Teenager Scott Ellis Watson had dreams of being a jet pilot in the Royal Air Force, but it is his acting career that’s taking off after playing the young John Davidson in I Swear.
The 15-year-old (turning 16 in September) puts in a remarkable performance as the sparky schoolboy grappling with the onset of Tourette syndrome, and the tics and outbursts associated with the condition. Watson says he was included on an audition tape for his older two siblings as “a bit of a Hail Mary”. After being cast, however, he worked with voice and movement coaches to perfect the tics.
Watson also had some coaching tips from Davidson, taking on board the responsibility of portraying a real person: “It was quite heavy knowing I had to get this one right. There were already documentaries of John at this age so if I got it wrong, there would be proof I’d got it wrong, and I did worry.”
But he expertly laid the emotional groundwork for Robert Aramayo, who plays Davidson as an adult and won a Bafta for the role. What followed was a whirlwind of red carpets that “blew my socks off”, says Watson.
Now he is snagging bigger roles, including as Jack Marsh in Ghosts: The Possession Of Button House, a feature-length version of the award-winning BBC comedy series, which will be released by Lionsgate in the UK and Ireland on October 23.
Teenager Jack and his friends encounter the spirits in an old abandoned house after messing about with a Ouija board. “I adored the shoot,” says Watson. “It was so fun getting to work with the likes of Simon Farnaby, Mathew Baynton and Martha Howe-Douglas. They’re a great bunch of people, really funny.”
Watson is enjoying the unexpected trajectory of his career, although he admits: “After I Swear, it threw me off a bit because I had this idea my whole life was planned out. But I realised I just love acting. Being able to play the part of someone else, another character that you can help create, is exciting. I’ve got the bug.”
Contact: Taylor Jefferson, The Artists Partnership; Maryam Hunwick, Hunwick Associates
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