Tommy Jessop

Last updated

Tommy Jessop
William and Tommy Jessop.jpg
Tommy (right) with brother William (left)
Born (1985-01-19) 19 January 1985 (age 39)
OccupationActor
Years active2007–present
Website tommy-jessop.com

Tommy Jessop (born 19 January 1985) is a British actor and activist. He is the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a primetime BBC drama, [1] the first professional actor with Down syndrome to tour theatres as Hamlet, and the first to become a full voting member of BAFTA. In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by the University of Winchester. He is also an ambassador for Mencap and a patron of the National Down syndrome Policy Group.

Contents

He has commented that disabled actors need opportunities to appear other than as victims or objects of pity. [2]

Career

Film

Jessop has a portfolio of short films to his name and cameo appearances in feature films including Day of the Flowers. His lead role in Fighter won him Best Actor at the Oska Bright Film Festival and Best Film at Film London, and was named Short of the Week at the BFI London Film Festival. He appeared in Down & Out and Innocence, the latter of which won the Don Quixote Award at Kraków Film Festival. Jessop also played a fisherman in Little Shit and a football fan in Delilah.

Television

In 2024 Jessop played Tommy opposite Callum Turner and Austin Butler in the TV series Masters of the Air produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for Apple TV+. Jessop's first breakthrough came in 2007 when he starred opposite Nicholas Hoult in the feature-length BBC drama Coming Down the Mountain . [1] The writer Mark Haddon said Jessop was the inspiration behind the project. [3] [4] Jessop's performance was widely praised, [5] [6] and the film was nominated for a Television BAFTA for "Best Single Drama", [7] before winning the RADAR People of the Year Human Rights Media Award 2008. [8] Jessop made his television debut in Holby City , [9] and has also appeared as guest lead in two episodes of Casualty , [10] Monroe and Doctors . His dream is to appear on EastEnders . [11]

In June 2015, he appeared in two "Blue Badge" specials of Off Their Rockers on ITV.

Jessop starred in BBC's Line of Duty , appearing as Terry Boyle in the fifth series in 2019, the second actor to play the role. [12] He reprised his role as a returning character in three dramatic episodes in the sixth series of Line of Duty in 2021. [13] [14]

Theatre

Jessop is a founding member of award-winning integrated company Blue Apple Theatre, and has appeared in all their productions to date. In 2010, he played Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream . [15] In 2011, he was the Mayor in Gogol's The Government Inspector . In May 2012, Jessop made history when he became the first professional actor with Down syndrome to play the title role of Hamlet [16] in Blue Apple's touring production. This led to an invitation from Mark Rylance to take part in his What You Will Pop up Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre Sonnet Walks. In March and April 2013, Tommy played the role of Bobby, a victim of hate crime in Living Without Fear, Blue Apple Theatre's touring production about disability hate crime. [17] Jessop has also performed the roles of Prospero in The Tempest and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing , Marley's Ghost in A Christmas Carol , and The Creature in Frankenstein .

Documentary

Jessop frequently collaborates with his brother, the writer and filmmaker Will Jessop. [18] In 2007, the brothers made the broadcast documentary Tommy's Story for The Community Channel. Will filmed Tommy behind the scenes of Coming Down the Mountain and Holby City , and was shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the Grierson Awards 2008. [19] In February 2014, Jessop was one of the stars of Growing Up Down's, a documentary about Blue Apple Theatre's touring production of Hamlet that Will produced and directed for BBC Three. The film was described as "BBC Three at its very best" [20] and in November 2014 won the Creative Diversity Network Award for Most Groundbreaking Programme. [21]

In 2023, the Jessop brothers made their third documentary together, Tommy Jessop Goes To Hollywood, in which Jessop sets out to create and pitch his own superhero movie in Hollywood. [22] The film features appearances from Kit Harington, Will Sharpe and Neve Campbell and was broadcast on BBC One on 21 August 2023 to popular and critical acclaim, including a five star review from Carol Midgley in The Times. [23]

In 2022, Jessop investigated why people with a learning disability are more than twice as likely to die from avoidable causes than the rest of the population as part of a BBC Panorama entitled Will the NHS Care for Me? [24]

Books

On 6 July 2023, Headline Publishing Group published Jessop's memoir, titled A Life Worth Living: Acting, Activism and Everything Else. [25]

Radio

Jessop has starred in various radio productions for the BBC, including an episode of the series Stone with Hugo Speer in 2010, and the one-off play The Climb opposite Warwick Davis in 2011. [26] On 10 April 2013, Jessop appeared in an episode of The Archers , playing Callum Longfield. [27]

