Richard Gadd (born 11 May 1989) is a Scottish actor, comedian, and writer, best known for creating and starring in the 2024 Netflix drama series Baby Reindeer, which was based on his one-man dark comedy show of the same name.[2][3][4][5] Gadd won three Primetime Emmy Awards for writing, producing, and acting in the series.[6][7]
Early life and education
Richard Gadd was born, and brought up in the village of Wormit, in the Fife area of Scotland, United Kingdom.[8] Gadd has described himself as a "middle-class guy from Fife", and being "from a remote part of Scotland”, although Wormit is actually across the river from the central Scottish city of Dundee.[9] Gadd's father is microbiologist and mycologist Geoffrey Michael Gadd, currently professor at the University of Dundee.[1] Gadd went to school at Madras College in nearby St Andrews. During his time at Madras College, he took on the lead role in the production of Macbeth, where he was praised for his “wonderfully physical” performance.[10] Gadd then studied English literature and theatre studies at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2011.[10][11]
Career
Comedy career
Gadd began performing stand-up comedy and musical comedy while he was a student at Glasgow University in 2008. He entered the Glasgow heats of the Chortle new comedian awards in 2009.[11][10][12] In 2010 Gadd performed his first Edinburgh Fringe show, Richard Gadd: 6 And Half A 7.[13] In 2011, Gadd was a Chortle Student Comedy Awards finalist.[14] In 2012, Gadd co-performed in Edinburgh Fringe show Gadd, Kirk And Winning – Well, This Is Awkward…, and trained at the Oxford School of Drama, completing a one-year course in 2012.[15][16] Gadd then moved to London to pursue his comedy career.[17] Gadd's 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show was Cheese & Crack Whores, and his 2014 show, Breaking Gadd, both of which went on to have runs at London's Soho Theatre.[9]The Guardian wrote that his first two shows "purported to be autobiographical accounts of the young Scotsman's bleak life, a roundelay of failed relationships, blackouts, abusive therapists and fratricide."[9] Writing in 2015, The Guardian described him as a "schlock comic with a name for gaudy multimedia tales of drug addiction and sexual violence, mental illness and gore".[18] Gadd's 2015 Edinburgh Fringe show, Waiting for Gaddot was intentionally more mainstream than its predecessors, bringing Gadd more success and wider attention.[9]Waiting for Gaddot won an Amused Moose Comedy Award in 2015 as well as a Scottish Comedy Award for Best Solo Show in 2016.[19][20] It was also nominated for a 'Malcolm Hardee Award' for Innovation and a Chortle Award for Innovation.[21]
While a jobbing comedian, Gadd worked as a bartender at The Hawley Arms pub in Camden Town, London. It was here he would encounter 'Martha', who would go on to become the main character in Baby Reindeer.[30]Baby Reindeer began as an Edinburgh fringe show, in 2019, a dark comedy, chronicling Gadd's experiences of being stalked by 'Martha', and sexually assaulted by a man he met earlier in his career. Baby Reindeer would prove to be Gadd's breakout success, winning two Edinburgh Fringe awards: The Scotsman Fringe First Award for New Writing and a Stage Award for Acting Excellence.[31][32] The show then went on to a five-week run at The Bush Theatre in London[33] where it won an Off West End Theatre Award for Best Video Design, as well as receiving a nomination in the Best Performer category.[34] The show later transferred to the Ambassador's Theatre in London's West End, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[35] A few months later, the show went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.[36]
In April 2024, Netflix released a seven-episode drama based on Gadd's play, and billed as a 'true story'.[37][4][17][38] Gadd lost 28 kilograms to play the fictionalized version of himself in order to feel "vulnerable and fragile". Baby Reindeer also featured a fictionalized version of Gadd’s parents.[39] According to a report by Barclays bank, the enormous success and popularity of Baby Reindeer resulted in a notable annual increase in spending on Netflix digital subscriptions.[40] The woman depicted as 'Martha' in Baby Reindeer, portrayed as having stalked and sexually assaulted Gadd, was quickly identified as Fiona Harvey, a Scottish lawyer with a history of stalking and mental illness.[5] Harvey denied Gadd's accusations and depiction of her, stated that she has never been to jail, as depicted in the Netflix show, and is pursuing a multi-million pound defamation claim against Netflix.[41] A former colleague has also questioned Gadd's version of events as depicted in Baby Reindeer.[30] Although not directly named in Harvey's lawsuit against Netflix, Gadd has fully supported Netflix's defence against Harvey's claims, and requested to have her lawsuit dismissed, defending the veracity of Baby Reindeer and re-iterating accusations made against Harvey for stalking.[42]
Acting and screenwriting
As an actor, Gadd had multiple credits in various television series, television films and short films, before his breakout success in Baby Reindeer. Gadd's acting career began with a role in one episode of BBC Scotland's Scot Squad, in 2014, and continued with an appearance in four episodes of E4's Tripped in 2015. He starred opposite Daniel Mays in the 2017 BAFTA-nominated BBC Two single drama Against the Law. Gadd's other acting credits include BBC Three's Clique, Sky Arts's One Normal Night, and Sky One's Code 404. He has also appeared in several short films.[43] As a screenwriter, Gadd wrote for Netflix's Sex Education, and has written episodes of Ultimate Worrier for Dave and The Last Leg for Channel 4. In 2022, Gadd starred as Conrad Lennox in three episodes of the Disney Plus series Wedding Season.[10] Gadd has also had several projects aired on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland.[44] Following the success of Baby Reindeer, Gadd is now writing a drama for the BBC titled Lions.[10]
Gadd has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse, telling The Guardian in 2015 "I'm healthy and sober now. I still get real bad downers. But I feel better than I was."[9]
