MOVIE NEWS – When you think of Tim Roth, which role comes to mind first? Maybe the bumbling bellboy from Four Rooms, the dying criminal in Reservoir Dogs, or the sharp-witted psychologist in Lie to Me. The British actor has played a long list of iconic characters, but his turn as General Thade in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake is often overlooked. However, this role granted him a unique opportunity: sharing the screen with Charlton Heston in one of the Hollywood legend’s final performances—a moment that turned out to be both an honor and a challenge.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Roth recently attended the 15th Luxembourg City Film Festival, where he conducted a masterclass and presented his latest film, Poison, a romantic drama starring alongside Trine Dyrholm. During the session, he reflected on his career highlights, discussing films like Pulp Fiction and Rob Roy, as well as his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. To the audience’s surprise, he also touched upon Burton’s divisive 2001 Planet of the Apes remake—what he jokingly referred to as “the monkey movie”—which led to a discussion about his experience working with Heston.

Charlton Heston’s Final Lines on Screen

Roth admitted that his interactions with Heston were complicated. “He was the president of the NRA, so I was always against him, constantly complaining and arguing about it,” he recalled, noting that Tim Burton often had to step in to smooth things over. However, the real difficulty came during filming: “I’m not entirely sure, but I think those were his last movie lines, and he had Alzheimer’s at the time. He struggled to retain them.”

The actor then revealed a touching detail from their scene together: “I sat off-camera, feeding him his lines, and he would repeat them. Then I’d say the next line, and he’d repeat that. I couldn’t separate his politics from the reality of the film at the time. Later, I learned to set that aside.”

Despite its box office success—earning over $362 million worldwide—Burton’s Planet of the Apes was widely criticized for its confusing storyline and lack of the original’s depth. While a sequel was initially planned, it was ultimately scrapped, and the franchise remained dormant until 2011, when Rise of the Planet of the Apes rebooted the series.

Tim Roth on Working with Hollywood’s Biggest Names

These days, Roth gravitates toward indie films rather than blockbuster franchises or MCU projects. His next major role is in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man. During the masterclass, he also spoke about his transition between film and television: “I always have a fear of unemployment. It’s a very healthy fear.”

He went on to share his experiences working with legendary filmmakers. Speaking about David Lynch and their time on Twin Peaks: The Return, Roth said: “I was a huge fan… Watching him work was extraordinary. I’d take photos of him throughout the shoot, then put my camera down and get back to work.”

Roth had nothing but praise for Quentin Tarantino, saying, “He writes for you.” But his admiration for Werner Herzog was even greater: “I have expectations for directors—sometimes they live up to them, sometimes they don’t. But working with Werner on Invincible was incredible. It was insanely difficult but also deeply rewarding. He absolutely met my expectations.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter