‘Baby Reindeer’ Cast and Character Guide: Who Plays Donny and Martha?

When you hear the premise of Netflix’s newest hit, Baby Reindeer – a struggling comedian finds himself being stalked by a woman he meets at a bar – the outcome of the series might seem straightforward. However, Baby Reindeer, which is based on show creator and lead actor Richard Gadd‘s real-life experiences, isn’t quite that cut-and-dry. While we generally know whose side we’re on in a psychological drama, Gadd’s masterful storytelling allows us to see the world of the show through each character’s unique perspective. In fact, it’s the complicated relationship that Gadd’s character, Donny Dunn, develops with his stalker, Martha (Jessica Gunning) that has made the new series so enthralling to viewers.

The limited series consists of seven episodes and was an instant hit upon its April 11 premiere on Netflix, with critics praising its complexity and the performances of its cast. Originally a one-man show performed by Gadd at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Baby Reindeer was produced by Matthew Mulot (Ghosts) and written entirely by Gadd. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the drama is already in talks to be part of the Primetime Emmy race.

Because of the show’s complicated plot and even more complicated characters, Baby Reindeer has not only drawn in a large audience but has started a larger conversation about the shame associated with sexual assault. For a breakdown of the characters and the actors that portray them, check out TheShockNews below. As a warning, difficult topics are discussed within the plot of Baby Reindeer.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

TV-MA

Biography

Drama

In a dark and gripping narrative, a young man’s life spirals into chaos when an innocent encounter at his bar job leads to an obsessive stalking by an older woman. The film skillfully explores themes of privacy, obsession, and the boundaries of social interaction.

Release Date

April 11, 2024

Cast

Richard Gadd , Jessica Gunning , Danny Kirrane , Nava Mau

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Richard Gadd

Writers

Richard Gadd

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Directors

Weronika Tofilska , Josephine Bornebusch

Richard Gadd

Donny Dunn

Donny Dunn is a comedian who works as a bartender at a pub in London. A struggling artist who can’t seem to catch a break, Donny meets Martha at the bar, a woman who becomes increasingly attached to Donny, emailing him and following him home from work. Donny’s girlfriend Teri encourages him to go to the police about Martha, and Donny’s reluctance makes Teri suspicious that he is secretly loving the attention of his stalker. As Martha begins to further infiltrate Donny’s life, including interacting with his ex-girlfriend and his parents, pieces of Donny’s past and his unresolved trauma begin to become an unavoidable part of his present.

Donny Dunn is the fictionalized version of Richard Gadd, who uses his own life experiences to tell the story of Baby Reindeer. Gadd is a Scottish actor, writer, and comedian who went to Oxford School of Drama. Having performed many successful one-man shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Gadd brought Baby Reindeer to the stage in 2019, winning two awards for his performance and the writing of the show. It was this stellar stage performance that inspired the limited series.

Jessica Gunning

Martha

Martha is Donny Dunn’s stalker. While she initially meets Donny in a bar and tells him that she is a lawyer, it soon becomes clear that this is not the case, and Martha has lied about a lot. Prone to public outbursts that frighten both Donny and the people around him, Martha is an unpredictable and threatening presence in Donny’s life. Throughout the series, Martha turns her attention to other members of Donny’s life, bringing her threat level to an all-time high.

Jessica Gunning is an English theater and television actress. Originally from West Yorkshire, Gunning has appeared in shows like Doctor Who, Mutual Friends, Law & Order: UK, and the Golden Globe-nominated film Pride. Her theater resume includes shows like Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing, and George Bernard Shaw‘s Major Barbara, both of which Gunning performed at the National Theatre.

Nava Mau

Teri

Teri is an American therapist and Donny’s current girlfriend. Teri has a complicated relationship with Donny for multiple reasons, the first being her concern that Donny is enjoying the insane amount of attention he’s receiving from his stalker, Martha. Another issue between the new couple is that Donny seems ashamed of dating Teri, who is a trans woman, as he’s lied to her about his name and his occupation and doesn’t want to show her affection in public. Tensions continue to increase between the two as Teri realizes that Donny may not be who he says he is.

Actress Nava Mau got her big break on the Max series Generation, which premiered in 2021. Similar to Gadd, Mau has also written and starred in a project about her own life experiences, turning them into a short film titled Waking Hour. She has also appeared in the Netflix documentary Disclosure, which investigated how trans people are depicted in Hollywood.

Shalom Brune-Franklin

Keeley

Keeley is Donny’s ex-girlfriend, and the daughter of Donny’s current landlady, Liz. Once Donny’s stalker, Martha, finds out about Keeley’s past with Donny, she begins to harass Keeley. Throughout the series, we learn more about Donny and Keeley’s relationship, as well as how they met and their time living together in London. The end of their relationship comes as Donny gets involved with Darrien, a writer from a successful television show. Donny takes a turn for the worse as he spends more time with Darrien, and Keeley can no longer handle the person that Donny has become. While Keeley and Donny have been broken up for some time, Martha nonetheless makes Keeley one of her targets, attacking her on the street, and causing Liz to ask Donny to move out.

Shalom Brune-Franklin is an English-born actress who has appeared in the films OtherLife as well as Thor: Ragnarok. Her television credits include War of the Worlds, The Tourist, and Great Expectations.

Tom Goodman-Hill

Darrien O’Connor

Darrien O’Connor is a successful television writer whom Donny looks up to, as he’s worked with many of Donny’s comedy idols. When Darrien suggests Donny move to London, Donny takes the advice and goes to attend drama school in the city. It’s not long before Darrien reaches out to Donny and asks him to help write a television pilot; however, Darrien’s true intentions become clear shortly into their work together. While Donny is dating Keeley, Darrien encourages him to use drugs, taking advantage of Donny when he obliges. Soon, Darrien’s abuse has an incredibly strong hold on Donny, and while Donny is eventually able to leave the toxic relationship, it’s Darrien’s actions towards him that Donny has never been able to get over. Darrien’s actions loom heavily over Donny’s life and impact his current romantic relationships and his ability to handle things with Martha. While Darrien and Donny reconnect later in the series, Darrien’s power over Donny remains, and it’s unclear what will happen between the two at the series’ end.

Tom Goodman-Hill grew up in Newcastle, originally becoming a teacher before he switched careers and went for acting. Goodman-Hill has appeared in many notable projects, acting alongside Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, as well as playing Sargeant Stahl in The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch. He has also had roles in Doctor Who, Rebecca, and the Channel 4 Sci-Fi series Humans.

Danny Kirrane

Gino

Gino is one of the pub managers who works alongside Donny at the bar. Gino has a front-and-center view of Martha’s uncomfortable relationship with his coworker Donny; however, despite Martha’s intensity and clear lack of a sense of reality, Gino persuades Donny not to press charges against her with the police. This is due to the bar’s mismanagement, and the staff at the bar not wanting the police to find out by coming to investigate Martha.

Danny Kirrane is a British actor who has appeared in television shows like Skins, The Inbetweeners, Game of Thrones, and Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman. He has also appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.