Scottish creator of Baby Reindeer thanked as star picks up top award in LA

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning thanked the show’s Scottish creator for “making my dreams come true” as she celebrated her win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

The British actress won the female actor in a television movie or limited series prize for her role in the Netflix dark comedy at the 31st annual awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday evening.

Ms Gunning has previously picked up an Emmy and Golden Globe for playing Martha Scott, who starts stalking Fife-born Richard Gadd’s failed comedian and barman character Donny Dunn in Baby Reindeer, causing him trouble in his work and personal life.

Baby Reindeer has been controversial since coming out on Netflix last year, due to a woman claiming to be the “real” Martha coming forward to bring a lawsuit against the streaming company. The concept was first created by Mr Gadd as a sell-out Fringe show.

On stage, the 38-year-old Yorkshire-born star said: “Thank you to everybody involved in Baby Reindeer for changing my life, really.

“And thank you to Richard Gadd for making my dreams come true. I will never, ever forget being part of Baby Reindeer, or playing the part of Martha.

“It means so much to me, so thank you. Thank you to my team and to my friends and my family watching back home. I love you and I can’t wait to celebrate this with you all. But honestly, genuinely, this means the world to me.”.

Richard Gadd created Baby Reindeer first as a Fringe show.

Ms Gunning, from Holmfirth, beat fellow nominees and acting stalwarts Kathy Bates, Jodie Foster and Cate Blanchett in the category, and told them that they were on her “vision board”, of actresses she wanted to work with some day.

“So to be listed amongst them today but also alongside Lily (Gladstone) and Cristin (Milioti), who gave performances that absolutely knocked my socks off, means more to me than I can ever express,” she also said.

Despite the £129 million lawsuit, Netflix said in September that it had signed a new deal with Gadd.

Two-time Oscar winner Blanchett was nominated for the thriller Disclaimer, while Bates was in the running for Broadway-set TV film The Great Lillian Hall. Milioti was given a nod for The Penguin.

Ms Foster was nominated for the lead role in crime anthology True Detective: Night Country, and Academy Award nominee Gladstone was up for the prize for Under The Bridge, about a teenager who never came home.

Ms Gunning has also had roles in The Outlaws, a comedy about offenders who are doing community service work, and Pride, about Welsh miners who join forces with LGBT+ activists.