Steal This Beard and Hair Style From Justin Theroux

Justin Theroux has an enviable beard. It's lush. It's dramatic. It makes you want to grow yours in time for fall.

There are lots of guys we look to for grooming inspo. Idris Elba. Brad Pitt. Bradley Cooper. Jake Gyllenhaal. Even Zayn Malik.

So where does Justin Theroux fall in line? Personally, I think he’s the most relatable. The guy wears a hat or bike helmet half the day, then pops it off and makes disheveled hair look like runway gold. It’s relatable in that it’s imperfect and endearing. Really, he’s rarely photographed without at least some piece of hair sticking sky-high, and it’s evidence that you don’t have to fall in some orderly line in order to embrace your style. On top of that, he's got that recessed hairline at the temples, and he’s learned how to play to that and maximize the hair he does have.

He doesn’t change a lot about his overall look, at least not lately. But with some subtle variations of beard and hair length, he has earned a bit of a reputation.

Here are the best of his looks from the past 15 years—and tips on how to get them for yourself.

June 2003

Fifteen years ago, we got a little preview of the Theroux we recognize today—particularly that signature disheveled hair. This look isn’t one I’d endorse on the everyday guy, since his stylist probably spent a while with the blow dryer, hair spray, and curling brush to get this effect. It’s gonna be hard to execute in your own hands, and hard to pull off. But it's admirable as a relic from another era.

November 2012

There was a long, tough stretch before this look—handlebar mustaches, overlong sideburns, and other horrors that various celebrities suffered through in the late 2000s. But here’s the leading man, with a freshly shaved face and a high-shine, slicked-back look. (Get it yourself with a lightweight, high-hold wax pomade.)

March 2013

Here's a total transformation in just a few months, and with a different roster of products. Clearly, he’s confident in either outfit. Since he probably had a moto helmet on before this photo was snapped, it’s likely his stylist used a lightweight texturizing cream, blowing his hair upward till dry, then fanning it back when the helmet was placed on.

October 2013

And just like that, with a few persuasive moves and memorable months on his record, Theroux became a GQ cover star—and with his disheveled coif, too. If you want to emulate this look, get a low-shine, medium-hold hair paste, apply it to towel-dried hair, blow-dry it back, and then, I dunno…snatch a few pieces out of place?

June 2014

Here, at The Leftovers premiere, Theroux just gets a big bonus for wearing eyeliner and mascara. No, I’m not about to suggest that you pop into your 2 o’clock PowerPoint preso with full Green Day face, but I’ll honor exactly zero criticism against this effort. It makes him look younger, I think, and more importantly, it makes him look like he gives no shits about what you or anyone else thinks. Pairing it with the stubbled chin, Theroux gives us a new lesson: Sometimes special occasions call for unusual measures. Take a risk, guys—nobody’s going to question you if you don’t second-guess yourself.

February 2016

From here out, Theroux seems settled into his rhythm, grooming-wise. He teeters between freshly shaved and mostly bearded, and between combed back and blown forward. Before we see the next photo, I want you to acknowledge his hairline again here: He isn’t afraid to cut his hair short and wear it back and texturized up, recessed hairline be damned. Again, for this I’d use a texturizing cream, applied to towel-dried hair but blown dry without a brush. (Use your fingers to coach it into place.)

April 2017

Regarding that hairline recession, see how Theroux minimizes the attention to it with a couple inches of hair styled forward? This is likely the result of a hair paste, blown dry and brushed or combed into place. Notice the weight of his beard, too: It’s a week or two’s stubble, and every bit red carpet–ready, mostly thanks to a clean neckline.

November 2017

Fresh-shaven again, in the same year, and with a sweet vertical tuft, as is tradition. Once again, I love that about Theroux: The out-of-its-place hair is clearly intentional, since it’s always, always slightly askew, and in whichever corner of his head. It’s endearing, even when it’s out of control. (See next photo.)

May 2018

This isn’t even a style. No notes here, except that Theroux very clearly had a trucker hat or motorcycle helmet on and just mussed up his hair after the fact. (And again, it still looks endearing on him. His confidence and bad-boy bravado are important here. If you’re biking to work, apply a texturizing cream that allows you to reactivate and rework the style with a little water, all day long. (But maybe tame it into something more shapely, since you aren’t an A-List actor—no offense.)

July 2018

Here’s Theroux as we know him most recently and consistently. His hair is texturized (probably with a paste, looking full, not covering any recession, and his reddish beard is grown four to eight weeks out.

You might not think twice about this photo because Theroux looks so familiar here. Here’s a guy who started humbly (with a few awkward phases), then elevated his efforts, and who still plays with beard-and-hair-length variations (not ashamed of his receding hairline) and isn’t afraid to try something nontraditional—which sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t.