“Baby Reindeer,” Netflix’s absorbing, claustrophobic seven-episode thriller, has been an unexpected global hit — a success made even more surprising given its intense themes.
It is far and away the most-watched show on Netflix, according to the streamer’s publicly released numbers, dwarfing every other show on the platform.
Here’s what’s real about “Baby Reindeer,” and what viewers seem most curious about.
Yes, That Is the Real Guy “Baby Reindeer” is the work of Richard Gadd, 34, who plays Donny, a slightly fictionalized version of himself.
And if you were wondering how a regular guy could be such a confident, complex actor, it’s because he is a seasoned, award-winning performer who parlayed his autobiographical one-man show, titled “Baby Reindeer,” into the series, for which he wrote every episode.
“Baby Reindeer” takes meta storytelling to new levels.
“It’s all emotionally 100 percent true,” Gadd, who was the real-life victim of the stalking, said in a recent interview with Variety.
The British writer and director Sean Foley was the subject of online threats when some thought that he was the real-life Darrien character.
Here are a few spoilers.
The gripping, tight seven-episode thriller “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix has become an unexpected global hit, all the more surprising considering its dark themes. Based on the streamer’s publicly available statistics, it is by far the most watched show on Netflix, outpacing all other shows on the service.
A bartender and struggling comic, Donny Dunn is the focus of the miniseries. He is being relentlessly stalked and tormented by Martha, with whom he has a codependent relationship despite the harassment, and is trying to piece together a sense of self while navigating the fog of trauma. A nickname that Martha gave Donny is referenced in the title.
Here’s the truth about “Baby Reindeer” and the questions that people are really wanting to know.
That’s the real guy, that is.
Richard Gadd,34, is the actor behind “Baby Reindeer,” portraying a somewhat made-up version of himself named Donny. And in case you were wondering how an ordinary guy could be such a self-assured, sophisticated actor, the answer is that he is an accomplished, multi-award winning actor who turned his autobiographical one-man show, “Baby Reindeer,” into a television series for which he wrote every episode.
However, he used to be the self-loathing performer that is portrayed. The meta narrative in “Baby Reindeer” is elevated to new heights.
Yes, his actual experiences serve as the basis.
An announcement that says, “This is a true story,” appears on screen early in the first episode. Yes, it is.
Gadd, the actual victim of the stalking, stated in a recent interview with Variety, “It’s all emotionally 100 percent true.”. Everything is taken from actual people I met and things that have happened to me. True, but with the disclaimer that certain details had to be altered “for both legal and artistic reasons,” in his words. “It is not acceptable to simply plagiarize someone else’s life and identity and air it on TV,” he declared. “You don’t want to make their lives more difficult, so we were very aware that some of the characters are vulnerable,” he continued. “.
The majority of the language in the series is typed out from actual messages that his stalker (played by Jessica Gunning) sent him. Gadd performed her voice mail messages to the audience in his one-man show, a 70-minute monologue that debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and went on to win an Olivier Award, the British equivalent of the Tony Awards. Additionally, the venue’s ceiling featured projections of Gadd’s emails.
Over several years, Gadd claims she voicemailed him 350 hours, sent him over 41,000 emails, and tweeted at him hundreds of times.
He explained that some timelines were rearranged for the series “to make them pay off a little better.”. Still, “it’s a very true story.”. “.
Viewers Are Requested by Gadd Not to Dig…
Although the story appears to be about obsession and stalking, it is also about the devastating effects of sexual assault. In the fourth installment, Darrien O’Connor (portrayed by Tom Goodman-Hill), a formidable television writer who had made exaggerated claims to help launch the comedian’s career, repeatedly drugs, beats, and sexually assaults Gadd’s character. (Gadd’s previous solo exhibition, “Monkey See Monkey Do,” examined the sexual assaults. “).
Gadd told GQ magazine recently that “abuse leaves an imprint.”. “Especially when there are repeated promises made along with the abuse.”. “.
Knowing that the characters were based on real people sparked a great deal of interest in the identities behind them, although the depiction of the abuse is graphic and unsettling. However, Gadd did not hesitate to tell viewers to give up on their investigation. He posted on Instagram, asking people not to guess who any of the real-life characters might be. “Our show isn’t about that,”. “.
Still, Viewers Continue to Probe.
With more and more people binge-watching the show, social media has turned into a game of amateur detectives, with users attempting to figure out who the characters are. Threats were made online against British writer and director Sean Foley because some people believed he was the real-life Darrien.
“All abusive, threatening, and defamatory posts against me are being investigated by police,” Foley wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) towards the end of April.
With regard to Foley in particular, Gadd stood up for him on Instagram, writing, “People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.”. “.
An abundance of articles about Martha’s past stalking are found when Gadd’s character searches for her online in the first episode. One headline reads, “Serial Stalker Sentenced to Four and Half Years,” which prompted some online detectives to look for the real copies of those same articles.
