‘Baby Reindeer’ could score Richard Gadd an Emmy hat trick
Clerkenwell Films rose to prominence (at least in the USA, anyway) with its blackly-comic coming-of-age series “The End of the Fucking World.” Now, the British production company has perhaps its biggest hit yet in the shape of Richard Gadd‘s “Baby Reindeer,” which airs on Netflix.
Based on Gadd’s own Olivier Award-winning play, “Baby Reindeer” tells the true story of a struggling comedian (Gadd, playing a version of himself) suffering sexual abuse and becoming the victim of a stalker (Jessica Gunning). Gadd’s writing is smart and sharp but what makes the show so good are its performances — Gunning is this generation’s Kathy Bates in “Misery” while Gadd himself anchors the whole show.
His character in the series — Donny — can be difficult to understand at times but he never lacks agency or empathy and Gadd creates a compelling lead to lead us through such a dark tale. Critics agree, Gadd’s work as a writer here is matched only by his acting.
Brittany Vincent (IGN) stated: “Considering that Gadd is dramatizing events from his real life, you’d think there’d be an attempt to sugarcoat things, but thankfully that’s not the case. He gives an incredibly raw portrayal of the trauma he both faced and inflicted with incredible zeal.”
Therese Lacson (Collider) observed: “Gadd’s performance reigns supreme in this production. He gives his all in every scene, especially a monologue in the penultimate episode. The unabashed way the narration interrogates his inner thoughts, mixed with the way Donny presents himself and his slow physical deterioration over the time of the stalking, make the show memorable.”
David Opie (Empire) summarized: “Gadd is phenomenal, a consistently charming presence in every scene, and that’s true even in Donny’s most unlikeable moments.”
As a result, we are predicting that Gadd will earn an Emmy nomination (his first ever) for Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor. We think he’ll be nominated alongside Jon Hamm (“Fargo”), Andrew Scott (“Ripley”), Hiroyuki Sanada (“Shōgun”), Tom Hollander (“Feud: Capote vs the Swans”), and Matt Bomer (“Fellow Travelers”).
There are multiple reasons to believe that Gadd will ride this hype train all the way to Emmy nomination day (July 12). This is a true story and it concerns crime, in some way. Both of these types of shows often end up with nominations in this category. Recent nominees Michel Shannon (“George & Tammy”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”), Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”), and Ewan McGregor (“Halston”) all earned bids for starring in series based on true stories while Evan Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Welcome to Chippendales”), Colin Firth (“The Staircase”), Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), and Benicio del Toro (“Escape at Dannemora”) were all nominated for roles in true-crime tales.
Gadd is a breakout star to watch. Emmy voters like this profile of actor, with past nominees such as Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”), Paul Mescal (“Normal People”), Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”), and Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock”) all fitting this description.
What is most relevant, however, is the fact that Gadd is a multi-hyphenate. He produced, wrote and starred in “Baby Reindeer.” We know how much Emmy voters adore such creative types. Previous such nominees include Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”), Donald Glover (“Atlanta”), Bill Hader (“Barry”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”).
Of those, only Coel was nominated in the limited series category, but the rule still applies. Waller-Bridge is probably the most apt comparison — both she and Gadd made hit shows that they adapted from one-person plays which originated at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Waller-Bridge went on to win Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Writing, and Best Comedy Actress for “Fleabag.” Gadd could have similar awards success, only in limited series instead.
What helps is the fact that we already know that awards voters like this story. Gadd and “Baby Reindeer” won the 2020 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. Perhaps Emmy voters will feel the same way as Olivier voters and reward Gadd for expertly telling such a dark, intricate, complex, gripping story.
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