Who is Baby Reindeer actress Nava Mau? And is her character Teri a real person?

Netflix's latest thriller, which has gone to top of the steaming platform's charts, Baby Reindeer, tells the story of a Scottish stand-up comic who is haunted by a stalker for months on end.

Shockingly, the seven-part series is based on the true story of 34-year-old Fife comedian Richard Gadd - who is presented in the show as Donny Dunn.

Baby Reindeer is both the name of his tour about being stalked and the nickname given to him by his stalker, known as Martha (Jessica Gunning).

Another leading character, appearing in all seven episodes, is Donny's trans girlfriend Teri.

So, is Teri a real person like many of the show's other characters? And who is the actress who plays her - Nava Mau?

Netflix's latest thriller, Baby Reindeer, tells the story of Scottish stand-up comic Richard Gadd - presented as Donny (left) - who is haunted by a stalker for months on end. Gadd is pictured with on-screen girlfriend Teri (Nava Mau)

Baby Reindeer is both the name of Gadd's tour about being stalked and the nickname given to him by his stalker, known as Martha (Jessica Gunning, top)

Teri is based on Gadd's real experiences of regrettably struggling with getting into a relationship with a trans woman

Is Teri in Baby Reindeer a real person?

Donny's partner in Netflix drama Baby Reindeer is American therapist Teri, who he is in love with rather than his stalker, Martha.

Gadd, who both wrote and starred in the show, told The Independent, that Donny's relationship arc with Teri drew on his own experiences of a relationship with an unnamed trans woman.

'It's in the public consciousness now, but it wasn't back then, when I was dating,' he explained.

'It felt so new that it added a certain pressure, to me, that I really regret now. But that's what it explores in the show. This story was set back in a time when things were very different.'

Reflected in the series, Gadd added that feelings of shame around his sexuality kept him from telling the truth about his name and occupation from her.

However, he has also said that his girlfriend became 'the voice of reason in my life at that point' although he never 'listened to her as much as I should have'.

Pictured in 2021 HBO series Generation, Nava got her acting breakthrough in a similar way to new colleague Gadd, after writing and leading in Waking Hour - a film based on her real experiences as a trans woman getting into a relationship with a cisgender man

Who is Nava Mau and what else has she been in?

Born in Mexico City on May 14, 1992, Nava Mau was raised in San Antonio and is now an award-winning actress, director and cultural worker.

Her breakthrough bore many similarities to her new colleague Gadd's, as she both wrote and starred in Waking Hour - a short film based on her real experiences as a trans woman getting into a relationship with a cisgender man. 

She played Sofia, a young trans woman who meets a cis man named Isaac at a party.

Speaking to Out, she explained: 'I had recently started dating straight, cisgender men and as a trans woman I was not prepared. I had to learn a lot of hard lessons when I started dating straight cis men. 

READ MORE: Inside the gruesome true story behind Netflix's Baby Reindeer
Advertisement

'Waking Hour was inspired by personal experiences I've had, but I wanted it to end differently than how a lot of my stories have ended. 

'I wanted Sofia to be a character who realizes in the moment that she can exercise choice because so often I have not realized that I have the power of choice. And I know that's the case for a lot of people.'

Nava then appeared in Netflix's 2020 documentary, Disclosure, to help investigate how trans people are depicted in Hollywood and how that had bled into wider American culture.

She returned to acting as a character called Ana in 2021 HBO series Generation - a series about high school students 'exploring sexuality, testing deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community'.

Away from the screen, Nava spent eight years working around 'anti-violence, healing justice, and political education', according to her website. 

This has involved public speaking, panel discussions and consulting. 

Nava is also an editor of the forthcoming anthology Paradise on the Margins: Worldmaking by Trans Women of Color. 

Nava said: 'This still feels groundbreaking to have a trans woman be one of the main characters in a series that feels like it's written in a respectful and loving and nuanced way, so it's an honor for me to have that opportunity'

What has Nava Mau said about Baby Reindeer?

Nava spoke to Digital Spy about the weight of responsibility she felt playing a trans woman in Netflix's hit series. 

'It seemed really important to show people that trans women exist in real life and in relationships with real people,' she said.

'I could see Richard's heart in the writing, and I hope that people will see it too.'

She also told Diva Magazine: 'This still feels groundbreaking to have a trans woman be one of the main characters in a series that feels like it's written in a respectful and loving and nuanced way, so it's an honor for me to have that opportunity. 

'What a dream as an actor to actually have a role that is layered and integral to the story.'