THE ART OF PERFORMANCE

I Swear delivers a masterpiece in telling the true story of Scotsman John Davidson, who lives with Tourette syndrome. Here, Rolling Stone UK meets the film's captivating lead actor Robert Aramayo

- By NICK REILLY

The name John Davidson might not ring any bells at first, but it's more than likely you'll have heard of the man whose story is told in I Swear.

After becoming one of the most inspirational and indeed tear-jerking films you'll see all year, it is the worthy winner of The Film Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards 2025.

Davidson is one of the UK's most influential campaigners for Tourette syndrome, having lived with the condition since he was a teenager. It causes him to spasm and jerk, swear uncontrollably and shout explicit sexual phrases.

There's every chance you may have seen two separate BBC documentaries - filmed 20 years apart - which showed the challenges and indeed triumphs of his daily life in the Scottish border town of Galashiels, where he still lives to this day.

In the biopic, it's rising British star Robert Aramayo, known for his role as Elrond in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, who delivers an astonishingly good performance as Davidson.

Aramayo, 32, began his career at Hull's Truck Youth Theatre, before finding himself drawn to New York, where he trained at the prestigious Juilliard School. He might still live in New York, but it feels like this most grounded of British films could be the making of him. You'd be best advised to take a generous supply of tissues into the cinema for the emotional scenes, but also prepare to have the very core of your soul lifted.

"There's been people who have watched the film so far and they've called me up and it's led to conversations not just about Tourette's, but neurodiversity in general," says Aramayo as we meet in a central London cafe.