The Netflix show on everyone's mind right now (including Cardi B's) is Reindeer -- and no, it's not about actual baby reindeer. The limited series was created, written by and stars Richard Gad, whose character befriends a woman named Martha in the workplace who soon becomes his stalker and disrupts his personal life every relationship in.
Although "Baby Reindeer " is adapted from Gadde's 2019 one-man show and was inspired by his own stalking experiences, he had to change many details due to legal reasons. His character is now named Donnie Dunn, which means his real stalker's name isn't Martha.
"It's 100 percent emotionally true, if that makes sense," he told Variety in a recent interview. "It's all borrowed from real people that happened to me and that I met. But of course, for legal and artistic reasons you can't be factually accurate...Obviously, we're very Know that some of these characters are vulnerable, so you don’t want to make their lives more difficult”.
Gad has yet to reveal the identity of his stalker
For these reasons, Gadde did not reveal the identity of his stalker, asking fans in an Instagram Story posted on April 22 not to investigate. "Please do not speculate on who the real-life stalker might be," he wrote. "That's not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard."
He also could not reveal what happened to the stalker or whether she tried to contact him after the young reindeer succeeded. "I really can't answer those questions," he told Variety . "But yeah, because of how things ended in real life, that's not my concern."
As The Guardian reported in 2019, the stage play confirmed that Gad's stalker was indeed a woman and addressed the gender reversal problem in most stalking narratives—even though the character was only represented by a stool. The show also revealed that he received 41,000 emails from "Martha" during the three-year ordeal, and that she harassed his family and friends until shortly before the show.
Gad has sympathy for "Martha"
However, as the Netflix show reflects, Gad's sympathy for her stalker explains why her identity is hidden. "Stalking is often portrayed as evil," he told Variety . "I feel like there's a vulnerable person who is really unstoppable and who, for whatever reason, believes in the reality in her head that nothing can change no matter what happens."
When it came time to transform Martha from a prop into a person on the Netflix show, Gad wanted an actor with the energy and essence of a stalker, and cast Jessica Gunning. " I needed to see someone who was vulnerable one moment and angry and emotionally unstable the next but also desperate and compassionate," he said. "That's hard to do from an acting standpoint, but Jess seems to have it in her pores."
If you or someone you know is seeking help for a mental health issue, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA ) website or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). In an emergency, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or 911.
