Oh, Louis. Can he do any wrong? Not only is the legendary documentarian a hilarious, mild-mannered genius with a kind of wizardry for getting the wildest people in the world to open up to him, he’s got the wherewithal to really care about shit that, well, really needs caring about.
Theroux was on ‘The Project‘ tonight to talk about his new film, Heroin Town. It’s part of a three-parter on the United States, and this one tracks the rampant opiate addiction that’s destroying the lives of thousands of Americans.
It’s a crisis overwhelmingly caused by the over-prescription of legal painkillers like Endone. When the American government cracked down on the supply, there was a sudden migration among those addicted to the opioids from pills to heroin.
Theroux told the panel:
“Every day around 145 people die of an opioid overdose in America. Which is equivalent to a 9/11 every three weeks. That gives you some idea of the scale of the opioid crisis.”
He also called the situation “the biggest health crisis in America“, and considering Trump‘s approach to it – which is to provide the equivalent of 2 cents per addict in funding to help battle addiction – he’s doing a great thing by shining a light on it.
The ‘Project’ panel managed to swing the conversation to the other most pressing quandary of our time: why the hell his cousin, Justin Theroux, pronounces his name differently.
Yep, while Louis says it theroo, Justin, for some reason, says it therow, and according to Louis, it is a total aberration that he has promised to get to the bottom of.
“I’ve had this issue with him before. I don’t know what he’s playing at. The rest of the family says Theroo.”
Theroux fight!
Watch the full segment here, and make sure you catch Heroin Town as soon as you can. It’s harrowing stuff.
Documentary filmmaker @LouisTheroux talks about #HeroinTown, the US opioid crisis & getting to know his interview subjects. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/I0ebHr3CBD
— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 10, 2017
