The great thing about Tim Roth is that he immediately puts you at ease by seeming like he doesnt give a shit what questions you ask him. Other journalists at the Dark Water press event were lobbing some of the dumbest crap I ever heard at him and even though there 25 people in the room he answered them as though each one was the only person in the room.
In Dark Water, Roth plays a lawyer who is helping Jennifer Connelly through a tough divorce and then tries to help her with this strange situation that is happening in her apartment building.
Dark Water is in theatres now
Daniel Robert Epstein: Was there a lot of backstory to your character that we didnt get to see?
Tim Roth: I don't know because I haven't seen the film. I think that when we were doing it we intentionally didn't fill in all the gaps with him and sort of left it up to you to make your own minds up about it. One the one hand he's quite a supportive character to her, but he also has this bizarre sort of duplicity, this strange kind of lie that he's created. Maybe his family is just avoiding him. Maybe they all bailed. Maybe he never had one in the first place. I didn't make any concrete decisions. I'm sure that [director] Walter [Salles] had his ideas, but he wouldn't communicate them to me which is a good idea.
DRE: How did you create this character?
TR: It was pretty much in the script. It was actually quite tightly written which is rare and I haven't seen the Japanese version of it. I don't think that he even really exists in that. Maybe he does, but it's a very miniscule thing. We played around with stuff. I don't know if it's the film, but I had a couple of clients in the car. Walter [Salles] liked the idea of having people in the car/office while I was on the way to court.
DRE: I think people may have expected your character to be less sympathetic.
TR: It depends on whether the press will blow the gaff, but that's kind of what people would expect, Uh oh, what's he going to do. I think that's what is interesting too. He chooses to support her. Even if he thinks that she's possibly deranged or paranoid or deluded but he does stick with her.
DRE: Are you a fan of horror movies?
TR: No, I'm not one for horror movies so much. I do like the film Gaslight though. It's not really a horror movie so much as a suspense movie, but things like that. The obvious ones would be Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby and The Shining. But I don't know if they are so much horror movies as much as psychological thrillers. They are very intelligent films.
DRE: Are you a fan of Walter Salles?
TR: Yeah that's why I joined in. I'd met him before socially and I loved Central
Station. I also liked that he worked on City of God as a producer which is just an incredible piece of work. He liked a film that I directed as well. So we talked and hes fascinating to talk with. He's an interesting and very elegant man. Then this came up and he sent me a script. It's interesting for me to be in this kind of film but it was a chance to work for him and see how he would attack a studio film.
DRE: How was it working with Jennifer Connelly?
TR: She's a proper actor. She can do her job and I say that because quite often they can't.
DRE: Who?
TR: Should I name names? That'll work. Think about it, I was in a room with Jennifer and John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite so it was pretty easy work. It didn't exactly stress you. The ideas were flowing and they were all very smart people and they've been doing their jobs for quite some time and are very good at what they do.
DRE: Do you want to direct another movie?
TR: Yes, I want to be in pre-production towards the end of next year. I cant really talk about it because we're in a place where we're trying to finance it and it's a bit tricky. It'll be Manhattan based if we can shoot here. If they don't price themselves out of the market than we'll shoot here. I'd love to shoot everything here, but it seems to me that it's one of the most expensive cities in the world to film in. Thats why everyone goes to Toronto and it'd be shame to do that. The interiors and all the apartment stuff in Dark Water was done in Toronto.
DRE: Why do you like playing such eccentric characters?
TR: It's like being a kid in the playground. Playing the straight guy must be kind of boring to me. There's a reason why people become actors.
DRE: Are you involved in the war epic, Inglorious Bastards that Quentin Tarantino wants to make?
TR: Thats something that Quentin has talked to me about for years. If he wants me to turn up he just has to tell me where.
DRE: What role would you like to play?
TR: Ignatius in The Confederacy of Dunces. I think that he'd be a fantastic character to play. I'd have to put a lot of weight on for it, but it'd be worth it.
DRE: What do you love to do besides acting?
TR: I love to direct and then I just read books and travel and play with my family.
DRE: What books?
TR: I'm reading a John Le Carr book right now it's really very good. I've been reading Gabriella Garcia Marquez books just back to back. I've just fallen in love with them. The one that I read recently and I'd love to make into a film is Of Love And Other Demons. I think that would make an extraordinary film. I was talking to a couple of Latin American directors about it and they were very keen on me doing that.
DRE: You mentioned before the interview that you were on vacation, where did you go?
TR: I was in Europe with my family. we went to Italy then Paris.
DRE: Did you drive with your family?
TR: No we find ourselves a spot and then we fly.
DRE: Are there other actors in your family?
TR: No.
DRE: Were you being the black sheep?
TR: No, I went to art school. I went to study sculpture at an art school in London. That was more in the family. My parents were pleased that I went to art school. They were upset when I dropped out of art school to be an actor, but they were very supportive.
DRE: What made you want to drop out and act?
TR: I did a play when I was in high school and I decided that that was what I was going to do. Meanwhile I had a place in art school and I went through with that, but halfway through they sat me down and said, You're taking the piss. I said, You're right. But they kept my place open for me and so if it all fails right now I can go back.
DRE: Are your kids creative?
TR: Yeah, they're very good drawers.
DRE: How old are they?
TR: The little ones are ten and eight and then I have a 20 year old named Jackal and he's an actor. He's just started doing fringe theater in London and he writes plays and he makes little films with his mates.
DRE: Have you given him advice?
TR: I told him not to be an actor for 18 years and he disobeyed me.
DRE: Do you have any roles for him in your movies?
