WITH AN ACTING CAREER spanning 30 years and a dizzying diversity of roles, Tim Roth has made his mark on the film industry. After hitting it big in Quentin Tarantino favorites such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, the UK-born Roth continued to wow audiences in blockbusters like The Incredible Hulk. Now he’s hitting the small screen in Fox’s new drama Lie to Me as Cal Lightman, a “deception specialist” who solves crimes through human-behavior evaluation.
LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL: Tell us about Lie to Me.
TIM ROTH: I play a deception specialist named Cal Lightman. He’s loosely based on a real-life specialist who reads people’s emotions and behavior to solve mysteries.
LAC: Aside from Lie to Me, do you have any upcoming projects or movies?
TR: I just finished filming a movie in Wales called Skellig. It’s based on a children’s book, by David Almond, that my sons read and loved. I’ll also be working on a film in April, but I’m not exactly sure which one yet.
LAC: How has the transition from movies to television been?
TR: It’s a lot more work. You work seven days a week. Even in your time off you’re always polishing your script. But it was something I wanted to try, and I wanted to be closer to my home and family.
LAC: Speaking of home, you’ve been living in LA for quite some time.
TR: When I first came to LA it was about work. I’ve been here more than 20 years and have made some good friends. It’s really a great place to live.
