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Robert Aramayo brings Tourette’s activist John Davidson to life in ‘I Swear’

Aramayo won the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal

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The award-winning film “I Swear” is currently available to stream on digital platforms.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Robert Aramayo.

The British actor is no stranger to working hard. He’s had starring roles in “Game of Thrones” as young Eddard Stark and as Elrond in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”

When he signed on to the role of John Davidson in the film, “I Swear,” he didn’t know the journey he would begin.

“It’s been a wild ride,” Aramayo says. “Having the film do well in England is one thing. Having it perform well in the states is even more amazing.”

“I Swear” is based on the life story of Scottish Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who lives with a severe form of the neurodevelopmental disorder. He was the subject of the 1989 television documentary “John’s Not Mad.”

The film is set in 1980s Britain, and the story follows Davidson throughout his troubled teens and early adulthood, exploring the often misunderstood condition and Davidson’s attempts to live a “normal” life.

The film is directed, written and produced by Kirk Jones. It also stars Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan and Scott Ellis Watson.

It is currently available to stream on digital platforms including Apple TV and Prime Video.

The film’s journey began with its premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received five nominations at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, winning two, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Aramayo.

“I personally feel quite inspired by John and because he’s such a wonderful, warm man, I feel very lucky to have met him,” Aramayo says.

Aramayo says he had a lot of nerves while filming because Davidson was involved throughout the process.

“It was nerve-wracking, and I felt a lot of pressure,” he says. “I met John months before we started shooting and it was all a good experience. He’s really true to what the story was saying. I felt supported by him and it made it easier after we began to film.”

Aramayo never imagined that taking on the role would earn him not only a BAFTA nomination but the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

After winning earlier this year, he’s still letting it sink in and taking the accolades in stride.

“My first goal was to do a good job because the film is telling John’s story,” he says. “Because the film highlights what it is like for someone to live with Tourette’s, I wanted to make sure that everything I did was done with respect.”

Aramayo is pleased with the conversations the film started.

“This was an opportunity to showcase what someone living with Tourette’s goes through,” he says. “I feel really lucky to be part of this and to spark the conversation in understanding more about Tourette’s. There has to be a first step and this film is part of the movement to understanding.”

Adrian Gomez is a freelance writer for the ϼ. He works for the New Mexico Film Office, focusing on industry research.