Awards

In July 2021, Jessop received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Winchester for his services to the entertainment industry. [28]

Campaigning

Jessop is a prominent campaigner for the rights of people with Down syndrome. He was a key figure in the pressure group that led to the creation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Sheen</span> Welsh actor (born 1969)

Michael Christopher Sheen is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in Romeo and Juliet (1992), Don't Fool with Love (1993), Peer Gynt (1994), The Seagull (1995), The Homecoming (1997), and Henry V (1997). He received Olivier Awards nominations for his performances in Amadeus (1998) at the Old Vic, Look Back in Anger (1999) at the National Theatre and Caligula (2003) at the Donmar Warehouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Eccleston</span> English actor (born 1964)

Christopher Eccleston is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who (2005). He starred as Matt Jamison in The Leftovers (2014–2017), and has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Connery</span> British actor (born 1963)

Jason Joseph Connery is an Italian-born British actor and director. He is the son of Sean Connery and Diane Cilento. On screen, he is best known for appearing in the third series of the ITV drama series Robin of Sherwood in 1986. He took over the main role after Michael Praed's character was killed off at the end of the second series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Richardson</span> Scottish actor (1934–2007)

Ian William Richardson was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his portrayal of machiavellian Conservative politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards (1990–1995) television trilogy, as well as the pivotal spy Bill Haydon in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979). His other notable screen work included a portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in two films, as well as significant roles in Brazil, M. Butterfly, and Dark City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Phillips</span> English actress and comedian

Sally Elizabeth Phillips is an English actress, comedian, and television presenter. She co-created and was one of the writers of the sketch comedy show Smack the Pony. She is also known for her roles in Jam & Jerusalem as Natasha "Tash" Vine, Miranda as Tilly, I'm Alan Partridge as Sophie, Parents as Jenny Pope, Set the Thames on Fire as Colette in 2015, Zapped as Slasher Morgan, and her guest appearances as the fictional Prime Minister of Finland Minna Häkkinen in the US TV series Veep. Phillips also co-starred in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Mrs Bennet and in the role of Shazza in all three films of the Bridget Jones franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Scott (actor)</span> Irish actor (born 1976)

Andrew Scott is an Irish actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Television Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards, along with nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Finlay</span> English actor (1926–2016)

Francis Finlay, was an English actor. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Iago in Othello (1965). His first leading television role came in 1971 in Casanova. This led to appearances on The Morecambe and Wise Show. He also appeared in the drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Addy</span> English actor (born 1964)

Mark Ian Addy is an English actor. He is known to television audiences for his roles as Detective Constable Gary Boyle on the sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995–96), Bill Miller on the American sitcom Still Standing (2002–06), Andy Richmond on Trollied (2011–13), Hercules on Atlantis (2013–15), and King Robert Baratheon on the first season of Game of Thrones (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Spall</span> English actor (born 1957)

Timothy Leonard Spall is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Whishaw</span> English actor (born 1980)

Benjamin John Whishaw is an English actor. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in My Brother Tom (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the title role in a 2004 production of Hamlet. This was followed by television roles in Nathan Barley (2005), Criminal Justice (2008) and The Hour (2011–12) and film roles in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), I'm Not There (2007), Brideshead Revisited (2008), and Bright Star (2009). For Criminal Justice, Whishaw received his first BAFTA Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Simm</span> English musician and actor (born 1970)

John Ronald Simm is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars, the Master in Doctor Who, and DS Roy Grace in Grace. His other television credits include State of Play, The Lakes, Crime and Punishment, Exile, Prey, and Cracker. His film roles include Wonderland, Everyday, Boston Kickout, Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People. He has twice been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Graham</span> British actor (born 1973)

Stephen Joseph Graham is a British actor. He began his career in 1990, with early notable roles including Tommy in Snatch (2000) and Shang in Gangs of New York (2002), before his breakthrough role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film This Is England (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Manville</span> British actress (born 1956)

Lesley Ann Manville is an English actress. She is known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Another Year (2010) and Phantom Thread (2017), with her performance in the latter earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Negga</span> Irish actress (born 1981)

Ruth Negga is an Irish actress known for her roles in the AMC television series Preacher (2016–2019) and the film Loving (2016). For her portrayal of Mildred Loving in the latter, Negga received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. For her Broadway debut as Lady Macbeth in a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth in 2022, she earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Coming Down the Mountain is a 2007 British television film which was shown on BBC One, written by Mark Haddon and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The television film was based on a radio play also written by Haddon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Jessop</span> British filmmaker

Will Jessop is a British writer and director, and the brother of Tommy Jessop. He is an outspoken advocate for disabled talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Ritter</span> English actor (1966–2021)

Simon Paul Adams, known professionally as Paul Ritter, was an English actor. He had roles in films including Son of Rambow (2007), Quantum of Solace (2008), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), The Eagle (2011), and Operation Mincemeat (2021), as well as television programmes including Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020), Vera (2011–2013), The Hollow Crown (2012), The Last Kingdom (2015), Chernobyl (2019), Belgravia (2020) and Resistance.

