We were joined on the Popternative show by Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Behind Her Eyes), fresh off his two 2026 BAFTA Awards wins. He took home the Rising Star Award along with Best Lead Actor for his role in the biopic I Swear, which will be released in Canada and the US on April 24 after premiering in the UK last October.
Written and directed by Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2), I Swear tells the inspiring and true story of Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson. John was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by the Queen of England in recognition of this work.
I Swear traces John’s Tourette’s diagnosis at age 15. Set in 1980s Galashiels, Scotland, it follows his turbulent teenage years and early adulthood, highlighting a widely misunderstood condition while capturing his struggle to live a “normal” life against the odds.
I Swear also stars Peter Mullan (Ozark, Children of Men), Maxine Peake (Say Nothing, The Theory of Everything), and Shirley Henderson (Dept Q., Harry Potter franchise).
Aramayo spent a significant amount of time with John Davidson before tbe filming started which allowed him to gain deeper context for his performance:
“There was all kinds of stories that came up that were in the film that came from John that he [explained to me] again and provide a bit more context for beyond the film. We would have big conversations about his life and he just was so open about telling me about his experiences and hearing about them firsthand. [That] gave me a bigger autonomy when we when we came to shoot them.”
Watch the full conversation with Robert Aramayo below.
I Swear releases in theaters in the US and Canada on April 24.
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