# Will Jessop

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{{Short description|British filmmaker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox actor
| name               = Will Jessop
| image              = Will Jessop.png
| caption            = Will Jessop in 2022
| occupation         = Filmmaker
| years_active       = 2007–present
| website            = {{URL|willjessop.com}}
}}
'''Will Jessop''' is a British writer and director, and the brother of [Tommy Jessop](/source/Tommy_Jessop). He is an outspoken advocate for disabled talent.<ref name="broadcast-Will Jessop">{{cite news |last=Kahn |first=Ellie |date=15 August 2023 |title='Will Jessop: It's fashionable to be diverse, but is it true diversity? |url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/indies/will-jessop-its-fashionable-to-be-diverse-but-is-it-true-diversity/5184756.article |work=Broadcast |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Career ==
===Documentary===
Jessop's first broadcast documentary was ''Growing up Down's'' (2014) for [BBC Three](/source/BBC_Three), which tells the story of his brother Tommy and other actors from [Blue Apple Theatre](/source/Blue_Apple_Theatre) as they create a touring production of [Hamlet](/source/Hamlet).<ref name="independent-growingupdowns">{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Jeremy |date=21 January 2014 |title='Growing Up Down's': Tommy's got Talent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/growing-up-down-s-tommy-s-got-talent-9073067.html |accessdate=21 January 2014 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}}</ref> The documentary received positive reviews<ref name="digitalspy-growingupdowns">{{cite news |last=Fletcher |first=Alex |date=3 February 2014 |title='Growing Up Down's' Preview: Powerful Documentary is Brilliant TV |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a548608/growing-up-downs-preview-powerful-documentary-is-brilliant-tv/ |accessdate=3 February 2014 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}}</ref> and was nominated for an [International Emmy Award for Best Documentary](/source/International_Emmy_Award_for_Best_Documentary).<ref name="theguardian-britaininternationalemmyawardcharge">{{cite news|title=Britain Leads International Emmy Award Charge|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/05/britain-leads-international-emmy-award-charge-with-seven-nominations|accessdate=5 October 2015|work=The Guardian|date=5 October 2015|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2020, Jessop directed the [BBC2](/source/BBC2) documentary ''25 Siblings & Me'', which follows a 21 year old British man called Oli Benjamin as he sets out to connect with his [dibling](/source/dibling) family in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agnew |first=Megan |date=2020-09-26 |title=25 siblings and me: the search for my sperm donor father |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/25-siblings-and-me-the-search-for-my-sperm-donor-father-dxjsv7ghj |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=The Times |language=en}}</ref>

Jessop series directed the [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4) / [Discovery+](/source/Discovery%2B) series ''Investigating Diana: Death in Paris'' (2022), with unprecedented access to the officers of [Operation Paget](/source/Operation_Paget).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeffries |first=Stuart |date=2022-08-21 |title=Investigating Diana: Death in Paris review – like Making a Murderer meets the royals |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/21/investigating-diana-death-in-paris-review-like-making-a-murderer-meets-the-royals |access-date=2025-01-03 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2023, Jessop reunited with his brother Tommy for the [BBC1](/source/BBC1) documentary ''Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood'', in which the brothers set out to challenge the negative typecasting of disabled talent by creating and pitching their own superhero movie: ''Roger the Superhero''.<ref name="thetimes-tommyjessopgoestohollywood">{{cite news |last=Midgley |first=Carol |date=21 August 2023 |title='Tommy Jessop Goes To Hollywood Review |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/tommy-jessop-goes-to-hollywood-review-a-touching-insight-into-living-with-down-s-9vs2vb7hz |accessdate=21 August 2023 |work=The Times |language=en-GB}}</ref> The documentary features [Kit Harington](/source/Kit_Harington), [Will Sharpe](/source/Will_Sharpe), [Neve Campbell](/source/Neve_Campbell) and [Zack Gottsagen](/source/Zack_Gottsagen).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reay |first=Cathy |date=2023-08-21 |title=Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood review – a charming attempt to create a Down's syndrome superhero movie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/aug/21/tommy-jessop-goes-to-hollywood-review-a-charming-attempt-to-create-a-down-syndrome-superhero-movie |access-date=2025-01-03 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Theatre===
Between 2010 and 2014, Jessop worked as a playwright with the learning disabled actors of [Blue Apple Theatre](/source/Blue_Apple_Theatre)<ref name="William Jessop profile in Ink Pellet magazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.inkpellet.co.uk/2012/04/william-jessop/ |title=William Jessop |publisher=Ink Pellet |date= |accessdate=2013-08-07}}</ref> to create adaptations and original productions including [A Midsummer Night's Dream](/source/A_Midsummer_Night's_Dream),<ref name="MND">{{cite web |last=Payne |first=Warwick |date=2010-06-09 |title=Blue Apple tackles the Bard (From Hampshire Chronicle) |url=http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/winchester/8206826.Blue_Apple_tackles_the_Bard/ |accessdate=2013-08-07 |publisher=[Hampshirechronicle.co.uk](/source/Hampshirechronicle.co.uk)}}</ref> ''Captain Miserable and the Book Guardian'', [Gogol's](/source/Gogol) [The Government Inspector](/source/The_Government_Inspector), [Hamlet](/source/Hamlet), [Feydeau](/source/Feydeau)'s ''[Hotel du Paradis](/source/Hotel_du_Paradis),''<ref>{{cite web |title=Blue Apple Theatre &#124; the Hotel |url=http://blueappletheatre.hampshire.org.uk/hotel.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423235733/http://blueappletheatre.hampshire.org.uk/hotel.html |archive-date=23 April 2014 |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=Blue Apple Theatre}}</ref> and ''[Much Ado About Nothing](/source/Much_Ado_About_Nothing)''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}
* {{IMDb name|5727052}}
* {{official website|https://www.willjessop.com//}}
* [http://www.growingupdowns.co.uk/ ''Growing Up Down's'' documentary website]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jessop, Will}}
Category:English documentary filmmakers
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Will Jessop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Jessop) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Jessop?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.