Melissa McCarthy reportedly passed on the opportunity to play Martha in Baby Reindeer.
Baby Reindeer is a series created by Richard Gadd that premiered on Netflix in April 2024. Based on Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show, the series sees him stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning.
According to Variety, McCarthy was initially being considered to play Martha in the series prior to Gunning’s casting.
“Those familiar with the production say Gadd micromanaged casting and fired his CAA agents after they and Netflix pushed aggressively for Melissa McCarthy to be cast as Martha,” Variety’s article reads.
The article also notes that, according to a “knowledgeable source,” McCarthy met with Gadd about potentially playing Martha but “ultimately wasn’t interested” in joining the series.
McCarthy is known for starring in movies such as 2011’s Bridesmaids, 2013’s The Heat, 2015’s Spy, 2016’s Ghostbusters, 2018’s Can You Ever Forgive Me?, 2021’s Thunder Force, 2023’s The Little Mermaid, and, most recently, 2024’s Unfrosted.
What is Netflix’s Baby Reindeer?
“When a struggling comedian shows an act of kindness to a vulnerable woman, it sparks a suffocating obsession which threatens to wreck both their lives,” the series’ synopsis reads.
Gadd plays Donny Dunn in Baby Reindeer, a struggling comedian who is based on himself. The series also stars Nava Mau as Teri, Tom Goodman-Hill as Darrien O’Connor, Nina Sosanya as Liz, Michael Wildman as Greggsy, Danny Kirrane as Gino, Thomas Coombes as Officer Daniels, and Shalom Brune-Franklin as Keeley.
Fiona Harvey, who is allegedly the “real-life” version of the Martha character, filed a lawsuit against Netflix on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Harvey is seeking monetary damages of at least $170 million for creating a miniseries that is “the biggest lie in television history” that was told “out of greed and lust for fame.”
Baby Reindeer is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Variety
