Louis Theroux has revisited his 1997 documentary on the pornography world for a new BBC series, and it’s led fans to unearth his hilarious walk-on role in a gay porn film.
Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge sees the beloved documentarian catch up with individuals who made appearances in his past series. In an episode broadcast last night (14 September), Theroux revisited his two documentaries on pornographic actors: 1997’s “Porn”, an episode of his early Weird Weekends series, and its 2012 follow-up “Twilight of the Porn Stars”.
In Life on the Edge, Theroux recalled trying to see if he could make it as a porn star, and posing for a naked polaroid for a porn producer. Theroux is seen asking his wife what happened to the photograph, with his wife replying: “I don’t keep it under my pillow.”
In the wake of the new documentary, fans have also been reminded that Theroux did indeed make an appearance in a 1997 porn film as a result of his investigation – albeit a walk-on role in which he kept his clothes on.
Theroux’s cameo in the ski-themed gay porn film Take a Peak, which can be viewed here, saw him portray a concerned police officer who arrives at the home of several young men to warn them that an escaped prisoner is on the loose.
A nervous Theroux can be seen stumbling over his words, and telling the men that they can call him if they spot the felon in question.
In 2011, Theroux revealed that he had not seen his cameo, despite the production company sending him a copy of the tape.
“I was living in New York and the film came into my local video store,” he told Metro Online. “It was called Take a Peak, and it had a skiing theme... It was most odd. They sent me a copy of it but I’ve never watched myself in it. It wasn’t a sex role, I just said a few words.”
On Twitter, Theroux fans expressed their joy at the memory.
“Watching louis theroux starring in the background of 90’s porn is kinda my favourite thing,” wrote one viewer.
Another added: “Only @louistheroux could get away with the sentence ‘can you remember where that Polaroid I had taken for porn is?’”
