‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Nava Mau On Making Emmy History With Supporting Actress Nomination: “When Trans People Are Given The Opportunity, We Will Grow Beyond Any Expectation”
Nava Mau has said the Emmy nomination for her Baby Reindeer breakthrough is a victory for the transgender acting community.
Mau played Teri in the hit Netflix series and becomes the first trans woman in Emmy history to be recognized in the supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie category.
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Speaking to Deadline soon after her nomination, Mau laughed that she had been crying for 45 minutes with “overwhelming joy.” She added that it was proof that trans actors can surpass all expectations when given the right opportunities.
“For trans actors we just don’t get a lot of opportunities to develop our craft, grow as artists, and to be recognized for all that we are and all that we can be,” she said.
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“It has been a priceless experience being a part of this show. Every step of the way, I could feel the way the experience was transforming me, my life, and what feels possible. To be recognized by my peers in the Academy is a celebration of that transformation.”
Asked if she hopes that personal success will pave the way for other trans actors, Mau said: “We can see that when trans people are given the opportunity, we will grow into it and so far beyond any expectation.”
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Mau is not the first trans woman to be nominated in a performing category at the Emmys: Laverne Cox was recognized for her work in Orange Is the New Black in 2014.
Mau is nominated alongside co-star Jessica Gunning, Dakota Fanning (Ripley), Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge), Aja Naomi King (Lessons in Chemistry), Diane Lane (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans), and Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country).
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Mau’s Baby Reindeer character Teri is a love interest for Donny, played by series creator Richard Gadd. Mau said Teri was so well observed because Gadd drew on lived experience.
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“Reading the screenplay, I felt like it was the first time I’d ever read something that was written by someone who had actually known and loved a trans woman,” she said. “I don’t know that Richard had to reach too far because he just had to reach within.”
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Baby Reindeer has 11 nominations in total, including for best limited or anthology series. Final round Emmy voting will begin on August 15 before closing on August 26. ABC will broadcast the 76th Emmy Awards live on Sunday, September 15.
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