From the beginning, Nava Mau knew the role of Teri in “Baby Reindeer” had the potential to be a life-changing opportunity. The character, a love interest for Richard Gadd’s lead Donny Dunn, was nuanced and complex — an essential part of a story that is ultimately about the power of truth-telling. The experience pushed Mau to become a better actress, but it also had a broader impact for audiences when Mau made history as the first trans woman and Latina to receive an Emmy nomination in the supporting actress in a limited series category.
“Sometimes I feel like I sound like a broken record because I say we don’t have a lot of opportunities, but we really don’t,” Mau says. “So to be a part of something like this and to have the stories of trans women and trans people in general reflect the fullness of our humanity — it may be cliché, but we are part of communities. We are in the workplace. We are part of families. We are loved. We are caring. We are complicated. We are flawed. And it’s rare that trans characters reflect that reality.”
Mau, who previously starred in the HBO series “Generation,” auditioned for the role in June 2022. She was given the pilot episode and one of Teri’s later scenes, but was so taken with the story that she immediately went out and bought the play “Baby Reindeer,” which Gadd had published in 2019. Mau ultimately did two taped auditions and a chemistry read with Gadd in London, and was impressed by the possibilities for Teri. She recalls receiving a character description that read, “This is a really brilliant supporting role with a lot to do that appears in all eight episodes.”
“I was actually really scared sometimes, but I think that helped me rise to the occasion. Now I know I can do it,” Nava Mau says about her work on “Baby Reindeer.”
(Courtesy of Netflix)
“I was really curious about that,” Mau says, adding: “I always felt like Teri was a part of me and I was a part of her. So I wanted to find out as much as I could about the story.”
Before shooting “Baby Reindeer” in London in late 2022, Mau had been on what she calls a “cinematic journey.” She directed and starred in the short film “Waking Hour,” but ultimately wanted to pursue television because of the collaborative aspect of the medium. Being a part of “Baby Reindeer” fulfilled that need in a unique way.
“I wanted to give everything I had for the story,” he says. “I believed in it so much. I saw the vision so clearly and I felt like everyone else was doing the same thing. There wasn’t a person on that set who wasn’t as involved as I was. I didn’t feel overwhelmed, I felt like we were all doing it together.”
“I saw the vision so clearly and I felt like everyone else was doing the same thing,” Nava Mau says of being on set.
(Raul Romo / For The Times)
Though the narrative of “Baby Reindeer” centers on Donny’s obsessive stalker Martha (Jessica Gunning), his relationship with Teri is central to the plot. Mau created a two-part playlist for Teri, the first half for when the pair are falling in love and the second for when Donny’s past trauma catches up with him. It included songs like Celine Dion’s “All by Myself” and Lianne La Havas’ “Lost & Found.” The music helped Mau get into Teri’s mindset throughout the episodes.
“I know people have really identified with Teri’s pride, her resilience and her self-determination,” Mau says. “And on the other hand, [it] “It was really about figuring out where her wounds were and where her flaws were and what brings her to this story with Donny. To me, Teri’s story is really about someone who stumbles and falls and then loses her way and then gets back up and becomes herself again. It was beautiful to play that arc.”
The most difficult moment of filming came in Episode 3, when Martha attacks Teri in a bar. Nau says she wasn't sure she could film it, but eventually convinced herself after several takes of the intense scene. She prepared by writing questions on index cards that she asked a production assistant to show her between takes. One read: “Will he still love me?” Ultimately, though, the process pushed Mau, who describes the moments of filming when everything came together as a feeling of “flying.”
“Every day I filmed this show I did something I’d never done before, whether it was in a technical, emotional or personal sense,” she says. “Not to mention the emotional layers, the ups and downs and the intensity of it all. I was honestly terrified at times, and I think that made me rise to the occasion. Now I know I can do it.”
“[The nomination] “It means a lot to my communities,” Nava Mau says of being trans and Latina. “It’s something I’m starting to understand.”
(Raul Romo / For The Times)
Teri is also proof of the importance of inclusion and visibility on screen. For Mau, who recently joined the cast of “You” for its upcoming fifth season, “Baby Reindeer” is proof that Hollywood should embrace more characters like Teri.
“[The nomination] “It means a lot to my communities,” Mau says. “It’s something I’m starting to understand. We don’t get a lot of opportunities as trans people and as Latinas to really grow in our craft. And to be a part of stories that are as heartwarming and moving as ‘Baby Reindeer,’ I’ve appreciated the opportunity from the beginning. This moment is a celebration of what’s possible when we’re given a chance.”
