“I never dreamed I'd be able to fix what happened to me and get back on my feet again.”
Author and actor Richard Gadd delivered an emotional speech at Sunday's Emmy Awards ceremony, announcing the release of his semi-autobiographical limited Netflix series, Baby Reindeer.
Gad, who won the award for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series, reflected, “This is the stuff of dreams. Ten years ago I was at rock bottom. I never thought I'd get my life back together. I never thought I'd be able to right what had happened to me and get back on my feet. And now, a little over a decade later, I'm winning one of the biggest writing awards in television.”
“Baby Reindeer” turns comedy into stalker tale
The seven-episode series stars Richard Gadd as Donnie Dunn, a struggling comedian working in a Camden pub, who meets a seemingly depressed woman, Martha (Jessica Gunning), and performs a small act of kindness on her by offering her a free cup of tea.
As Martha begins frequenting the pub, taking up Donny's time with incessant chatter and fictional stories about her lavish life, her obsession with Donny becomes increasingly apparent. Soon she begins bombarding him with hundreds of emails, each day filling his inbox with increasingly provocative messages.
As Donnie researches Martha online, he learns that she has previously been convicted and imprisoned for stalking. Despite this shocking revelation, he struggles to establish boundaries and tensions rise.
Donnie struggles to cope with the situation and things only get worse: his troubles don't end with Martha, but also with his budding relationship with Teri (Nava Mau), a transgender woman, and it becomes clear that Donnie's personal struggles run deep and are contributing to the breakdown of his relationships.
Gad's Emmy acceptance speech:
Gad's words of encouragement for tough times
Baby Reindeer The show received 11 Emmy nominations, with fellow cast members Gunning, Mau and Tom Goodman-Hill also receiving nominations for their performances.
In his speech, Gadd offered heartfelt advice and encouragement to those facing challenges in life.
“This speech is meant to inspire everyone to keep going through difficult times,” he said. “I don't have all the answers about life or why we're here, but I do know that nothing lasts forever, and no matter how dire things may seem, things will get better. So if you're struggling, hang in there, and I promise you, things will get better.”
See the complete list of winners here.
Read now: Baby reindeer charms viewers
