October 28, 2001
The Express on Sunday
Tim Roth has perfected the art of playing sneering psychopaths
Edited by Henry Fitzherbert

TIM ROTH has perfected the art of playing sneering psychopaths - so who better to play Oliver Cromwell? The star of Planet Of The Apes has agreed to play the Puritan revolutionary and butcher of Catholics in Cromwell And Fairfax, a GBP16million epic from Ewan McGregor and Jude Law's production company, Natural Nylon.

Enigma star Dougray Scott will play the more liberal General Fairfax, who was set to become commander-in-chief in the Civil War, but was ousted by Cromwell after refusing to march against the Scots for backing Charles I.

It will be the first film about England's Lord Protector since Richard Harris hammed it up in the 1970 film Cromwell.

"Tim is in final negotiations to star, " reveals a source. "It's a great, scenery-chewing part and he's perfect f or it."