Nava Mau’s character Teri dates Donny (Richard Gadd) in Child Reindeer. (Netflix)
Nava Mau, the breakout star of chilling new Netflix mini-series Child Reindeer, has mirrored on the accountability she felt taking part in a real-life trans particular person.
Trans actress Mau performs Teri, an American therapist, in Richard Gadd’s critically acclaimed drama primarily based on his actual expertise of being bodily and just about stalked by a mentally unwell girl.
Gadd stars as Donny, a floundering comic who provides a crying girl a cup of tea within the London pub the place he works. It proves to be a mistake of epic proportions when she turns into obsessive about changing into his lover.
Nonetheless, Donny is already in love with another person: Teri.
Because the collection premiered on Netflix final week, Gadd has confirmed that Teri is predicated on an actual trans girl he was seeing on the time, explaining that she “was the voice of motive in my life at that time”, though he by no means “listened to her as a lot as [he] ought to have”.
Talking to Digital Spy, Mau has now shared her ideas on the stress that got here with portraying a girl who was actually in Gadd’s life.
“Once I learn [the script], I might inform that Richard actually cherished her, whoever impressed this character,” she mentioned.
“I knew that it was primarily based on actual life and it appeared actually necessary to point out those that trans girls exist in actual life and in relationships with actual folks. I might see Richard’s coronary heart within the writing and I hope that individuals will see it too.
“I felt an awesome sense of accountability, and I cared so much about telling the story in one of the best ways attainable.”
Mau, who additionally starred in queer collection Technology, has beforehand praised Gadd for writing such an genuine script.
“It felt like an honour to even get to learn the script, due to Richard’s vulnerability. There’s a lightweight that I believe pulsates out of that form of vulnerability, and all of the characters are forged in that gentle,” she advised Netflix’s fan occasion Tudum. “I felt that in [the] first learn of Teri.”
Child Reindeer presently has an 88 per cent approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been extensively praised for its uncooked depictions of sexual abuse, psychological sickness, the devastating influence of stalking, and the nuances of the trans expertise.
Within the seven-episode collection, Donny is initially ashamed to be courting a transgender girl, protecting his title and occupation a secret from her, all whereas Teri is subjected to violent abuse by the hands of Martha.
Nonetheless, the collection additionally exhibits that trans folks do discover love, and do go about life in the identical method as each different particular person.
Child Reindeer is presently streaming on Netflix.