Jessica Gunning in “Baby Reindeer”
The Brit is already a series star
Jessica Gunning plays stalker Martha Scott in the new Netflix series “Baby Reindeer.”
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.
“Baby Reindeer” is enjoying success on Netflix. In England, Jessica Gunning, who shines in the role of stalker Martha, is no stranger.
The series “Baby Reindeer” is currently enjoying great success on Netflix with its unusual story. The mini-series tells the true story of a strange relationship between the unsuccessful comedian Donny Dunn – played by Richard Gadd (34) – and his stalker Martha Scott – played by Jessica Gunning (38) within seven episodes. The fact that the episodes with typically British humor are currently going through the roof on the streaming platform is primarily attributed to Gunning and her portrayal of the stressed-out lawyer. Who is the actress and how do we already know her?
Known from the BBC comedy series “The Outlaws”
Still relatively unknown in Germany and internationally, Jessica Gunning is not an unknown face on British television. Since its premiere in 2021, the actress has been loved for, among other things, her role in the British comedy series “The Outlaws”, a co-production by BBC and Amazon. In the series, seven very different strangers in Bristol have to do their community service. Her supervisor is Diane Pemberley, played by Gunning. Her goal is to become a police officer herself, after she was once forced to do community service as a young criminal.
Fans are currently waiting for the third season of the series, in which Jessica Gunning will return to the role of Diane. It has become a series favorite for many in recent years. Season three premieres May 31 on Prime Video.
Smaller roles in British series and films
In Great Britain, the actress is also known for her portrayal of a policewoman in the British edition of “Law and Order”. From 2009 to 2011 she appeared in 20 episodes of the series, playing the role of Angela. She previously had a guest appearance in the series “Doctor Who” in 2008. In the sitcom “Back” from 2017 to 2021 she played the bartender Jan in a failing pub in Gloucestershire. Films in which she had smaller roles included “Summerland” and “Pride”.
Now Jessica Gunning is getting people talking with the series “Baby Reindeer”. The story is based on other protagonist Richard Gadd’s own experiences with a female stalker in his twenties. Because he is pursued by Martha, the main character Donny has to deal with his own trauma over the course of the series. Gadd is full of praise for his counterpart in the Netflix series: “I had always seen Jess on shows and thought she was woefully underused – she always played the comic relief character. There was an essence of something there to break out,” Gadd, who also worked as a writer on the Netflix series, said of casting Jessica Gunning in an interview with “Vanity Fair”.