Jessica Faye Gunning (born 21 May 1986) is an English actress. She has appeared in the TV series White Heat (2012), What Remains (2013), Back (2017–2021), and The Outlaws (2021–2024). For her breakout role in the miniseries Baby Reindeer (2024), she won a Primetime Emmy Award.

Personal life of Jessica gunning

Gunning is a lesbian, having come out to her family and friends in November 2022. She confirmed her sexuality in a June 2024 interview, describing herself as a “big old gay”.Discussing her coming out experience, Gunning said that it was a “mega, mega thing for [her] adding that although she was “surrounded by gays” and that “all [her] friends are gay” so she “wasn’t repressing anything”, it was just that she didn’t think that she could be gay

What were the challenges of playing the role of Melissa?

One challenge was telling her story even in the quieter and more private moments. There were quite a few scenes where it was just me alone in the flat so filling out those actions and telling that story was a challenge that I really enjoyed. Also mapping out her journey and filling out the gaps because you see her throughout the series as different characters at different stages of her life so it was important to me to enrich those scenes out with as much authenticity and depth as possible.

Emmy nominee Jessica Gunning recently starred as Martha in the critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation of Richard Gadd’s Olivier award-winning stage play, BABY REINDEER.

This series is based on the true story of Richard’s relationship with his real-life stalker, “Martha”. BABY REINDEER sat at number one on Netflix globally for a number of weeks after release, receiving 60 million views in just a month. Consequently, BABY REINDEER spent a period of time on Netflix’s top 10 most watched shows of all time.

The series has been a significant awards contender, receiving a total of 11 Emmy nominations including Jessica’s nomination for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie’, alongside further nominations in the ‘Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series’ and ‘Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie’ categories. BABY REINDEER celebrated further success at the Gotham Awards, Gold Derby Awards and TCA Awards, as well as receiving several nominations for the upcoming Astra Awards.

This spring also saw Jessica reprise her role as Diane in Stephen Merchant’s acclaimed crime thriller comedy THE OUTLAWS, on BBC One and Amazon Prime. Set in Bristol, the series follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence but, as they become involved in each other’s lives, they also become involved with a dangerous criminal gang. Jessica starred alongside Christopher Walken and Richard E Grant. Jessica Gunning is recognisable for her roles spanning across film, theatre and television.

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning: ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters’

Baby Reindeer, Netflix’s latest word-of-mouth hit, has many people fascinated, disturbed and shocked.

The series is based on the true story of how Scottish comedian Richard Gadd was stalked by a woman after a brief, innocuous encounter in a London pub.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Baby Reindeer and references to sexual assault.

The drama also depicts how Gadd was groomed and raped by an older man he considered a friend, and the harrowing impact on his life.

The actor wrote and stars in Baby Reindeer as himself, although he changed his character’s name to Donny. Jessica Gunning plays Martha, the troubled fantasist who stalks him.

What’s next for you, dream-project-wise?

I’d like to do anything, really. Looking back on my career, I love that I’ve had the chance to do comedy roles and more dramatic roles. I love to kind of mix it up a little bit. I also love doing theater. I just like storytelling and being part of things so I’m not for anything really interesting characters. I mean, Martha was a gift of a character, really; I like really complicated people and stories that aren’t necessarily black-and-white or wrapped up with a bow at the end. That’s why I was so drawn to this show. I think it’s a bit messy and I think that’s really interesting, because life can be that way. I’m excited to see what’s next.

Jessica Gunning nominated for Golden Globe award!

The nominations were announced for the 82nd annual Golden Globes. Jessica Gunning was nominated for best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television.
This was for Jessica’s role in Baby Reindeer. The winners will be announced on the 5th January at 5pm PT. Good luck, Jessica!
This is such a special episode as we are joined by the star of Baby Reindeer, Jessica Gunning, who shares her coming out story for the very first time publicly. 

I felt so honoured to be able to help Jessica tell her story, and I hope as we start Pride Month, no matter how you identify, or how you are currently feeling about your identity, Jessica’s story will inspire you to embrace yourself and celebrate YOU.

As you will hear in this episode Jessica is every bit as incredible off screen as she is on screen and the entire world has now woken up to her talents in Netflix’s Baby Reindeer. If you are one of the few who hasn’t watched the show yet, it was created by, and stars Richard Gadd, who brings his own life story to screen as his character Donny is intensely stalked by Jessica’s character, Martha. It’s one of the best TV shows not just of the year, but ever, as it goes from comical to heartbreaking in just a few seconds. 

But this is no overnight success, as Jessica talks us through her epic career and the incredible lessons she has learnt along the way from her first big role in one of my favourite movies of all time, Pride, to playing the hilarious parole officer Dianne in the BBC comedy, The Outlaws, which is back for a third season. 

Along with our emotional chat about coming out, Jessica serves the comedy too as we talk about our failure to grasp the French language and her hilarious run in with The Outlaws co-star, Christopher Walken. 

If you love this chat as much as I do please get in touch with me via social media @joshsmithhosts – it is always great hearing from you. Love, Josh x

P.S. You will also have heard me mention my book in this episode. ‘Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation, Deeper Connections and Improved Wellbeing’ – you can pre-order it here:

 

FAQs

Who is Jessica Gunning?

Jessica Gunning is a British actress recognized for her roles in various television series, films, and theater productions.
Is Jessica Gunning active on social media?

As of my knowledge, Jessica Gunning does not maintain a public presence on social media platforms.