Biografia

As of 2021, she has contributed with the costume design of nine films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Un uomo da marciapiede (1969), Goodbye amore mio! (1977), Tornando a casa (1978), Le stagioni del cuore (1984), Una donna in carriera (1988), Il paziente inglese (1996), The Hours (2002), The Reader - A voce alta (2008) and Molto forte, incredibilmente vicino (2011). Of those, Un uomo da marciapiede (1969) and Il paziente inglese (1996) are winners in the category.

Noted for the innovative ways she costumes hookers and con artist characters.

Has four times been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Costume Designer: in 1976 for "The Royal Family;" in 1979 for "The Crucifer of Blood;" in 1986 for "The House of Blue Leaves" and in 2011 for "The Book of Mormon".

Aunt of Amy Roth, also a costume designer.

Despite her long and prolific career as a costume designer (starting in the mid-1960s and continuing unabated into the mid 2020s), Roth had never appeared in a dramatic role front of the camera until Greta Gerwig cast her in a cameo (The Woman on the Bench) in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie; upon the Barbie movie's release she was 91 years old. Though she is still actively working as a costume designer she did not design the costumes for the Barbie movie, and this is her first credited movie role as an actress.