Tim Roth's Real Name: Tim Roth

Quick answer: The actor is known professionally as Tim Roth. The Golden Globes give the name Timothy Simon Roth and date the birth to May 14, 1961, in London, England. TV Guide lists the birth name Timothy Simon Smith and the birthplace as Dulwich, London. Because those longer forms do not agree, this page titles him under the public name.

Real name and early life

Independent publishers identify him under the professional name Tim Roth. The Golden Globes say he was born Timothy Simon Roth on May 14, 1961, in London, England. TV Guide independently lists the birth name Timothy Simon Smith and the birthplace as Dulwich, London, England, and says his father changed the family name from Smith to Roth because he was a traveling journalist during World War II. TV Guide also says he studied sculpting at the Camberwell College of Arts in London.

Career highlights

The Golden Globes say he made his acting debut in 1982 in the British television film Made in Britain, later worked with Mike Leigh on Meantime (1983) and with Stephen Frears on The Hit (1984), and in 1990 appeared in Robert Altman's Vincent & Theo, as Vincent van Gogh, and in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, opposite Gary Oldman. The same account says Quentin Tarantino cast him in Reservoir Dogs (1992) and later in Pulp Fiction (1994) and Four Rooms (1995), and that in 1995 he received a Golden Globe nomination, and an Academy Award nomination, for Rob Roy. TV Guide independently records a 1996 Academy Award nomination and a 1996 BAFTA Award for best supporting actor, as well as a 1996 Golden Globe nomination, and lists later directing recognition, including a 1999 European Discovery of the Year award at the European Film Awards. The Golden Globes later name films including Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You (1996), The Legend of 1900 (1998), and Planet of the Apes (2001), and television work including Lie to Me (2009-2011).

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Tim Roth, Timothy Simon Roth, or Timothy Simon Smith are looking for the same actor, including the Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction roles most often associated with his work. This page uses the public professional name.