Netflix Series That Exceeded All Expectations Is Based On A True Story Of ‘Toxic Empathy’ And The Dark Side Of People

Richard Gadd, the star and creator of Netflix’s wildly successful Baby Reindeer series, says the true story it’s based on is one that shows a systemic failure, and that he personally struggles with what he describes as “toxic empathy,” reports Business Insider.

Baby Reindeer is based on Gadd, a Scottish writer, comedian and actor’s own experience with a case of bullying. In the series his name is changed to Donny Dunn, as he is stalked and harassed by an older woman, Martha Scott (played by British actress Jessica Gunning), after offering her a cup of tea at the bar where he works.

Gadd was asked at a Q&A event in Los Angeles on Tuesday about the challenges he faced when it came to turning his real-life bully into a character that would pique viewers’ interest.

“I think I struggle with a kind of toxic empathy that makes me feel for a lot of people. “I remember when I was being followed, it was relentless and it seemed like it was everywhere, and I felt like my life wasn’t really working,” Gadd said, as quoted by THR.

“But at the same time I had these incredible pangs of pain where I felt sorry for her. I never saw her as a bad person. I saw someone who was lost to the system, seriously,” explained the actor.

“I saw someone who needed help and wasn’t getting it. At the end of the day she is just a person who suffers a lot,” he added.

His new comments come after Gadd told The Independent last month he was shocked his harasser had not received help from the authorities and blamed cuts to UK public service budgets.

“Baby Reindeer” was a huge hit on Netflix

Launched almost a month ago, Baby Reindeer has since dominated the ranking of Netflix’s most watched series. According to the latest data published by the American streaming platform, between April 29 and May 5, Gadd’s series recorded 73,600,000 viewing hours, almost three times compared to the next series in the ranking, A Man in Full: Limited Series.

This series about a real estate mogul who faces bankruptcy and fall from grace has clocked up 28,000,000 hours of viewing worldwide.

The success Baby Reindeer is comparable to what Netflix recently recorded with its series Griseldainspired by the true story of “The Godmother of Cocaine”, or the movie Leave The World Behindreleased last December.

Baby Reindeer it has also been widely praised by film critics, currently holding a 98% approval rating from them on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. On IMDb, where everyone can vote, the series has an average score of 8 / 10 based on more than 70,000 votes.

“I think Baby Reindeer it stood out so much because it goes back to something about the human condition, which is dark and difficult and challenging, and every human being is a combination of good and evil,” Richard Gadd said in Los Angeles.

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