bloom after the two met through mutual friends in 2022. Bloom has appeared in television series including "The Gilded Age" and "Paradise."

Their relationship became public the following year. Theroux proposed during a trip to Italy, and the couple married in 2025 in an intimate ceremony at Hotel Esencia on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

Awards and Honors

Theroux's performance in "The Leftovers" earned him recognition from several television critics groups, including nominations from the Critics Choice Television Awards and the Gold Derby Awards. He won the Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2017.

As an executive producer of "Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons," Theroux shared the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) with the program's producing team.

Earlier in his career, he also shared in a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for "Six Feet Under."

Real Estate

Theroux has maintained longstanding ties to New York City's Greenwich Village. He owns property in a historic co-op building in the neighborhood and spent years combining and renovating multiple units to create a larger residence.

The renovations eventually became the subject of a lengthy legal dispute with a neighboring resident beginning in 2017. The disagreement involved allegations concerning noise, renovations, and building issues and generated considerable press coverage.

During his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, Theroux also lived at her approximately $21 million Bel Air estate. Aniston had purchased the A. Quincy Jones-designed property before their marriage, and the couple worked together on an extensive redesign. She retained ownership following their separation.

Theroux's Greenwich Village home has remained closely associated with his preference for New York, contrasting with the Los Angeles lifestyle he shared with Aniston during their marriage.

Justin Theroux Net Worth

Theroux

Jennifer Aniston Net Worth

Aniston