Melissa McCarthy could have been the Martha of My Little Reindeer
Netflix reportedly tried to force the actress onto Richard Gadd, the creator of the series, for the role that ultimately went to Jessica Gunning.
One of the prides of the series My little reindeer was to have managed to stand out from the gargantuan flow of the Netflix catalog without promotion, and above all, without headliners. The seven thirty-minute episodes that tell the story of Donny and Martha are in fact interpreted by Richard Gadd And Jessica Gunninglittle known to the international public.
To tell his own story (but presented as fiction), one slips into the character of a comedian in search of his audience, who earns his crust in a bar while waiting to be able to make a living from his passion. The other embodies the woman who will make his life hell by harassing him in several ways and even physically attacking him.
While the series is written from the perspective of Richard Gadd’s character, who has agreed to relive many of his traumas, one cannot help but praise Jessica Gunning’s remarkable performance as Martha, who provokes both fear and sympathy in the nuance of her acting. Yet, according to Varietyit seems that the series could have taken a completely different turn because the British actress was not Netflix’s first choice, who would have preferred to see an actress based in Hollywood in this role: Melissa McCarthy.
Actress, screenwriter and producer, Melissa McCarthy, is a regular on Saturday Night Livebest known for comedic roles, notably in films by Paul Feig (My best friends, The Gunslingers, Spy, Ghostbusters) or his companion, Ben Falcone (Tammy, the boss, Uncontrollable mother at college, Superintelligence, Thunder Force). Recently, she also shared the poster of the Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Epic with Jerry Seinfeld And Hugh Grant.
A very angled CV, which did not prevent her from winning several festival awards for her role in The Manhattan Counterfeiters (Marianne Heller), which also earned him nominations at the BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars, Satellite Awards and SAG Awards. Just that.
An honorable background, which Netflix and the representatives of Richard Gadd (of CAA, or Creative Artists Agency) would have “aggressively” supported by the actor and screenwriter. After Melissa “McCarthy met with Gadd about the role” but refused it, “ultimately not interested”Richard Gadd would have made the decision to fire his agents and to follow the casting of My little reindeer.
It is important to note that this information comes as a trans actress, Reece Lyonsaccused “a male screenwriter of a Netflix series” (quickly identified as Richard Gadd) of having seduced her by promising her a role in his project; role which will ultimately be offered to Nava Mau, who plays Teri in the series. After learning of this complaint (which neither Gadd nor Netflix have commented on), Clerkenwell Films, the production company of My little reindeerreportedly asked Gadd to step back from the casting process, the adventure “Melissa McCarthy” proving that he did nothing.
The casting of this character seems a long way away now that a third “Martha” burst onto the media scene. Fiona Harvey, her real name, describes herself as the inspiration for Richard Gadd’s stalker and is demanding $170 million from Netflix for “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violations of his representation rights”after being found and harassed by fans.
A missed act by Melissa McCarthy that wasn’t so missed after all.
Why My Little Reindeer is a hit on Netflix
