TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR
DRAMATIC LICENCE
Not only was she Emmy-nominated for her role inBaby Reindeer, but actress and BAFTA Breakthrough honouree Nava Mau can write and direct too. Her story starts here…
Words Jamie Tabberer
PABLO COSTANZO
There are so many who have been instrumental in every step of my journey — it would be impossible to name them all…” says Nava Mau during a catchup with Attitude over Zoom from Mexico City, where she was born 32 years ago.
She lands on one specific, deeply heartwarming example from her childhood in San Antonio, Texas. “Ms Adler, my elementary school teacher, [would] let me stay in her classroom after school because my mom couldn’t afford afterschool care,” Mau remembers. “It’s people like that, every step of the way, who have allowed me to get this far.”
Ms Adler’s no doubt beaming with pride right now. In an era of overnight successes 10 years in the making, it did feel like Mau came out of nowhere in 2024 Netflix crime drama Baby Reindeer. (Even if that’s not quite the case — more on her formative years later.) The show afforded her a level of stratospheric fame experienced by very few. She was a much-needed ray of light as therapist Teri in Richard Gadd’s gruelling, semi-autobiographical six-parter about the downward spiral of aspiring comic Donny, who’s stalked by the GOAT of all disturbed stalkers, Martha ( Jessica Gunning), and drugged and raped by would-be mentor Darrien (Tom GoodmanHill). As Donny’s on-offgirlfriend, a warm empath who is in equal parts sexy, funny and caring, Mau found a role that fitted her like a glove. This audience introduction earned her an Emmy nomination and underlined all that was special about the woman behind the character as much as the character herself.