It’s not even noon in Los Angeles, and Nava Mau has already completed a series of back-to-back interviews. “The last ones were in Spanish; I’ve been having to find some vocab deep in the pocket,” Mau says with a laugh. Still in the trenches of a media blitz following the April debut of the acclaimed and much-discussed Netflix series Baby Reindeer, the actress is understandably a bit tired. Despite the exhaustion, Mau gives grounded and thoughtful answers. She laughs freely and often, mostly to herself, as she mentally edits the first things that come to mind when I ask a question. I am certain her internal subtitles are far more interesting than the questions themselves.
Just a week earlier, Mau was on the set of her Coveteur photoshoot, mugging to the camera with impressive dramatic range even with her face half submerged in a tank of water. She brought a contagious playfulness to the set: matching her energy, our Editor-in-Chief at large Jenna Lyons—an outspoken fan of Baby Reindeer—gave her the jeans off her body because the shoot called for a more lived-in look.
Mau is no stranger to going the extra mile to make a moment feel more authentic in front of the camera. She has a kaleidoscopic view of what it takes to bring a vision to life, be it a slight inflection in tone or bringing her personal, lived experience to the page or set. While her role in Baby Reindeer as Teri—a therapist and girlfriend of protagonist Donny Dunn—has catapulted her to international fame, she got her start behind the lens working in production, writing and directing independent films, and even in a grip and electric department before landing a part on the 2021 HBO Max series Generation.
Below, our conversation touches on the emotional gravity of Richard Gadd’s writing, the importance of comedy in queer storytelling, her latest short film that is currently on the festival circuit, All The Words But The One, and much more.
Coveteur: You mentioned that you connected with the vulnerability of Richard’s script. What was the first thing that jumped out to you?
Nava Mau: “The first time I read anything for Baby Reindeer was the scene I was auditioning with, which was [Teri and Donny’s] date in the first episode. What stood out to me was definitely [Donny’s] voiceover. I think sometimes voiceover can actually be more removed from the person because it’s a narrator’s voice.”
I feel like voiceover is usually a no-no in screenwriting classes except in special cases like Sunset Boulevard. They want you to do the whole “show, don’t tell” thing in a script.
NM: “Yes, exactly, but this was so personal. It was so intimate. It was such a raw stream of consciousness and I was drawn in by that.”
What were your first impressions of Teri?
NM: “She was so quick on her feet and clearly had a way with words that was so charming. She could command the power in the room.”
You could really feel that the second she was on screen. I read that you have a background as a legal assistant and peer counselor with LGBTQ survivors of violence. What from your experience did you bring to Teri as a therapist?
NM: “There’s a mode that you get into as a counselor where your purpose in a dynamic is to serve someone else’s emotional needs. What was quite specific about the counseling I did was that it was advocacy-based counseling; there were more logistical elements like safety planning, skill sharing, and resource mapping. I think it made sense to me the way that Teri both opens herself up emotionally to Donny, knowing that he’s clearly needing support, and also steps in wanting to help solve the problem with plans and solutions.”
Teri was such a pillar of strength with such a deep sense of self, which heavily contrasted with Donny’s shame and internalized homophobia. I got very frustrated with Donny, especially in the way he treated Teri, and I was so relieved when she confronted him. How did it feel to be able to perform that kind of confrontation? As an actor, how did you strike that balance of empathy while advocating for your character’s needs?
NM: “It’s funny to hear you say that you felt empathy in that scene because it was so hard for me to have to yell at Richard. I had never yelled at anybody before in my life. It felt hard to break his heart, and—because I, as the actor, know the whole context and I know Richard—the challenge in that scene was to just be Teri and listen to that very loud and clear voice within her saying, ‘Choose yourself. This is not working. It’s not serving either of y’all, and it’s time for it to end. Period, full stop.’ It was almost like I had to zoom in on the picture and just focus on that one little moment because taking in the great context would make it harder to stand so firmly in that conviction.”
Dress: Sportmax
What parts of yourself did you bring to Teri, and what lessons did you learn from her? What have you held on to after the experience?
NM: “In an early idea of Teri, she was really fiery with big energy, and through the course of my process, she just kept coming back to the center. She’s not very sing-songy in her voice. There are all these little things that come back to a pillar that stands firm in terms of physicality, voice, and mentality. That got figured out in the process of preparing for filming and being on set together. What did I take from Teri? That’s where I am so grateful for the writing because, when Teri is faced with opposition, she doesn’t fall back. She pushes forward. That kept coming up in my preparation as well, where I tend to retreat into myself. I tend to make space for people. Even my voice—I go into throat voice—and, no. Teri pushes back. It’s chest voice. Chin forward. There is no retreat. I know how to do that now. I have a piece of me that is emboldened by Teri now. “
I read that there was a scene cut between Teri and Donny that provided a bit of closure for their story arc. What was in that scene?
