I Swear, the brilliant drama based on a true story, has just landed on Netflix. Boasting a cast of British favourites, the film features plenty of recognisable faces from some of the biggest franchises in film and TV.
Robert Aramayo leads the film as John Davidson, the Scottish activist who grew up with Tourette syndrome in the 1980s.
Directed by Kirk Jones, who also wrote the script, the film boasts an impressive supporting cast including Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, and Peter Mullan.
The logline reads: "Based on Scottish activist John Davidson’s life, a man with Tourette syndrome finds resolve in his allies and uses his unfiltered voice to fight stigma."
A hit among critics, I Swear has a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won a coveted prize at this year's Bafta EE BAFTA Film Awards, with Aramayo taking home the award for Leading Actor.
Robert Aramayo as John Davidson
If you're wondering where you've seen the lead star before, you might be surprised to learn that Aramayo played a very important character in Game of Thrones.
What to Read Next
Appearing in seasons six and seven of the hit HBO fantasy series, Aramayo held a brief but pivotal role as a young Eddard Stark, whose older self was famously portrayed by Sean Bean in season one. All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on NOW in the UK with an Entertainment Membership.
Just like Bean, Aramayo also had a role in an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Elrond in Prime Video's epic series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Prime Video.
In 2021, Aramayo starred in the Netflix psychological thriller miniseries Behind Her Eyes, playing Rob Hoyle, a friend of Adele's (Eve Hewson) from a psychiatric ward who appears in flashbacks. The limited series is streaming on Netflix.
Maxine Peake as Dottie Achenbach
A prolific film and television actor, Peake is known for her roles as Twinkle in the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies, Veronica Ball in Channel 4's Shameless, and barrister Martha Costello in the BBC legal drama Silk. She also appeared as Myra Hindley in the true-crime drama series See No Evil: The Moors Murders and recently portrayed real-life Russian journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya in the film Words of War.
In I Swear, Peake plays Dottie Achenbach, a close friend and supporter of Davidson.
Shirley Henderson as Heather Davidson
Henderson, who plays John Davidson’s mother in I Swear, is instantly recognisable for her roles in several popular British film franchises. She starred as the ghost Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. She also portrayed Jude in the Bridget Jones franchise and Gail in Trainspotting.
Peter Mullan as Tommy Trotter
Mullan stars as community centre boss Tommy Trotter. He is known for his Cannes-winning role in the 1998 film My Name Is Joe. Mullan also appeared in Trainspotting and Braveheart and has had TV roles in Ozark, Top of the Lake, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
I Swear is now streaming on Netflix.
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Harry Styles, is here! Buy Harry Styles in newsagents or online.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
