Someone thought I was actually the woman from Baby Reindeer and screamed in my face, says actress

Baby Reindeer was one of the standout television moments of the last few years and catapulted actress Jessica Gunning to stardom.

She played Martha, an obsessive and troubled woman who unravels dramatically on screen.

For Gunning, it was “the role of a lifetime”, describing life since the series’ release as “surreal” but also a “dream”.

Speaking to the BBC, the British actor said, “When I first read the script, I got goosebumps,” adding that he attended five auditions for the role.

However, he thought that the television series did not become a phenomenon on Netflix and could become an independent hit.

Of course, the potential downside of starring in a show like this means you’ll be stopped on the street and occasionally confused for your character.

“I was parked near where I lived and a woman screamed in my face! But to defend herself, she had just finished the series, left her house, and I was there.

“So it’s a surreal situation, being yelled at every now and then,” he says.

“But everyone was so sweet, there are incredible statistics about the difference the show makes to charities, especially charities for male survivors of sexual assault.

“I think it shows that people want complex stories. I’ve had 90-year-olds as well as 14-year-olds come and talk to me about it.”

Anyone who has watched Baby Reindeer can tell you that it is a difficult and harrowing watch.

The series says it is based on real-life events experienced by Richard Gadd, the show’s creator who also plays the lead character.

But the woman who allegedly inspired Martha’s inspiration disputes that claim, saying Netflix told “brutal lies” about her to more than 50 million viewers worldwide.

Said it was in June 2024 A lawsuit is being filed against Netflix for insults, negligence and breaches of confidentiality.

The series was billed as a “true story”, but a judge concluded in his September 2024 ruling that some key events in the series, such as a conviction for stalking, did not occur in real life.

Netflix failed Trying to persuade the judge to throw out the case against him, he said: “We want to defend this issue vigorously and stand behind Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”

Filming such intense drama gave Gadd and Gunning a “unique bond,” the actor says.

“We always checked in with each other and the producers and director made sure everything was safe and taken care of.”

Baby Reindeer started life as a stage show at the Fringe in Edinburgh. Gunning tried to see it, but since he couldn’t get a ticket, he bought the script.

“That was kind of my Martha,” she laughs.

His persistence paid off and Gunning soared through awards season, winning Emmys, Baftas, Golden Globes, RTS and Screen Actors Guild awards.

“It made me a little sad, we were in Los Angeles for the whole cast and crew, it’s crazy being in Hollywood anyway. All the clichés are true, it’s an honor just to be nominated.”

“Sometimes I look at the shelf with my awards and think, ‘Oh my God’, it really feels like a dream.”

Gunning has been in the industry for almost two decades, but Baby Reindeer has been a life-changing experience.

“On the one hand, I feel like my life has completely changed, but at the same time, I feel the same in a good way.”

“If something like Baby Reindeer had happened right after I left drama school, maybe I would have felt like a deer in the headlights, pardon the pun.

“I feel a lot more grounded now, and I have a big family and group of friends. But you can’t really calculate the number of viewers that Netflix brings in. It’s a little weird. If you think about it too much, it can be a little scary.”

She is well aware of the importance of the role: “I’ve waited 17 years for a role like Martha to come along, I hope it won’t be another 17 years.”

Armament will next be screened on Christmas Eve on BBC One and in the Children In Need animation. Pudsey and the Thread of Hope.

It is based on the original story of the McFly star and Composer of the musical Paddington Tom Fletcher also wrote the music for the cartoon.

Gunning plays a woman grieving for her husband, while her son continues on his way through grief.

The handbrake came after Baby Reindeer, but Gunning said the script was “beautiful” and he wanted to be involved in his “private charity”.

“Kids can deal with big issues like this, and hopefully if kids have experienced this or are going through something similar, they will watch and feel seen.”

“I grew up with Children in Need my whole life, went to school dressed as Emu and wore it all day long.”

So what’s next for Gunning?

He stars alongside Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield in the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s beloved children’s book The Magic Faraway Tree, and is filming a comedy with Angelina Jolie.

Hailing from the West Yorkshire market town where the BBC’s enduring sitcom Last of the Summer Wine was filmed, the actor filmed the jokes: “From Holmfirth to Hollywood.”

Pudsey and the Thread of Hope airs on BBC One and iPlayer on 24 December at 10.20am EST, and on CBeebies and CBBC on 27 December at 17.00 EST.