TR: No, I don't. He's going to make it on his own that boy.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
In Dark Water, Roth plays a lawyer who is helping Jennifer Connelly through a tough divorce and then tries to help her with this strange situation that is happening in her apartment building.
Dark Water is in theatres now
Daniel Robert Epstein: Was there a lot of backstory to your character that we didnt get to see?
Tim Roth: I don't know because I haven't seen the film. I think that when we were doing it we intentionally didn't fill in all the gaps with him and sort of left it up to you to make your own minds up about it. One the one hand he's quite a supportive character to her, but he also has this bizarre sort of duplicity, this strange kind of lie that he's created. Maybe his family is just avoiding him. Maybe they all bailed. Maybe he never had one in the first place. I didn't make any concrete decisions. I'm sure that [director] Walter [Salles] had his ideas, but he wouldn't communicate them to me which is a good idea.
DRE: How did you create this character?
TR: It was pretty much in the script. It was actually quite tightly written which is rare and I haven't seen the Japanese version of it. I don't think that he even really exists in that. Maybe he does, but it's a very miniscule thing. We played around with stuff. I don't know if it's the film, but I had a couple of clients in the car. Walter [Salles] liked the idea of having people in the car/office while I was on the way to court.
DRE: I think people may have expected your character to be less sympathetic.
TR: It depends on whether the press will blow the gaff, but that's kind of what people would expect, Uh oh, what's he going to do. I think that's what is interesting too. He chooses to support her. Even if he thinks that she's possibly deranged or paranoid or deluded but he does stick with her.
DRE: Are you a fan of horror movies?
TR: No, I'm not one for horror movies so much. I do like the film Gaslight though. It's not really a horror movie so much as a suspense movie, but things like that. The obvious ones would be Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby and The Shining. But I don't know if they are so much horror movies as much as psychological thrillers. They are very intelligent films.
DRE: Are you a fan of Walter Salles?
TR: Yeah that's why I joined in. I'd met him before socially and I loved Central
Station. I also liked that he worked on City of God as a producer which is just an incredible piece of work. He liked a film that I directed as well. So we talked and hes fascinating to talk with. He's an interesting and very elegant man. Then this came up and he sent me a script. It's interesting for me to be in this kind of film but it was a chance to work for him and see how he would attack a studio film.
DRE: How was it working with Jennifer Connelly?
TR: She's a proper actor. She can do her job and I say that because quite often they can't.
DRE: Who?
TR: Should I name names? That'll work. Think about it, I was in a room with Jennifer and John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite so it was pretty easy work. It didn't exactly stress you. The ideas were flowing and they were all very smart people and they've been doing their jobs for quite some time and are very good at what they do.
DRE: Do you want to direct another movie?
TR: Yes, I want to be in pre-production towards the end of next year. I cant really talk about it because we're in a place where we're trying to finance it and it's a bit tricky. It'll be Manhattan based if we can shoot here. If they don't price themselves out of the market than we'll shoot here. I'd love to shoot everything here, but it seems to me that it's one of the most expensive cities in the world to film in. Thats why everyone goes to Toronto and it'd be shame to do that. The interiors and all the apartment stuff in Dark Water was done in Toronto.
DRE: Why do you like playing such eccentric characters?
TR: It's like being a kid in the playground. Playing the straight guy must be kind of boring to me. There's a reason why people become actors.
DRE: Are you involved in the war epic, Inglorious Bastards that Quentin Tarantino wants to make?
TR: Thats something that Quentin has talked to me about for years. If he wants me to turn up he just has to tell me where.
DRE: What role would you like to play?
TR: Ignatius in The Confederacy of Dunces. I think that he'd be a fantastic character to play. I'd have to put a lot of weight on for it, but it'd be worth it.
DRE: What do you love to do besides acting?
TR: I love to direct and then I just read books and travel and play with my family.
DRE: What books?
TR: I'm reading a John Le Carr book right now it's really very good. I've been reading Gabriella Garcia Marquez books just back to back. I've just fallen in love with them. The one that I read recently and I'd love to make into a film is Of Love And Other Demons. I think that would make an extraordinary film. I was talking to a couple of Latin American directors about it and they were very keen on me doing that.
DRE: You mentioned before the interview that you were on vacation, where did you go?
TR: I was in Europe with my family. we went to Italy then Paris.
DRE: Did you drive with your family?
TR: No we find ourselves a spot and then we fly.
DRE: Are there other actors in your family?
TR: No.
DRE: Were you being the black sheep?
TR: No, I went to art school. I went to study sculpture at an art school in London. That was more in the family. My parents were pleased that I went to art school. They were upset when I dropped out of art school to be an actor, but they were very supportive.
DRE: What made you want to drop out and act?
TR: I did a play when I was in high school and I decided that that was what I was going to do. Meanwhile I had a place in art school and I went through with that, but halfway through they sat me down and said, You're taking the piss. I said, You're right. But they kept my place open for me and so if it all fails right now I can go back.
DRE: Are your kids creative?
TR: Yeah, they're very good drawers.
DRE: How old are they?
TR: The little ones are ten and eight and then I have a 20 year old named Jackal and he's an actor. He's just started doing fringe theater in London and he writes plays and he makes little films with his mates.
DRE: Have you given him advice?
TR: I told him not to be an actor for 18 years and he disobeyed me.
DRE: Do you have any roles for him in your movies?
TR: No, I don't. He's going to make it on his own that boy.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 15 of 15 COMMENTS
fullmoonkisses:
Tim is great, and we don't see nearly enough of him in movies 
formerviking:
Tim Roth in Rob Roy may be the greatest thing ever in a movie . Watch it now if you haven't seen it yet . Just a perfect playing of a " villain " which actually gives reason that he is the way he is . And he was almost the only reason to watch Four Room more then once .