Roth wooed by ‘bonkers script’
SKY Atlantic’s latest drama offering Tin Star launched last week and it should get a gold star for originality.
The gripping revenge thriller is created and written by filmmaker Rowan Joffe and it’s like nothing you’ve seen before.
Think Deadwood set in modern day Canada with the edge of a psychological drama and you’re maybe halfway there.
Tim Roth stars as Jim Worth, a London detective relocated with his family to the Rocky Mountains in a small town called Little Big Bear to escape the frenetic pace of his former life.
They are soon hit with a tragedy that fuels a revenge plot unleashing the inner demons of former alcoholic Jim and pitting him against a powerful oil corporation.
Roth admitted he was attracted by the anarchic nature of the drama.
He revealed: “I wasn’t looking for a TV show, really. I read a couple of scripts and I thought they were bonkers, and that immediately gets my attention. Then it’s... where the f*** does this go?
“It was anarchic. It was just anarchy on the page. The minute I thought I knew what was going on, it was something different.”
Joffe revealed Roth’s ability to improvise resulted in some of the most memorable scenes.
He said: “Without doubt, many of the best moments you’ll see on screen, particularly in Tim’s case, were moments that he ad-libbed.
“Tim brought a level of wit and comedy to it that was way beyond my ability as a screenwriter.
“And, in fact, the story began to change and morph around the actors.
“Tim especially felt he had creative freedom.
But at the same time, this is a thriller and the ecosystem of the plot is extremely delicate, so also I needed him to respect that.
“It wasn’t always easy but the result was I think a really good balance.” The programme’s cast is crammed with well-known faces. Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks plays Elizabeth Bradshaw, the vice-president of Stakeholders Relations (yes, that’s a job title) at North Stream Oil. She’s perfect for the role as the charismatic, smart and trustworthy face of the corporation but as with all characters she is not quite what she seems and is most definitely not to be trusted.
Star Wars actress Genevieve O’reilly, from Dublin, plays Jim’s wife Angela who has steadfastly supported him through the last two years as he gained sobriety but she struggles to embrace the fresh start despite her best efforts.
Their teenage daughter, played by Abigail Lawrie, gets involved with a local boy called Whitey (Oliver Coopersmith), who can best be described as a monster with the face of an angel.
North Stream Oil’s head of security Louis Gagnon (Christopher Heyerdahl) would fill the role of a Bond villain effortlessly and gains the nickname The Quebecois.
Tin Star is on Sky Atlantic on Thursdays at 9pm. All 10 episodes are now available to watch via Sky Boxsets.