Tommy Jessop certainly isn’t shy about trying new things. Viewers may recognise him from his gripping portrayal of murder suspect Terry Boyle in the final seasons of crime drama Line of Duty. It was made all the more memorable by the fact that it was an exciting and multi-faceted role – something that is rarely afforded to actors with learning disabilities. He has starred opposite Nicholas Hoult in the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama Coming Down The Mountain, he was the first actor with Down’s syndrome to tour theatres as Hamlet, and has thrown himself into advocacy work – campaigning for the rights of people with Down’s syndrome. Breaking barriers is something that Jessop is no stranger to.
He still has a few tiny aspirations up his sleeve, though. “My new dream is to be the next Bond,” we see Jessop announce while onstage receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Arts at the University of Winchester. Narrowing his eyes, he turns to the side and puts his index fingers together in the classic Bond pose: “James Bond. Shaken, but not stirred.”
Expectations are pretty high, then, in this charming and insightful documentary following Jessop and his older brother, film-maker Will, as they attempt to turn Tommy’s dream of playing the hero in a movie into reality. “One thing you should know about Tommy is that he always gives himself a 10/10 job,” Will says with a hint of pride, before admitting, “I’ve learned to never underestimate him.”
Jessop’s confidence and can-do attitude underpin and uplift the programme throughout and stop it from being a story of woe – he’s not looking for sympathy, he’s just looking for a fair chance. Despite his critically acclaimed performance in Line of Duty, the actor reveals that work has been thin on the ground since it aired two years ago. “What we want is for him to have the same opportunities as any other actor, and not be sidelined because he has Down’s syndrome,” explains his mother, Jane.
He is advised by an industry colleague that he would need to write his own story to really grab the attention of Hollywood bigwigs, so he starts brainstorming. He comes up with a superhero film concept in which the bad guy wants to eliminate people with Down’s syndrome, and the hero – a part he initially gives to his teddy bear, but later reveals he would like to play himself – has to stop him. The story is inextricably linked to the conversation around the ethics of Down’s syndrome prenatal screening tests.
The 38-year-old actor is offered pearls of wisdom by a few famous faces on his journey, including Zack Gottsagen, who also has Down’s syndrome and starred in the critically-acclaimed The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington. Gottsagen arranges meetings for Jessop in LA, including a meeting with a Hollywood producer. The film-maker brothers are excited – finally this could really be happening.
They are also excited because it is the first time they are travelling abroad together without their mother. While packing, Jane begins reeling off a list of things she feels Will needs to remember about Tommy’s care. There is a pregnant pause, before her eldest son asks dryly: “Do you think he’d be alright if we just didn’t do any of this?”
At times her parental involvement feels a little overbearing, but the documentary handles it with humour and care. She talks openly about the difficulties she sometimes faces when trying to balance supporting her son and keeping him safe with allowing him to stand on his own two feet. Early on in the programme, she drives him to a meeting and tells him he’ll be going solo for this one. Jessop doesn’t seem at all concerned.
When they finally arrive in LA, the brothers visit the actor couple Neve Campbell (star of the Scream franchise) and JJ Feild (whose film roles include Captain America). Feild tells him that self-belief is everything: “If you walk into that studio down the road and you believe absolutely in your piece, it will sell.” Like Jessop’s other advisers, Feild seems to be rooting for him – though it is difficult at times to tell how sincere they all are. After all, it is one thing telling someone to believe in themselves, but are they ready to put their weight (and money) behind his script so it can be developed?
Severely jet-lagged, Jessop finally steps into his big Hollywood producer meeting, where he explains his film concept in full. What happens next is left hanging in the balance, and the documentary, while it may not be gripping viewing, leaves us rooting for him to succeed. If Jessop’s confidence is anything to go by – and it really is true that this is all it takes – then his superhero story is far from over.
Tommy Jessop Goes To Hollywood aired on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer
