Justin Theroux reflects on playing Mr. House on ‘Fallout'

Justin Theroux is embracing the timely edge of his newest role as he steps into the world of Fallout Season 2 as the powerful and unsettling Robert House. 

The Emmy-winning actor says part of the appeal was exploring a character who feels eerily familiar in today’s world.

Speaking with Deadline, Theroux shared that playing House gave him space to explore those parallels without feeling heavy-handed. 

“I don’t really think of him as the bad guy,” he explained. 

“I had fun poking fun at that kind of billionaire tech class. At least internally, that was sort of the fun of playing this character.”

Theroux described House as someone driven less by cruelty and more by belief, belief in his technology and his right to reshape the world according to his own vision. 

He noted that while some may draw comparisons to real-life figures or historical innovators, his own approach was more character-focused. 

He saw House as “this incredibly nerdy, slightly heartless guy who believed in his technology, and believed in his right to sort of reorganize the world in the image that he wanted it to be.”

The actor makes his debut in the Season 2 premiere, titled The Innovator, which opens in pre-apocalyptic 2077. 

Theroux admitted that the show’s relevance was part of what drew him in. 

He said the series offers “a safe way to explore those concepts, those ideas and those ramifications without it being a direct parallel,” particularly when it comes to war, technology, and control.

Reflecting more broadly, Theroux added that he’s fascinated by modern technocrats and the billionaire class, noting how innovation is often driven by what they want rather than what society asks for. 

“That feels like Mr. House is sort of the receptacle for a lot of those personalities,” he said.

With Fallout Season 2 now underway and new episodes dropping weekly on Prime Video, Theroux’s take on Mr. House is already sparking conversation, blending sharp commentary with the show’s signature dark sci-fi tone.