Tim Roth says that he joined MCU to embarrass his children

Credit: Gage Skidmore

Tim Roth pick his five favourite songs

Tue 17 January 2023 17:30, UK

One of the UK’s finest talents, Tim Roth rose to prominence following the success of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. By that time, he was already a familiar face on UK television, having starred in films such as Made in Britain, Vincent and Theo, and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. His intense acting style and commitment to complex characters led to him being dubbed a member of the so-called Brit-pack in the 1980s, a new wave of British talent that included the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul McGann, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Here, the Pulp Fiction, Twin Peaks and Warzone star discuss five of his all-time favourite tracks.

Appearing on KCRW’s Guest DJ Project, Roth was asked to select five songs that have really made an impact. His first choice was Cocteau Twins’ 1990s track ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’, a contribution from Roth’s wife. “This was what we played at our wedding and our wedding took place in the jungle, in Belize,” Roth begins. “Right in the middle of nowhere, with one friend and the rest of it was a film crew. So the entire film crew could come to the wedding, they all got three days off and they all got completely messed up in the middle of the jungle. This was something that me and Nikki were…we were just obsessing on at the time. This was an album that we kinda fell in love with. And the absolute inability to understand what is being said or sung or all that, I found kind of charming, really.”

Already, Roth has won us over. Somehow, his next selection is even more of a doozy. It’s Pixies’ ‘Debaser’. “I was listening to this when I was playing Vincent Van Gogh with Oldman,” Roth says, recalling the making of Vincent and Theo. “There was this, particularly, that I would listen to a lot on the set, constantly. I think that was the beginning of Walkmen, so that shows ya.”

Roth keeps the energy up with his next track: Gorillaz’s era-defining single ‘Feel Good Inc’, from the group’s 2005 sophomore record Demon Days. “I was gonna go down the Blur road because you have to,” Roth continues, “Cause it’s one of the most extraordinary bands, but then I got sidetracked by the Gorillaz because… I suppose it’s his, Damon Albarn’s way of exploring all kinds of music, all genres and all of that. He actually recorded some music for a film I was in and I had met him before. It feels that the Gorillaz is where my boys take over in a way.”

Roth’s next track is another leftfield British staple: Radiohead’s In Rainbows cut ‘Reckoner’, featuring an impossibly lush string arrangement by Johnny Greenwood. “I was just working in Canada for about six months and I would just go out and walk to this in Calgary,” Roth explains. “Not the most exciting place in the world, Calgary. So this one, this one kind of babysat me. ‘Reckoner’ apparently served as something of a companion. If you listen to Radiohead when you’re away and if you’re feeling it a bit, it can really kick you in the ass,” Roth adds. “But you know there’s nothing more beautiful than listening to [Thom Yorke] sing his sad, sad songs. He has quite a voice.”