Tommy Jessop
Thomas Jessop (born 19 January 1985), is a British actor. He is the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a prime-time BBC drama, the first professional actor with Down syndrome to tour theatres as Hamlet, the first to become a full voting member of BAFTA. On 21 July 2021 Tommy became Doctor of Arts (honoris causa) University of Winchester at a ceremony in Winchester Cathedral. Career. Film. 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. His role in Down & Out won him several best lead actor awards at festivals including the Southampton Film Festival and the Kino Film Festival Manchester, and the film won Best Overall Film at the Birmingham International Film Festival. More recently, he played the lead in Innocence which has been celebrated at 23 film festivals internationally and won the Don Quixote Award at Kraków Film Festival, the Best Short Film London Lift Off award  and the Best Ensemble Cast at the Lift Off Global Season Awards. Jessop also played a fisherman in Little Shit and a football fan in Delilah. Television. In 2007, Jessop starred opposite Nicholas Hoult in the feature-length BBC drama "Coming Down the Mountain". The writer Mark Haddon said Jessop was the inspiration behind the project. Jessop's performance was widely praised, and the film was nominated for a Television BAFTA for "Best Single Drama", before winning the RADAR People of the Year Human Rights Media Award 2008. Jessop made his television debut in "Holby City", and has also appeared  as guest lead in two episodes of "Casualty", "Monroe" and "Doctors". His dream is to appear on "EastEnders". 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. He reprised his role as a returning character in three dramatic episodes in the sixth series of Line of Duty in 2021. He comments that disabled actors need opportunities to appear other than as victims or objects of pity. Theatre. 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". 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" 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. Tommy has also enjoyed roles as Prospero in The Tempest and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Marley's Ghost in A Christmas Carol and The Creature in Frankenstein with Blue Apple and Vladimir in Waiting for Godot with Culture Device. Tommy also loves contemporary improvisational dance. Documentary. Jessop frequently collaborates with his brother, the writer and filmmaker Will Jessop. In 2007, the brothers made the broadcast documentary "Tommy's Story" for Community Channel (UK). William filmed Tommy  behind the scenes of "Coming Down the Mountain" and "Holby City", and was shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the Grierson Awards 2008. 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 William produced and directed for BBC Three. The film was described as "BBC Three at its very best" and in November 2014 won the Creative Diversity Network Award for Most Groundbreaking Programme. Radio. 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. On 10 April 2013, Tommy appeared in an episode of "The Archers", playing Callum Longfield. Awards. In July 2021, Jessop received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Winchester for his services to the entertainment industry.