Jessica Gunning Takes Home Golden Globe for “Baby Reindeer”

Jessica Gunning’s Success at the 2025 Golden Globes

Winning a trophy wasn’t the only good thing to happen to Jessica Gunning at Sunday’s 2025 Golden Globes.

Jessica Gunning’s Award-Winning Performance

For her performance as the stalker Martha in the addictive Netflix series Baby Reindeer, Gunning beat out her fellow nominees to win Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Television Series. Even better, veteran actress Kathy Bates, a nominee for her starring role in TV’s Matlock, presented the award to her. Gunning has cited Bates as one of her inspirations for her Baby Reindeer performance.

Kathy Bates’ Influence on Jessica Gunning

In 1991’s Misery, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Bates played Annie Wilkes, an overzealous fan of author Paul Sheldon (James Caan). She won an Oscar for her portrayal of the nurse who rescues Sheldon after a car crash and holds him hostage while he writes a new novel.

After Gunning won an Emmy for her performance in September, which also happened to be presented by Bates, she told reporters that Bates influenced her portrayal of Martha Scott, a woman whose chance encounter with bartender and aspiring comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) led to a stalker situation.

Gunning’s Dedication to Her Role

Gunning said she dug deep into “obsession with people” and the “iconic films” on that subject, specifically calling out Misery, per PEOPLE.

The actress added that she was taken with the script, written by Gadd, from the start. “I read all the seven episodes in one go, and I just kind of fell in love with the story and the writing and the character of Martha,” Gunning said. “When we were filming, I just was so proud of Richard [and] this story. And so when we made it, I think we just all thought it was gonna be this kind of indie slow-burning hit that people might watch.”

Gunning’s Golden Globes Win and Future Aspirations

Speaking in the Golden Globes press room after her big win, Gunning said she hopes “it doesn’t take another 17 years” to come across a role like this. She added, “I don’t take it for granted at all … I kind of pinch myself every day that I got a chance to do it.

Other nominees in Gunning’s category included Liza Colón-Zayas for The Bear, Hannah Einbinder for Hacks, Dakota Fanning for Ripley, Allison Janney for The Diplomat, and Kali Reis for True Detective: Night Country.

This is Gunning’s first Golden Globe.

FAQs

Q: What award did Jessica Gunning win at the 2025 Golden Globes?

A: Jessica Gunning won the award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Television Series for her role in Baby Reindeer.

Q: Who presented the award to Jessica Gunning?

A: Veteran actress Kathy Bates presented the award to Jessica Gunning at the 2025 Golden Globes.

Credit: ew.com