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Justin Theroux has been chosen as the new face of The Luxury Collection, starring in the brand’s global campaign ‘I Am The Luxury Collection’. The actor leads a series of film spots from Stept Studios that position him as the curator, guiding viewers through the Marriott-owned portfolio of more than 130 hotels and resorts in 40 countries. The campaign, launching globally on HBO Max, highlights the brand’s focus on destination-focused travel, spanning from Madrid to Los Cabos to Savannah.
“Luxury means uniqueness,” says Theroux Variety on a Zoom call from the Canary Islands, where he’s filming the Apple TV+ miniseries “Wild Things.” “It’s the ability to do something rare or rarefied, something that expands your mind culturally. It could happen third class on a train through China or at the Ritz-Carlton. It’s about having an experience that feels different from your everyday life.”
Theroux based his portrait of the curator on the kind of concierge he encountered at very large hotels, the ones who sit you down with an espresso and map out their favorite spots from an authentic, local perspective. “I’ve met people who are extremely helpful and totally add to your experience,” he says. “They tell you what’s really happening in a city: the art exhibition that’s only there for a month, the local thing that’s more authentic. They’re cultural concierges. They innovate.”
This emphasis on individuality fits with Theroux’s own frustration with what he sees as Instagram’s flattening effect on global travel. “It’s a great thing for tourism, but it doesn’t do travel any favors,” he says. “It made us think that the journey is smooth and requires no adventure.” In the campaign’s hero film, “Beautiful Contradiction,” this sense of adventure translates into a series of visual juxtapositions (heritage sites and modern design, bustling capitals and tranquil shores) filmed as if The Curator were slipping between worlds with the same ease that great journeys require.
On the acting side, he recently completed the “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel, reuniting with Emily Blunt for what he calls an “edgy, rich, stupid” character who was “awesome” to play. “Everyone knew the movie they were making,” he says, noting the thrill of sharing scenes with Meryl Streep. “I’ve obviously watched her my whole life, so all of a sudden, playing with her is such a pleasure and an honor.”
Next up is his press tour for “Fallout,” where he plays, in his own words, an exalted Howard Hughes-type billionaire opposite Walton Goggins. “Walton and I get to see a lot of scenery together,” he says. “The world is crazy in the best way.”
He also continues to expand Ray’s, the downtown New York bar he co-owns, into select cities. After the Austin and Miami pop-ups, Detroit is next on the shortlist. “We want to avoid the typical spots,” he says, noting that it probably won’t appear in Los Angeles. “We want places where it clicks organically.”
But before his schedule returns to red carpets and bar-hopping, Theroux says he’s considering a few properties from The Luxury Collection for his own travels. Kyoto and Tokyo top the list, with a detour to Madrid. That allure, he says, is the same thing that drew him to the countryside in the first place. “Each property evolves at its own pace with a unique charm and soul,” he says. “True luxury is not about sameness. It’s about character and discovering something real and unexpected.”
