I Swear filmmaker did not ask Robert Aramayo to audition for lead role

I Swear filmmaker Kirk Jones has said he did not ask Robert Aramayo to audition for the lead role because he knew the actor was right for the part “very early on”.

The biopic tells the story of campaigner John Davidson’s life growing up with Tourette syndrome in Scotland.

The film has been nominated for six Baftas, including Outstanding British Film, while Aramayo is in the running for both best lead actor and EE Rising Star award.

Speaking about Aramayo on the red carpet of the 79th British Academy Film Awards, Jones said: “I knew Robert was right for the part very early on, and because the finance was structured in a certain way, I was able to cast him without having to justify that decision or ask for people’s permission to do it – which is the purest way to cast the film. That’s how it should be done.

“A lot of people are surprised when I say I never asked him to do a screen test. I never asked him to audition, and that’s quite unusual.

“The reason was, I knew that if he auditioned it would be nothing more than an impersonation of John Davidson.

“Rob explained that he really needed two or three months to get under the skin of the part to understand everything he could possibly do about Tourette’s, and he did that and I trusted him, and it was a bit nerve-racking as we approached the shoot because I hadn’t seen him rehearse or show me what he was going to do, but it was incredible.

“It was incredible, and I’m very, very grateful to him for doing it.”

According to the NHS, Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes sudden, repetitive sounds or movements, known as tics. While there is no cure, treatment can help manage the tics.

Jones emphasised the need to tell the story properly, adding he did not want to “water it down” because I Swear is the type of film people “need” right now.

Speaking about the response to the film and its multiple Bafta nominations, he said: “I just think it hit a note. I just think it hit a chord.

“Maybe five years ago if we’d have made it, it wouldn’t have done, or maybe five years’ time, but I think we’re kind of at a place in the world now where everything’s so kind of depressing and upsetting and it’s a very hopeful film, and it’s about a man who never gives up.

“It’s the kind of film that we need at the moment to remind us about compassion and support for an understanding of other people.”

Campaigner Mr Davidson also attended the red carpet on Sunday and told the Press Association he is “extremely proud of what was created” and the impact the film has had.

He added: “The power that the film’s got is the fact that it’s opened people’s eyes to the real issues.

“Being assaulted, being put out of school, being bullied at school, a lot of people have never seen that side of what my life was like.

“People at the time didn’t notice because in those days, in the 80s and 90s, people didn’t really want to know.

“I think now, as we’ve developed as a country and as a human race, we’re becoming more empathetic towards neurodiversity and all different kinds of disability, which is something that should be happening but a lot quicker.

“We didn’t want it to be a pity memoir and that you feel sorry for us, because we don’t want people feeling sorry for me.

“I don’t. Everyone with Tourette’s don’t – they just want the awareness of people to understand and be kind.”

He went on to praise Aramayo for being “absolutely phenomenal” in his portrayal, adding his ability to characterise his tics shows “the calibre” of the actor.