Louis Theroux’s ability to establish a rapport with subjects is legendary, even with people who are aware that he may be, from their perspective, implicitly hostile. His affectation of ignorance and naivety is part of it, obviously, but it’s more than that: he lets subjects take a position of superiority, remains emotionally detached, yet exposes himself to scrutiny.
In this video, Ryan Holligner explains just how good Theroux is at this stuff.