“Reindeer” follows Donny (Gadd), an aspiring comedian who is at the lowest point in his life. The man earns money as a bartender. One day, lonely and unhappy Martha (Jessica Gunning) shows up at his pub. Donny buys her some tea. He doesn't expect that the woman will start a toxic relationship with him that will have a negative impact on every aspect of his life.
Gadd based the plot of the series on his monodrama, which he has been staging since 2019. This one, in turn, is rooted in real events from his life. As he admitted in an interview with Variety, adapting the play required a lot of work from him. “There I was alone on stage and talking about my life. It was me and a stool. (…) Rewriting a 70-minute monodrama into a seven-episode series, with many characters and numerous plots, was a difficult undertaking that involved a lot of pressure,” he admitted.
The actor admitted that “Reindeer” shows the complete truth when it comes to the emotions that tormented him and his loved ones while struggling with stalking. He noted, however, that not everything was copied from real life onto the script. “It was for artistic and legal reasons. You can't just copy someone's life and name it on the TV screen. Besides, some of the original characters are sensitive people, and I didn't want to cause them any trouble,” Gadd pointed out.
He also admitted that Martha is different from the person who stalked him in real life. “I wanted to show the essence of this person, the energy about them, and no one did that like Jess (Gunning). (…) I needed someone who was vulnerable one moment and angry and aggressive the next, and at the same time desperate and full of compassion. (…) It's very difficult for an actor, but Jess just has it, the emotions just come out of her.”
Gadd was also asked why he approached Martha's character with such compassion. “Stalking is usually presented as the action of an evil person. I felt that I was dealing with a sensitive person who couldn't stop, who believed in the reality in her head and nothing could change her mind. It's a mental illness and I wanted it that way.” to show it. I saw a character I felt sorry for,” he explained.
The actor also added that it was difficult for him to recreate some situations. “Who in their right mind wants to go back to the worst thing that ever happened in their life?” – he laughed. But he quickly found that recycling such things could have a cathartic and calming effect. At this point, however, he cannot say how “The Reindeer” influenced him. For now, he's too overwhelmed by the show's success.
When asked what happened to the real Martha and whether she tried to contact him, Gadd replied briefly: “I can't talk about it. But considering where we ended up in real life, I'm not afraid of it.”
All episodes of “Reindeer” are available on Netflix from April 11, 2024.