'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Netflix's dark comedy miniseries Baby Reindeer is currently the talk of the town with its psychological thriller elements blended perfectly with humor. Inspired by true events, the series follows the story of a rising comedian who begins to get stalked by a woman he meets at a bar.
Released on April 11, 2024, the synopsis for the miniseries on Netflix reads:
"When a struggling comedian shows one act of kindness to a vulnerable woman, it sparks a suffocating obsession which threatens to wreck both their lives."
The series sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with fans investigating the identities of the people behind the characters.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Netflix miniseries, Baby Reindeer. It also contains mention of s*xual abuse. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.
Trending
List of characters from Baby Reindeer based on real people
The seven-episode miniseries from Netflix was released to critical acclaim, with its story and performances garnering widespread praise. However, it also sparked an interest in the identities of people who inspired its characters.
1) Donny Dunn
Richard Gadd plays a fictionalized version of himself called Donny Dunn in Baby Reindeer. Gadd is a comedian and actor whose real-life experiences have been dramatized in the show. After allegedly being stalked by a woman a few years ago, Gadd recounted his ordeal in a one-man comedy show in Edinburgh. Following its success, Gadd turned it into a Netflix miniseries.
In the show, Donny is a struggling comic who works at a bar. One day, he encounters a customer who seems to be having a bad day. Taking pity on her, he offers her a cup of tea for free.
Grateful, the woman begins chatting and soon forms an intense connection with him. This sets the plot of the show into motion as the woman eventually begins to stalk Donny, who is dealing with secrets of his own.
2) Martha
Jessica Gunning plays Martha, a woman who becomes obsessed with Donny and begins stalking him. Her very introduction in the first episode sets an unnerving tone as she is portrayed as a talkative person who lies about her profession.
With a distinctive shrill laugh, Martha is an unpredictable woman who is prone to public outbursts. Her demeanor soon turns threatening as she begins to follow Donny and poses a danger to him and his loved ones.
Martha's real-life identity has been a subject of intense speculation on social media. While Richard Gadd has remained tight-lipped about the person who stalked him, fans have formed theories surrounding the identity of the real stalker who inspired the character of Martha. Many women have been named as the real Martha by netizens online, but none of them have been confirmed as true.
The identity of the person whom Martha is based on has not been disclosed at the time of writing this article.
3) Darrien O'Connor
In the show, Baby Reindeer, Darrien O'Connor is a successful TV writer whom Donny idolizes. After meeting at a club in Edinburgh, the two become fast friends with Darrien even helping Donny to develop his act as a comedian. However, it is soon revealed that Darrien has ulterior motives.
Donny is drugged and s*xually abused by Darrien multiple times. He harbors this secret for years in shame until he suffers from a breakdown during a comedy show.
Darrien is another character whose real identity has been speculated about by fans online. In an unfortunate turn of events, Gadd's friend Sean Foley was erroneously misidentified as the real Darrien and was subject to abuse and threats on social media.
On April 23, 2024, Foley took to X to announce that he had filed a police report against the trolls and an investigation was currently underway.
The role of Darrien is played by Tom Goodman-Hill in the show.
4) Teri
Teri is an American therapist whom Donny meets via a dating app. A transgender woman, Donny struggles with his sexuality while dating Teri and keeps their affair a secret from others around them. She is portrayed as a kind and patient person who is also the voice of reason in Donny's life.
Unfortunately, Teri is subject to a physical attack by Martha. Her relationship with Donny eventually breaks down and the two separate, with Teri finding love with someone else by the end of the show.
In a GQ article published on April 14, Gadd revealed:
"Transness is very much in the public consciousness now but back then it wasn’t spoken about. I’d fallen for someone who was trans but with that came a lot of questioning and all of this unfortunate shame that you have when you’re young."
Nava Mau, who portrays Teri in the series, shared her thoughts in a Q&A screening on April 16. She stated:
"When I read [the script], I could tell that Richard really loved her, whoever inspired this character. I think 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."
The identity of the person who inspired the character of Teri is not yet known.
All seven episodes of Baby Reindeer are currently available to stream on Netflix.
