Baby Reindeer star teases deleted scene that changed one character's fate
Netflix's Baby Reindeer star, Nava Mau, has hinted at a deleted scene that would have given her character a different ending. The actress, who hails from Mexico, portrays Teri in the seven-part miniseries, where viewers witness her character's struggle to maintain a relationship with the main character, Donny.
Baby Reindeer is heavily inspired by the real-life experiences of show star Richard Gadd, 33, who penned the scripts and plays the lead male role, drawing on his personal encounters with trauma and a relentless stalker who intrudes into his life.
The darkly comedic drama has captivated fans, and now 31 year old Nava has suggested that some scenes were shot but didn't make it to the final cut. Her character's relationship with Gadd's Donny was disrupted as he grappled with internalised homophobia, shame, surviving a sexual assault, and harassment from an obsessive character named Martha - portrayed with chilling authenticity by Jessica Gunning, 38.
Nava reveals she has been able to appreciate her character's journey more than most viewers, as a deleted scene provided closure. In the series, Teri and Donny argue and part ways - but Nava discloses they managed to salvage a friendship from the ruins of their ill-fated romance.
Asked by GQ about her feelings on the unresolved ending between Teri and Donny as portrayed.
Nava shared: "There actually was one more piece of Teri and Donny's relationship in the script, and I performed it. Teri leaves Donny a voicemail five months later. So I think, for me, I got closure because Teri did too."
Nava further expressed her satisfaction with this narrative detail, highlighting its significance in providing a rare positive conclusion for a trans character. As a transgender individual herself, Nava noted the scarcity of such outcomes in the media.
Nava said: "That's what gave me so much comfort, knowing that they found peace with regards to their relationship. Teri got her happy ending, you know?
“Teri found a new man, she didn't lose her friends, she didn't lose her job, she didn't lose her smile. She's good. And I think that is remarkable, because so often we've seen stories of trans people that end with them broken."
Nava also revealed how Richard's past relationship with a transgender woman, who served as the inspiration for Teri, was incredibly helpful in her portrayal of the character.
She explained: "Richard shared a lot with me. Richard was very generous with sharing, you know, pieces of his own experience and the real-life relationship that inspired this. This relationship between Teri and Donny, I almost don't even know how to convey how incredible it is for an actor to be able to go to the writer and be like, 'Hey, just tell me what it was like'."
Adding on to this, she said, "She's based on a real person, Richard had a relationship with a trans woman that inspired the story and so I think that allowed for a level of nuance and intricacy that still feels groundbreaking."
