Actress who played Martha in ‘Baby Reindeer’ slams ‘armchair detectives’

With 16 years of career, the British actress Jessica Gunning He became one of the stars of the series Netflix, Reindeer baby (Reindeer baby) by giving life to the protagonist’s stalker. Amidst the commotion caused by the drama she created Richard JuddShe wondered if viewers had moved away from the fantasy to become “armchair detectives”. This is in relation to the attention directed at the woman who claims to be the real life “Martha”.

Janning, who was born in West Yorkshire, participated in several British productions before landing the most widespread role of her life. Some other important titles in his filmography are Doctor Who, White heat, Outlaws And the movie Pride.

Series Reindeer babycreated by Richard Juddbased on Gad’s personal experiences with a stalker, has grown significantly in his connection with audiences since its debut on April 11.

In the seven-episode novel, he played Gad Donnie Dana struggling comedian meets Martha, a lonely woman who soon becomes a dangerous, persistent stalker.

“I knew how to play Martha from the moment I read the script,” Gunning said in an interview with The New York Times. Hollywood Reporter. But the process of getting the role was extensive. In total, it took four months with several rounds to check the chemistry with the protagonist and convince the producers that he could look older than he really is.

To do this, Jessica turned to makeup and hair designer Nadia Stacey (Oscar winner for… Poor creatures), who was her friend. With wigs and minimal makeup, the duo tried to show that Gunning could look like a 43-year-old.

“In another world, people might have been pushing for someone more famous. But I kept thinking: ‘I know how to do this. If the character fell into the hands of someone who saw Martha as evil or crazy, it would be a shame and would ruin the nuance that Richard’s writing gave her.He explained his relationship with this role.

Gad’s text has always been his source of reference. For this reason, some viewers were criticized for venturing into verifying the stalker’s true identity.

“I tried to know as little as possible about real people because I didn’t want it to cloud my vision.. I don’t imitate; He insisted that I make up my own interpretation of it. “Nowadays, there is a fascination with true crime stories, to mention something that has become as big as this business, and I understand that armchair detectives are becoming a trend. But it’s a shame. This is not the core of our series“.

Both Gadd and Gunning insisted that Martha should not be seen as a simple antagonist. During the panel organized by the Directors Guild of America, the creator talked about how he developed some compassion for his stalker.

“I saw someone who was lost to the system, actually. I saw someone who needed help and didn’t get it.“, explained the author of the article.

The same perspective was reflected in the performance of Gunning, who also rejected the idea of ​​her character being pigeonholed as a typical villain. “Martha is complicated and it’s not all bad. His intentions might have been understood that way, but he never wanted to do anything malicious intentionally.“She’s a woman who felt a little ignored, just like him,” the actress argued.