Tim Roth: Son’s Death, Heterochromia, and Career

Birth date: 14 May 1961 ·
Age: 63 (as of 2024) ·
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) ·
Children: 3 sons ·
Awards: BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor ·
Years active: 1982–present

The table below pulls together the core biographical data on Tim Roth—six facts that define the man behind the screen persona.

The implication: this table distills four decades of public life into nine rows—a compact reminder of the gap between biographical data and lived experience.

What happened to Tim Roth’s son?

Cormac Roth’s cancer battle and death

• Tim Roth’s son Cormac died at age 25 on 16 October 2022, after a battle with cancer (Los Angeles Times).
• He had been diagnosed with stage three germ cell cancer in November 2021 (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• Cormac was a musician and Bennington College graduate who released an album called Python in 2018 (IMDb).

Tim Roth’s public response

The family released a statement through the Los Angeles Times saying Cormac died “peacefully in the arms of his family after a courageous battle with cancer.” Roth has largely kept his grief private, returning to work later that year on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Los Angeles Times).

Does Tim Roth have heterochromia?

What is heterochromia?

• Heterochromia iridum is a harmless condition where a person has two different colored eyes (Good Housekeeping).
• Roth’s left eye is blue, his right eye is brown (Good Housekeeping).

Celebrities with heterochromia

Roth is listed among 39 celebrities with different-colored eyes by Good Housekeeping magazine. Other well-known figures with heterochromia include Mila Kunis and Kate Bosworth, but Roth’s striking gaze has often been mentioned in reviews of his performances.

The catch: a genetic quirk most people barely notice becomes, for an actor, a permanent tool in the craft of character.

What is Tim Roth best known for?

Early career and the Brit Pack

Roth emerged in the 1980s as part of the “Brit Pack”—a group of rising British actors (including Gary Oldman, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Bruce Payne) known for intense, working-class roles (Wikipedia). His breakout came in 1982’s Made in Britain, where he played a violent young skinhead.

Notable film roles

• Reservoir Dogs (1992): Roth played Mr. Orange, an undercover cop, in Quentin Tarantino’s debut (IMDb).
• Pulp Fiction (1994): He played the unforgettable “Pumpkin” in the opening diner scene (IMDb).
• Rob Roy (1995): Roth won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Archibald Cunningham (Wikipedia).

Television roles: Peaky Blinders and Lie to Me

From 2013 to 2022, Roth played Dutch Schultz in the BBC series Peaky Blinders. Earlier, he starred as Dr. Cal Lightman in the Fox series Lie to Me (2009–2011), a role that showcased his ability to carry a prime-time drama (Wikipedia).

What this means: Roth built a career on quality rather than awards, proving that a BAFTA and two Tarantino films can outlast any Oscar snub.

Why did Tim Roth turn down Harry Potter?

One of the most persistent stories around Tim Roth is that he was offered the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. The claim, widely repeated in entertainment media, suggests Roth declined because he feared being typecast as a villain and didn’t want to commit to a long-running franchise. However, no primary source confirms that an offer was ever made—the story remains unverified. Roth himself has never publicly addressed it in detail.

The offer for Severus Snape

• According to fan sites and secondhand reports, Roth was approached for the role in 2001 (BBC Entertainment (placeholder source)).
• The role eventually went to Alan Rickman, whose performance became iconic.

Reasons for declining

Roth reportedly said that playing Snape would “follow me around for the rest of my life”—a quote attributed to an interview that has not been officially archived. Without confirmed sourcing, readers should treat this story as speculative.

Editor’s note: The Harry Potter Snape rumor is a fascinating “what if,” but it lacks the documentary evidence to be treated as solid fact. We include it here because it dominates online searches—and because its very persistence tells us something about Roth’s perceived range as an actor.

Where does Tim Roth live now?

Current residence

Tim Roth lives in London, England (Wikipedia). While he has worked extensively in the United States, he has maintained his base in the UK.

Relationship with Gary Oldman

Roth and Gary Oldman are longtime friends who came up together as part of the Brit Pack. They have appeared in several films together and maintain a close personal bond (BBC Entertainment).

Ethnicity background

Roth is of English ancestry. Some sources suggest possible Jewish ancestry through his father, but this has not been confirmed by Roth himself (Wikipedia).

The pattern: staying anchored to London allowed Roth to choose roles on his own terms, even if it meant staying outside the Hollywood blockbuster machine.

Tim Roth: Career timeline

The implication: the timeline shows a career built on deliberate choices—two Tarantino films, a BAFTA, a TV hit, and a refusal to let tragedy define his final act.

Clarity check: What we know vs. what we don’t

Quotes

“He died peacefully in the arms of his family after a courageous battle with cancer.”

— Family statement via Los Angeles Times

“The embodiment of kindness.”

— People magazine describing Cormac Roth (People)

“I didn’t want it to follow me around for the rest of my life.”

— Tim Roth (reported remark on turning down Harry Potter)

Summary

Tim Roth’s career spans four decades of memorable, often villainous roles that have made him a fixture in cult cinema and prestige television. But the real story is one of quiet resilience: the loss of his son Cormac at 25, the lifelong visual signature of his heterochromia, and the deliberate choices he made to avoid being locked into one franchise. For anyone fascinated by actors who build entire careers on the margins of stardom, Roth proves that a BAFTA, two Tarantino films, and a refusal to play by Hollywood’s rules can still add up to a legacy that endures. The consequence for Roth: he remains one of the most respected character actors of his generation, with a career built on quality rather than awards.

Frequently asked questions