Adeel Akhtar is a British actor. In 2017, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his role in Murdered by My Father. He was also nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role on Channel 4's Utopia, as well as a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ali & Ava. Akhtar received critical acclaim for his performance in BBC One's Sherwood, receiving the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is a two-time nominee for Outstanding Supporting Performance at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards for his role in Sweet Tooth, winning in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Lowden</span> Scottish actor (born 1990)

Jack Andrew Lowden is a Scottish actor. Following a four-year stage career, his first major international onscreen success was in the 2016 BBC miniseries War & Peace, which led to starring roles in feature films.

Blue Apple Theatre is a theatre company based in Winchester, England. It was founded in 2005 by Jane Jessop to support the inclusion of actors with intellectual disabilities on mainstream stages. In May 2012, six Blue Apple actors toured a re-imagining of William Shakespeare's Hamlet around the south of England. They were the first actors with Down syndrome to perform the play professionally. In 2016 members of the company, four with Down syndrome, performed scenes from Shakespeare on stage in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe Theatre in London.

References

  1. 1 2 "Coming Down the Mountain". broadcastnow.co.uk.
  2. ↑ Morris, Andy (9 August 2021). "'People have outdated views about disabled performers': Line of Duty's Tommy Jessop on acting with Down's syndrome". the Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Rampton, James (30 August 2007). "Mark Haddon: First he tackled Asperger's, now the writer is putting Down's syndrome in the spotlight with a new drama". The Independent. London.
  4. ↑ Osborn, Michael (31 August 2007). "Haddon Debut Captures Teen Crisis". BBC . Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  5. ↑ Wollaston, Sam (3 September 2007). "Last night's TV: Coming Down the Mountain". The Guardian. London.
  6. ↑ "Enduring such a mountain of anguish". HeraldScotland. 3 September 2007.
  7. ↑ "BAFTAs - 2008 nominations". The Guardian . London. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  8. ↑ "BBC programmes win RADAR awards". medianewsline.com. 2 December 2008.
  9. ↑ "Down's syndrome actor's TV debut". BBC News. 22 August 2007.
  10. ↑ "Actor Tommy to star in Casualty". Daily Echo. 7 August 2010.
  11. ↑ "Newcomer Tommy eyes EastEnders role". metro.co.uk. 23 August 2007.
  12. ↑ Griffiths, Eleanor Bley (21 March 2021). "Who is Terry Boyle? Line of Duty season 6 brings back a familiar character". Radio Times . Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Singh, Anita (21 March 2021). "Line of Duty, season 6 ep 1, review: when it comes to cop shows, Jed Mercurio is the gaffer". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Nugent, Annabel (22 March 2021). "Line of Duty series six premiere ratings revealed". The Independent . Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "Blue Apple tackles the Bard". Hampshire Chronicle. 9 June 2010.
  16. ↑ "Down's actor tackles Hamlet | This is Cornwall". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "Living Without Fear to tour - Entertainment Focus". www.entertainment-focus.com. 2 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Home | Will Jessop". Mysite.
  19. ↑ "4docs". www.4docs.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012.
  20. ↑ "Growing Up Down's: Why you should watch". digitalspy.co.uk. 3 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "Creative Diversity Network Winners of the 2014 CDN Awards announced". creativediversitynetwork.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
  22. ↑ "BBC One - Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood".
  23. ↑ Midgley, Carol (11 September 2023). "Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood review — a life-affirming bid to conquer La-La Land".
  24. ↑ "BBC One - Panorama, Will the NHS Care for Me?". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Award-winning Hampshire actor releases memoir on life with Down Syndrome". Hampshire Chronicle. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "Another starring role for Tommy". Hampshire Chronicle. 19 October 2010.
  27. ↑ Episode, cast list for the week (retrieved on 11 April 2013)
  28. ↑ Yeates, Cydney (20 July 2021). "Line Of Duty's Tommy Jessop receives honorary university doctorate".
  29. ↑ "tommy-jessop-downs-syndrome-line-of-duty". Telegraph. 29 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.