Baby Reindeer Star Richard Gadd Reflects on 'Intolerable Pressure' of Fame and Success

Richard Gadd, who played the role of Donny in the Netflix mini-series Baby Reindeer, opened up about the challenges that came along with his role in the biographical show. Ahead of the BAFTA TV Awards, where the series is walking in with six nominations, the actor-creator of the show revealed that there was “intolerable pressure” that came with the success of the Netflix mini-series. 

While sitting down with the media portal for an interview, Gadd revealed, “There have been a lot of challenging moments. The show has reached such an extreme pitch—there have been times when I’ve felt like the pressure was intolerable. It’s been a hurricane.” 

He added, “I don’t think I’m at the point of reflection yet. I need some real time off to figure out how to get my feet back on the ground, because I feel very squeezed.”

The actor went on to state that the show was released on Sunday, and fans were knocking on his door by Thursday for autographs. Gadd shared that he is still getting used to the fame that came along with the miniseries.

The showrunner went on to reveal, “I was an arthouse comedian, performing to five people every night, so it was a huge adjustment. I’m still getting used to it. Going to the supermarket comes with a million caveats now.”

Meanwhile, soon after the release of the series, Fiona Harvey, who was identified as the stalker of Gadd in the show, filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, claiming the story to be “the biggest lie in television history.”

All the episodes of Baby Reindeer are available to stream on Netflix.