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Background:
British-born actor/director Tim Roth might render us speechless with his
beautiful directorial debut titled The War Zone (1999), a moving drama based on
Alexander Stuart’s novel. Thanks to his brilliant directing technique, Roth
harvested critical applause and won a Valladolid International Film Festival
Silver Spike award, two Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Jury Awards,
a Tróia International Film Festival Tróia Award, an Edinburgh International Film
Festival Award and a Berlin International Film Festival C.I.C.A.E. Award.
Formerly, Roth had already created a buzz when he took the leading role of Myron
in the mob comedy The Hit (1984), in which his exceptional acting won a Mystfest
Award and a London Evening Standard Award, as well as earned a BAFTA nomination.
Later, he was handed a BAFTA Award after superbly playing Archibald Cunningham
in the biopic Rob Roy (1995, also received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations).
In addition, the performer, who was named the 1985 Evening Standard British
Film’s Most Promising Newcomer, received a San Francisco International Film
Festival Piper-Heidsieck Award in 1995.
Roth has five tattoos on his right arm and occasional works as a bartender. The
16th person in the 100th issue of Tropopkin’s “Top 25 Most Intriguing People,”
Roth became the president of the jury for the Camera D’Or Prize at the 2004
Cannes Film Festival.
On a more private note, Tim Roth once had a romantic relationship with Lori
Baker, with whom he has a son. He is now married to Nicki Butler and the father
of their two sons.
Aspiring Sculptor
Childhood and Family:
Born Timothy Simon Smith on May 14, 1961, in London, Tim Roth is the second
child of a journalist father and a landscape/painter mother. After World War II,
his father changed the family name to the German-Jewish name ‘Roth’ to avoid
conflicts when he traveled to countries who disliked the British.
Tim, who at the age of 15 spent a night in jail for threatening behavior, was
first seen in a school play. Graduating from the Dick Sheppard Comprehensive, he
attended the Camberwell School of Art and planned on becoming a sculptor.
However, as his interest in acting grew, he quit school 18 months later and took
a part in a stage production.
Currently, Tim is married to fashion designer Nicki Butler, whom he wed in 1993
in Belize. They have two sons, Timothy Hunter (born on May 4, 1995) and Cormac
(born in 1996). Tim is also the father of Jack (born in 1985) from his previous
relationship with Lori Baker.
The Hit
Career:
When he was 16 years old, Tim Roth joined a school production of “Dracula”
(1977). His next stage experience was in Jean Genet’s “The Screens,” which took
place after he left college. Roth then quickly landed the leading role of
Trevor, a 16-year old rebellious skinhead, in the TV film Made in Britain
(1982).
Roth’s first screen collaboration with actor Gary Oldman, in Meantime (1984,
TV), brought the young actor the leading role of hit man Myron in the mob comedy
The Hit (1984), where he flourished and took home a Mystfest for Best Actor and
a London Evening Standard for Most Promising Newcomer, as well as received a
BAFTA Outstanding Newcomer nomination. He then had the supporting role of Edgar
Lawson in the TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel Murder with Mirrors
(1985, CBS in the U.S.A.) before having the role of Matthew Long in the BBC
drama “King of the Ghetto” (1986). Working on Franz Kafka’s novel adaptation,
the new actor played a man-turned-beetle named Gregor Samsa in Metamorphosis
(1987, TV).
Gathering more notice, the 1985 Evening Standard British Film’s Most Promising
Newcomer was seen in such gripping movies as the BAFTA-winning A World Apart
(1988), the comedy drama The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989, as
Mitchel) and Tom Stoppard’s comedy drama Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
(1990, played Guildenstern, opposite Gary Oldman). After relocating to Los
Angeles, California, in 1991, he appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs
(1992), as the young villain Mr. Orange/Freddy Newandyke. He also portrayed
famous American serial killer Charles Starkweather in the miniseries “Murder in
the Heartland” (1993) and rejoined Tarantino in the crime drama Pulp Fiction
(1994, had the leading role of small-time thief Pumpkin/Ringo).
Roth introduced himself to an even wider audience with his brilliant performance
as Archibald Cunningham in the biopic Rob Roy (1995), where he won a BAFTA for
Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for
Best Supporting Actor for the same role. The rising actor, who in 1995 received
a San Francisco International Film Festival Piper-Heidsieck award, ensued the
victory with an appearance in Everyone Says I Love You (1996, as Charles Ferry),
for which he also performed the song “If I Had You” and “I Can’t Believe That
You’re In Love With Me.” Following the star-studded gangster movie Hoodlum
(1997), Roth starred as an orphan pianist named Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon
Nineteen Hundred ‘1900’ in The Legend of 1900 (1998, also played piano for
“Silent Night, Holy Night”).
The performer provided his directorial debut with the drama The War Zone (1999),
a silver screen adaptation of Alexander Stuart’s novel. For his tireless effort
in the challenging project, Roth was garnered numerous awards, like a Valladolid
International Film Festival Silver Spike, two Fort Lauderdale International Film
Festival Jury awards, a Tróia International Film Festival Tróia award, an
Edinburgh International Film Festival and a Berlin International Film Festival
C.I.C.A.E. award. The film featured Ray Winstone, Lara Belmont and Colin
Farrell.
Roth also presented marvelous performances in the English version of the
romantic drama Vatel (2000, as Marquis de Lauzun), the Werner Herzog-helmed
Invincible (2001, starred as Hersche Steinschneider/Erik Jan Hanussen), Emmett’s
Mark (2002), To Kill a King (2003) and the short film With It (2004, played
“Chicken Louis” Farnatelli). However, he did not fare as well in the thriller
The Last Sign (2005), where he was cast as Jeremy Macfarlane, an alcoholic and
abusive husband. The actor was recently seen in Mark Rydell’s crime drama Even
Money (2006), playing Victor.
Roth will be seen on the big screen in David Leland’s romantic comedy Guilty
Pleasures (2006) before returning to TV with a part in the upcoming The
Aftermath (2006). He will also work again with Quentin Tarantino by appearing in
Inglorious Bastards. Roth will seen be seen In the Shadow of Wings and The Death
of Harry Tobin (both in 2006). Additionally, Roth is set to take part in the
upcoming adventure movie The Other Side, as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth
Without Youth, both of which are slated for a 2007 release.
Awards:
- Berlin International Film Festival: C.I.C.A.E. Award - Panorama, The War
Zone, 1999
- Edinburgh International Film Festival: Best New British Feature, The War
Zone, 1999
- European Film: European Discovery of the Year, The War Zone, 1999
- Festróia - Tróia International Film Festival: Tróia Award - First Works
Section, The War Zone, 1999
- Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival: Jury Award - Best Director,
The War Zone, 1999
- Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival: Jury Award - Best First
Feature, The War Zone, 1999
- Valladolid International Film Festival: Silver Spike, The War Zone, 1999
- BAFTA: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Rob Roy, 1996
- San Francisco International Film Festival: Piper-Heidsieck Award, 1995
- Evening Standard British Film: Most Promising Newcomer, 1985
- Mystfest: Best Actor, The Hit, 1984
- London Evening Standard: Most Promising Newcomer (film), The Hit, 1984
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