Tim Roth (born 14 May, 1961) is an English film actor and director, best known for his roles in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He currently stars as Cal Lightman in the TV series Lie to Me.

Roth was born Timothy Simon Smith in Dulwich, London, the son of Ann, a painter and teacher and Arnie Smith, a journalist, painter and, until the 1970s, a member of the British Communist Party. His father, who was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, adopted the surname Roth after World War II in order to hide his nationality when travelling in countries hostile to the British. He revealed in a Daily Mail interview in April, 2009 that as a teenager he was a victim of child abuse, though not at the hands of either of his parents. He also stated that he was bullied as a child. Also, it is a common misconception that he has German- Jewish heritage. In an interview with Alex Smith, Roth stated that he is not Jewish.

Tim Roth attended the Strand School in Tulse Hill. As a young man, Roth wanted to be a sculptor and studied at London's Camberwell School of Art.