John Davidson MBE, from Galashiels, Scotland, was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome aged 15. He had to come to terms with this diagnosis, growing up in the 1980s, a time when his tics, both physical and verbal, were misunderstood.
His story first came to light in 1989 thanks to the BBC documentary, John’s Not Mad, and now John’s life is getting the movie treatment.
I Swear, coming to cinemas on 10 October, 2025 is written and directed by Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee). It will follow John from adolescence to adulthood, as he comes to terms with his diagnosis.
Described as a funny, moving and life-affirming account, John’s story transcends from one of isolation, to one of acceptance, understanding and profound accomplishments.
Speaking to Studio Canal at the UK premiere, John said it was “very surreal” to see himself reimagined on the big screen. He added that it was “very hard to take in, but the remarkable acting” from both Rings of Power star Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson, who play the adult and young John respectively made him feel “we’ve done a good job here.”
Speaking on the task of portraying John, Robert said “I read amazing books like My Non Identical Twin, I watched John’s documentaries, and met with John. [I] spoke to a load of people, as many as I could, and sort of saturated my life with Tourette’s and the knowledge around it.”
More support is needed
Robert added that acknowledgement, and support for people with Tourette’s since the 1989 documentary has “come a long way” but added that “there’s still further to go and I think this film is a step.”
That’s a sentiment that John shared, saying “this is going to kick off a movement that we need in this country. I’m very passionate about that.”
John added there’s a need for “guidelines to be set up for when people are diagnosed with Tourette’s. “There’s nothing there’s no pathway from GP to whoever,” he continued, believing “Education needs to be looked at very, very seriously” as well.
Ultimately, it’s John’s hope that I Swear, which also stars Peter Mullan (Children of Men), Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter), Steven Cree (Outlander) and Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything), will encourage people to financially support campaign efforts to support those diagnosed with Tourette’s.
Find support for Tourette’s Syndrome on the Tourette Scotland website and Tourette’s Action website.
