Thomas Jessop (born 19 January 1985) is a British actor. 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 and became an Ambassador to Mencap and to the National Down syndrome Policy Group.
Tommy Jessop | |
|---|---|
 Tommy (right) with brother William (left) | |
| Born | 19 January 1985 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Website | tommy-jessop |
He has commented that disabled actors need opportunities to appear other than as victims or objects of pity.[2]
Career edit
Film edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
On 6 July 2023, Headline Publishing Group published Jessop's memoir, titled A Life Worth Living: Acting, Activism and Everything Else.[25]
Radio edit
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 edit
In July 2021, Jessop received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Winchester for his services to the entertainment industry.[28]
References edit
- ^ a b "Coming Down the Mountain". broadcastnow.co.uk.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Osborn, Michael (31 August 2007). "Haddon Debut Captures Teen Crisis". BBC. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
- ^ Wollaston, Sam (3 September 2007). "Last night's TV: Coming Down the Mountain". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Enduring such a mountain of anguish". HeraldScotland.
- ^ "BAFTAs - 2008 nominations". The Guardian. London. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
- ^ "BBC programmes win RADAR awards". medianewsline.com. 2 December 2008.
- ^ "Down's syndrome actor's TV debut". BBC News. 22 August 2007.
- ^ "Actor Tommy to star in Casualty". Daily Echo.
- ^ "Newcomer Tommy eyes EastEnders role". metro.co.uk. 23 August 2007.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Nugent, Annabel (22 March 2021). "Line of Duty series six premiere ratings revealed". The Independent. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ "Blue Apple tackles the Bard". Hampshire Chronicle.
- ^ "Down's actor tackles Hamlet | This is Cornwall". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ^ "Living Without Fear to tour - Entertainment Focus". www.entertainment-focus.com. 2 March 2013.
- ^ "Home | Will Jessop". Mysite.
- ^ "4docs". www.4docs.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012.
- ^ "Growing Up Down's: Why you should watch". digitalspy.co.uk. 3 February 2014.
- ^ "Creative Diversity Network Winners of the 2014 CDN Awards announced". creativediversitynetwork.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
- ^ "BBC One - Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood".
- ^ Midgley, Carol (11 September 2023). "Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood review — a life-affirming bid to conquer La-La Land".
- ^ "BBC One - Panorama, Will the NHS Care for Me?". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Award-winning Hampshire actor releases memoir on life with Down Syndrome". Hampshire Chronicle. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Another starring role for Tommy". Hampshire Chronicle. 19 October 2010.
- ^ Episode, cast list for the week (retrieved on 11 April 2013)
- ^ Yeates, Cydney (20 July 2021). "Line Of Duty's Tommy Jessop receives honorary university doctorate".