These Neurodivergent Actors Are Bringing Hollywood Up to Speed
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Sixty-one million Americans—one in four of us!—live with some form of what’s usually called a disability. Men's Health talked to nine people who show that the things that might have once held them back have only unleashed their potential. Read more here.
ACTORS ZACK GOTTSAGEN AND TOMMY JESSOP are breaking barriers on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Gottsagen starred in 2019’s Peanut Butter Falcon, alongside Shia LeBeouf. He went on to become the first person with Down syndrome to present an Oscar and appears in the ambitious dramedy God Save the Queens, recently seen at the Tribeca Film Festival. Jessop, meanwhile, has played Hamlet onstage and is the first person with Down syndrome to star on a BBC One prime-time drama, the critically acclaimed dark cop show Line of Duty. MH talked to both about their ascent.
On the Power of Defining Yourself
Tommy: If you’re being labeled, then you are being stuck in a box. My message to anyone out there in the world is: Just think of us two people as living life to the full and wanting to play characters who can make a difference and save the day.
Zack: I don’t mind saying to people that I have a disability. Because I have been trying to get that out there. I want to give people notice about who I am right now: I do believe in myself and how I can get through.
On What Roles Are Still Missing
Tommy: Well, I think they might be casting James Bond right now. So I’d say the next Bond, James Bond. . . . Shaken, not stirred.
Zack: We need more romantic roles. I worked with [the indie rock band] Delta Spirit on their video “What’s Done Is Done.” We did a very lovely story with Jamie Brewer, an actress and model with Down syndrome. I just had so much fun doing that.
Tommy: I second that because I can also be a romantic at heart. Then you could see the softer side of my character, because recently I’ve played a murderer, a fisherman,
a thief, a boxer, and a football fan.
On Dealing With Discrimination
Zack: If [people] don’t accept us, move on, and I would say just go forward. But please don’t give up. Just keep on trying.
Tommy: What people should be talking about is the gifts, skills, and talents we all have to give the world. All kinds of people are capable and want to show their skills and talents. . . . To quote a certain Dwayne Johnson, and this is a message to anyone [spreading hate] out there, “It doesn’t matter what you think.”
Zack: I don’t know about that, but life is about yourself. About the words you believe about yourself. Think about what you want to make possible,
what change you want to make.
A version of this article appeared in the November 2022 issue of Men's Health.
You Might Also Like
