Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau has opened up about how acting in the hit Netflix show helped “heal her own wounds” in a candid new interview.
The actress, 32, shot to fame playing Teri in the series – an American therapist who meets main character Donny (Richard Gadd) through a dating app.
Now, if Cosmopolitan Nava, the latest cover star, discussed “the shame society creates around transgender relationships” and how she knew Richard’s real relationship with a trans woman was real love.
She recalled, “It was undeniable. It still makes me emotional. I just remember there was a moment when I read the script for the first time and I thought, ‘Oh, he really loved her.’
“Donny’s love for Teri is in the form of awe, and I had never seen a trans woman represented in that way.
“It was this strange, transcendental experience that it was what I needed to see, and what it did was to heal my own wounds.”
Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau has opened up about how acting in the hit Netflix show helped ‘heal her own wounds’ in a candid new interview
The actress, 32, shot to fame playing Teri in the series – an American therapist who meets main character Donny (Richard Gadd) on a dating app
The star continued, “There is such a fixation in society and in the media on transgender people and who dates us, and who is attracted to us, and who even hangs out with us.
“It’s strange because that fixation assumes that trans people are responsible for explaining and answering the questions and curiosities that cis people have, but it also assumes that trans people should have this fixation too.
“But it’s like I’m not curious about myself. We just live a full life, a real life, just like everyone else.”
For the cover shoot, Nava looked nothing short of fantastic in a series of leggy outfits, including a black bodysuit complete with a stylish oversized leather jacket.
She further showed off her sensational figure as she donned a denim vest top and sassy maxi skirt, which featured a large cutout down the side.
Other ensembles included a zebra print trench coat, a busty white mini dress and a blue denim jacket.
Nava wore her brunette locks in loose waves and opted for a radiant makeup palette.
Reflecting on her younger years as a transgender woman, Nava admitted that attempting to enter the workforce as a transgender person could be “soul-crushing” and lead her to “crumble.”
She revealed that her struggle with acceptance by society led to anorexia and how a drug rehabilitation program at the age of 19 saved her life.
Now, as Cosmopolitan’s newest cover star, Nava discussed ‘the shame society creates around transgender relationships’
Nava said, “Donny’s love for Teri is in the form of awe, and I had never seen a trans woman represented like this.”
She recalled, “It was undeniable. It still makes me emotional. I just remember there was a moment when I read the script for the first time and I thought, ‘Oh, he really loved her’
Nava continued, “It was a strange, transcendental experience that it was what I needed to see, and what it did to heal my own wounds.”
You can read the full interview in the February/March issue of Cosmopolitan UK, on sale from January 14
The actress explained: “I had been struggling with anorexia for several years at that point, because I think my attempts to force myself to be accepted by society turned into hating my body and wanting to control it, and so I had to withdraw from school…
‘It [rehab] saved my life. Anorexia is the deadliest mental disorder, and I have learned, in a way I can never unlearn, how to truly love myself and practice acceptance and mindfulness.
“It built a foundation of self-love and trust in myself, which I believe allowed my intuition to blossom.”
She added: “I think more than anything it was that I hadn’t transitioned. It was the most all-consuming effort I made to fit myself into a world that wasn’t built for me.”
When she finally got her big break with Baby Reindeer, a doctor had to tell her she had an elevated heart rate due to the shock of the show’s incredible success.
“We realized I was literally in physical shock because it was undeniable that my life had changed,” she revealed.
Nava showed where society stands today with the representation of transgender people on TV and said that there is still room for improvement.
She told the publication: “I think there are people who have this imagined belief that there is a trans takeover.
Richard Gadd said Donny’s relationship with Teri came from his own experiences dating an unnamed trans woman (Nava depicted as Teri on the show)
Returning to the series, Richard added that feelings of shame around his sexuality prevented him from telling her the truth about his name and profession.
“And it’s like we’re such a small population – a tiny fraction of the world’s population – and we’re barely making any progress in the kinds of roles that are available to us.
‘Trans people should be considered and invited to be part of projects that don’t revolve around a trans story, and that’s because trans people are so much more than our gender identity.
“It’s a matter of seeing transgender people as people and valuing us for our humanity, and not as a token simply because we are transgender.”
Richard Gadd, who both wrote and starred in the show, narrated it The independent, that Donny’s relationship with Teri was based on his own experiences dating an unnamed trans woman.
“It’s in the public consciousness now, but it wasn’t then, when I was dating,” he explained.
‘It felt so new that it put a certain pressure on me, which I now really regret. But that’s what the show explores. This story takes place in a time when everything was very different.’
Returning to the series, Richard added that feelings of shame around his sexuality prevented him from telling her the truth about his name and profession.
However, he has also said that his girlfriend became “the voice of reason in my life” at that moment, even though he “never” listened to her as much as I should have.
You can read the full interview in the February/March issue of Cosmopolitan UK, on sale from January 14