Nava Mau’s character Teri dates Donny (Richard Gadd) in Baby Reindeer. (Netflix)
Nava Mau, the breakout star of chilling new Netflix mini-series Baby Reindeer, has reflected on the responsibility she felt playing a real-life trans person.
Trans actress Mau plays Teri, an American therapist, in Richard Gadd’s critically acclaimed drama based on his real experience of being physically and virtually stalked by a mentally ill woman.
Gadd stars as Donny, a floundering comedian who offers a crying woman a cup of tea in the London pub where he works. It proves to be a mistake of epic proportions when she becomes obsessed with becoming his lover.
However, Donny is already in love with someone else: Teri.
Since the series premiered on Netflix last week, Gadd has confirmed that Teri is based on a real trans woman he was seeing at the time, explaining that she “was the voice of reason in my life at that point”, although he never “listened to her as much as [he] should have”.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Mau has now shared her thoughts on the pressure that came with portraying a woman who was really in Gadd’s life.
“When I read [the script], I could tell that Richard really loved her, whoever inspired this character,” she said.
“I knew that it was based on real life and it seemed really important to show people that trans women exist in real life and in relationships with real people. I could see Richard’s heart in the writing and I hope that people will see it too.
“I felt a great sense of responsibility, and I cared a lot about telling the story in the best way possible.”
Mau, who also starred in queer series Generation, has previously praised Gadd for writing such an authentic script.
“It felt like an honour to even get to read the script, because of Richard’s vulnerability. There’s a light that I think pulsates out of that kind of vulnerability, and all the characters are cast in that light,” she told Netflix’s fan event Tudum. “I felt that in [the] first read of Teri.”
Baby Reindeer currently has an 88 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been widely praised for its raw depictions of sexual abuse, mental illness, the devastating impact of stalking, and the nuances of the trans experience.
In the seven-episode series, Donny is initially ashamed to be dating a transgender woman, keeping his name and occupation a secret from her, all while Teri is subjected to violent abuse at the hands of Martha.
However, the series also shows that trans people do find love, and do go about life in the same way as every other person.
Baby Reindeer is currently streaming on Netflix.