DREAM BIG23 ...why the f*** not?
What Baby Reindeer star Jess told other aspiring actors prior to own huge success
INVITED to give a speech as she accepted an honorary fellowship at her old drama school, actor Jessica Gunning had an encouraging piece of advice for her fellow aspiring performers: “Dream big – why the f*** not?”
Clearly the motivational motto has paid off in spades for the Baby Reindeer star, who is being talked about all over the world as Netflix’s smash drama hit No1 within weeks of its release in both the UK and US.
Jess, 38, is undoubtedly the standout star of the series, which is based on co-star and comedian Richard Gadd’s real-life ordeal at the hands of a stalker.
MENACE
Her portrayal of Martha has won rave reviews and spawned thousands of memes riffing off the way Martha menacingly stirs a cup of tea given to her by Donny, who she quickly becomes obsessed with.
Jess’s performance is nuanced and quietly sinister. She says: “I really cared about Martha. As soon as I read episode one I was drawn in by her. I never saw her as a villain. I always saw her as multifaceted and complicated.”
She spent 17 years paying her dues in the likes of Doctors, Holby City and Doctor Who, and her friends are thrilled she has hit the big time – although they’re amused that her biggest success comes from a role nothing like her real bubbly nature.
Drama school pal Muzz Khan, who she starred with in supermarket sitcom Trollied, says: “I hope people don’t think Jessica’s like Martha because she’s not at all. She’s a lovely, lovely actress, warm and funny and proud of her Northern roots. I’m delighted for her and I really hope it catapults her career even further.”
Unlike Martha, Jess is not a Scot but rather a salt-of-the-earth Northern lass raised in Holmfirth, West Yorks, where comedy Last of the Summer Wine was filmed.
Dad Paul worked at a plastics company and mum Val was a drama teacher at the local school. Sister Harriet is also in showbiz, in marketing for shows like The Crown and Bridgerton, while brother Josh is a data scientist.
Jess fell in love with acting early.
“My first memories of the theatre are sneaking in to watch the school play rehearsals run by my mum and being in awe,” she has said. She joined Cragrats theatre company in Holmfirth and after school won a place at Rose Bruford College, in Bexley, South East London, whose alumni include Gary Oldman. In 2007, the year she graduated, Jess won a small part in Much Ado About Nothing
at London’s prestigious National Theatre. Roles in TV followed, including in Law & Order and BBC comedy Little Crackers, and the game-changer 2014 film Pride alongside Imelda Staunton.
A true story about striking miners and Gay Pride protesters joining forces, it won a BAFTA and spurred Jess on to continue to dream big. She said at the time: “It just makes you think, ‘Let’s do something! Come on’.”
She went on to mix passion projects like period drama The Scandalous Lady W and the National Theatre play When We Have
Sufficiently Tortured Each Other with big TV roles including Fortitude, Summerland and BBC comedy drama The Outlaws, written by Stephen Merchant.
Stephen says Jess is one of his “favourite scenestealers”, adding: “I’ve never watched an audition tape where I had no notes for the actor, except Jess’s tape for the role of Diane. She nailed it right off the bat and just kept getting funnier.”
Jess has set up a writing partnership with pal Jo Dockery and also performs standup which she puts on Youtube.
And as for the future, Disney has just snapped up The Outlaws to air worldwide.
Those days of hoping for great things will soon be behind her – and her dreams are becoming reality.
‘‘ Jessica’s not like Martha at all. She’s a lovely, lovely actress, warm and funny and proud of her Northern roots