Making A Scene: ‘Baby Reindeer’ Stars Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning Break Down the First Time Donny Met Martha, Gunning’s Audition Tapes and That Laugh

variety.com:

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com It all started with a cup of tea on the house. That innocuous gesture between a failed comedian turned barhand named Donny (Richard Gadd) and his soon-to-be stalker, Martha (Jessica Gunning) would spark a chain of events eventually culminating in the streaming success of “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix.

The small, U.K. production based on Gadd’s real-life experience all centered around the complicated chemistry between the two characters — so naturally, the stakes were high filming their first encounter.

In Variety’s “Making a Scene,” we sat down with Gadd, co-star Gunning and Tofilska to break down recreating that cup of tea that changed everything. “It’s one of the most important parts of the show,” says series creator and co-star Gadd. “I always wanted the show to open straight away, throw you right into the deep end.” Agrees director Weronika Tofilska, “It was really important for us that this captures this moment of them looking at each other and seeing each other for the first time, especially how Donnie sees Martha seeing him.” “It’s the butterfly effect, isn’t it?” Gadd continues. “Here’s the small thing that leads to the disaster.” It’s a seemingly simple moment: a woman enters a bar and the bartender offers her a free drink.

But every single decision, from how Gunning would enter to the moment they locked eyes, told a little piece of the “Baby Reindeer” story. “This is a memory that [Donny] has of this woman entering the pub.