During Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! , show host Jimmy Kimmel welcomed his guest — American actor Justin Theroux — to the stage with Canadian flags and gifts fit for Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. The prank sparked a discussion about how this wasn’t exactly the first time Theroux was mistaken for Trudeau, according to Entertainment Tonight .
The segment opened with Kimmel introducing his guest as the man from the United States’ northern neighbor who just signed a trade agreement with President Trump, as well as a “prime piece of minister.”
Of course, the actor was really there to discuss his upcoming role in On the Basis of Sex , and his time on HBO’s The Leftovers .
Theroux entered the stage as digital Canadian flags appeared on the screen. Canada’s national anthem, “O Canada,” played in the background. The audience sported Canadian gear and held “We love Justin” signs painted with red maple leaves.
While the Maniac star accused Kimmel of thinking he was Trudeau, Kimmel insisted he always knew the difference between the two men.
“I love Canada. I didn’t know you hated Canada,” Kimmel said when Theroux asked why he had so many Canadian flags on display.
Taking the joke even further, a number of staff members brought out Canadian gifts for the “prime minister” while the two spoke. Two men dressed in Mountie outfits offered the actor donuts from Tim Horton’s, a common fast food chain in Canada. A man wearing a lumberjack costume also brought out a bottle of maple syrup, Entertainment Weekly reported.
“I get it. It doesn’t happen to me in life,” Theroux said of the confusion. “It happens in an online context or in my DM’s or someone is outraged that [Trudeau] slighted Trump and they’ll say Justin Theroux should pay for his crimes.”
The confusion only seems to be one-sided, though. Theroux explained that he never hears anyone calling Trudeau the “American actor Justin Theroux.”
The actor even thinks that he could probably pass for Trudeau in person — if he wanted to.
“I actually think I could’ve slipped into the G20 without Trump even knowing… I could’ve given him a big handshake and a hearty ‘Hey, how are you doin?’” the actor said.
Despite the confusion, Theroux has never actually met the Prime Minister of Canada.
As it turns out, Theroux’s father is part Canadian, so the prank wasn’t entirely off-base.
Kimmel said that there are just too many Justins these days to keep track of. They discussed Justin Bieber, who Kimmel revealed wouldn’t want to visit Jimmy Kimmel Live! If he did, though, the singer would receive the same Canadian treatment.