Justin Theroux teamed up with his uncle for new series ‘The Mosquito Coast’

They say don’t mix family with business, but that doesn’t apply to Justin Theroux, who is an executive producer on the new drama series The Mosquito Coast alongside his uncle, Paul Theroux.

The new Apple TV series is based on a 1981 novel of the same name, written by Theroux's uncle, and it follows the life of an American family in Mexico on the run from the U.S. government.

Allie Fox, played by Theroux, is a brilliant inventor and stubborn idealist who uproots his family for a dangerous quest in order to find safety. The cast also includes Melissa George as Margot Fox, Logan Polish as Dina Fox and Gabriel Bateman as Charlie Fox.

Theroux told Etalk's Sonia Beeksma all about starring and executive producing the series alongside his uncle Paul.

“How I got there was — you would think that I called up Paul or he called up me and said, ‘Hey, let’s do a TV show about that book.’ That was not the way it happened. Paul independently was working on it with Freemantle and sort of shopping it around to different studios. Apple jumped on it and it was only then that I was made aware of it,” Theroux revealed.

That’s when he thought that working together on the series could “time out and work out” because he was available. 

“I sort of raised my hand and met with [executive producer] Neil Cross, who was the creator and shepherd of the series. Got on like a house on fire with him, loved the scripts that he had written and the way he had sort of updated the scripts and then signed on,” Theroux explained.

Theroux said he had the “bizarre experience” of calling his uncle Paul to tell him that he was going to work on The Mosquito Coast.

“Of course, he was ecstatic about that. It was really sort of stars aligning. It wasn’t a grand master plan,” the actor added.

He said that it helped to have his uncle around when he was trying to figure out his character because he could just pick up his phone and text him without going through all the nerves of having to meet the author of the book.

Theroux’s character Allie Fox has a very Bohemian vibe, and he’s really not connected to technology at all. Sonia asked The Mosquito Coast star how he’d really be if he was off the grid with no technology.

“I think like all of us, we’d probably be good for about two weeks… I’d definitely be looking for a signal. I think we’re all so signal-dependent. I don’t know how unnerved I’d get by not having one. But yeah, I think I’d do well for a minute and then I would probably crumble,” he said. We love the honesty, Justin!

Like many of us who are still working from home, we are so blessed to have our furry friends beside us all day and Theroux felt the same blessings because he got to have his dog Kuma the Pit Bull mix with him on set.

“If you love dogs, then you know the joy of being able to bring your dog to work. When you’re allowed to do that, that’s a fabulous thing. It’s like having a travel partner that has no choice in where she gets to go but it’s ecstatic to be travelling with you,” he said.

Theroux added that anytime you’re shooting a project far away from home, bringing your pet with you is the “best comfort blanket you can have at the end of every day and every morning.”

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