Bafta winner struggling with 'intolerable pressure' of Netflix hit show
The Baby Reindeer creator and star, whose semi-autobiographical show which started as a stand-up piece, quickly had to adjust to a new level of fame when the series hit the streamer over a year ago.
On Sunday, the success continued as Jessica Gunning won best supporting actress at the Baftas two weeks after Richard took home the best writer for a drama prize at the Bafta TV Craft Awards.
Over the weekend, the show was in the running for eight honours, and the creator admitted it's all a bit much sometimes.
'There have been a lot of challenging moments. The show has reached such an extreme pitch – there have been times when I've felt like the pressure was intolerable,' he told The Guardian.
'It's been a hurricane. I don't think I'm at the point of reflection yet. I need some real time off to figure out how to get my feet back on ground, because I feel very squeezed.'
The 'true story' follows the life of comedian Donny Dunn, played by Richard, as he navigates the complexities of realising he is being stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning.
Richard noticed the hype swell in just a couple of days last year, with people quickly 'knocking on [his] door asking for autographs'.
He added: 'I was an arthouse comedian, performing to five people every night, so it was a huge adjustment.
'I'm still getting used to it. Going to the supermarket comes with a million caveats now.'
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At Sunday's Baftas ceremony, Baby Reindeer was among the most nominated shows, with eight nods including leading actor for Richard, who lost out to Mr Loverman's Lennie James.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office won in the limited drama category, but before the ceremony Metro hailed Richard's show as 'game-changing television that captured the zeitgeist for months around the world' while putting 'the magic of British television back on the map internationally'.
In our breakdown of who we thought should win at the event, it was also noted how Richard's performance as Donny, the fictionalised version of himself, 'took more guts and vulnerability than any performance'.
In her acceptance speech on Sunday, Jessica admitted she was 'so proud' to be involved in the project, adding that Richard 'changed my life'. More Trending
'Gosh thank you Bafta. Wow,' she began.
'I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then-me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know.' '
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Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix.
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