NM: “It was a quick moment where Donny is checking his voicemails and unexpectedly comes across a voicemail from Teri. It’s after the viral video has come out, and she tells him that she saw the video and that she’s proud of him. She knows how hard that was and that she wished him well. She said, ‘But it’s best maybe you don’t call me back because I have a new man now, and it’s going well.’ It was simultaneously confirming her happy ending and, I think, bringing a sense of understanding to Teri and Donny’s relationship for both of them.”
I was just interviewing a cast member of the original L Word for the 20th anniversary, and we spoke a lot about frustrations with all queer stories centering on coming out and trauma. What queer stories do you hope to see more of?
NM: “I want to see more comedies. My life is full of laughter. My friends are comedians—or could be, in my opinion. I think that there is such levity in queer life, and it’s actually what gets us through the hardships that we face. I think we’re missing that side both in terms of the depiction of the duality of queer life —struggle and levity—and because we look to storytelling on screen to fill our cup. We need to fill our cup with things that make us feel good, too, as much as we benefit from taking stock of the cultural context of oppression and trauma. So let’s do that.”
As someone who has worked as a director, producer, and actor for many years, why do you think the entertainment industry is so hesitant to greenlight stories centered on queer and trans characters? Are they underestimating the audience? As we can see from shows like Baby Reindeer, these stories can be number one on Netflix for weeks. Is the audience not ready, or are they, as an industry, not ready to relinquish the power?
NM: “We’ve seen that time and time again, audiences will receive trans characters on screen with open arms and, in fact, with glee. I’ve been on two major studio series playing trans characters, and both of those characters have had such an impact, both within our community and on a wide range of people around the world. I, as one person, can attest to the reality that trans characters are beloved and deeply celebrated. I think it’s people within the industry who are fearful or simply reticent to relinquish their power. I don’t know why exactly because I believe there is room for everybody, and I’ve seen what that can feel like in a production. It’s just a matter of continuing to push for change, and no matter how many times people say no, you have to say yes to yourself. We have to say yes to each other until they can’t deny us anymore.”
Did you always want to be an actor? Or was there a moment while you were working behind the scenes that you realized you wanted to be in front of the camera?
NM: “It can be hard to give a clear answer because, in my journey to acting on screen, I had no idea I was making my way there. I thought I was making my way toward becoming a showrunner, and then I became interested in directing, but that same path led me to acting. I’ve also been acting since I was five years old. The reality is that 10 years ago, there was not someone like me on television, especially not the me that I was 10 years ago when I was still identifying as genderqueer. The world had not changed yet to make space for gender-expansive people on screen. There was just no way to dream it, so it was almost like I had to do it first and then I could start to dream. I could only do that because I was directing and producing my own work and then started acting. No one was going to just reach out and pull me in. I had to wade into the water myself.”
Over the last eight years, so much has shifted in film and television. Have there been any movies or shows that clicked that made you hopeful that things were actually changing?
NM: “Oh my god, Veneno on HBO Max is perhaps the best thing they’ve ever done. It’s a story about a whole network of trans women who are fighting for survival and also creating the love that they deserve and are able to give each other within the community. It’s so beautiful and heartfelt. It’s based on a real story and is so unapologetic in its depiction of these queer and trans people. That was a moment where I felt like we were moving in the right direction, not moving back.”
You just released a short film called All The Words But The One, which you directed and acted in. What can you tell us about this project?
NM: “It’s a short film that meets our main character, Maya, at a professional dinner for her partner, and she realizes that the partner’s boss has brought her husband, and her husband is somebody that Maya used to have a relationship with about five years ago. The relationship was tumultuous and explosive, and they never addressed the things that transpired between them. She, in some ways, relives parts of that relationship and gets to reconcile the gaps between those pieces.
It’s a story that was born out of this little fire within me that I couldn’t put out. I tried and tried, and I realized I had to just release it. It’s about healing from the trauma of violence from an intimate partner and the way that trauma can reverberate into your present relationships. Ultimately, it’s a story about healing and forgiveness and what happens when people change in unexpected ways. I wrote All The Words But The One before I even knew about Baby Reindeer, and so, when I was finished filming Baby Reindeer [in Scotland and London], I came back to the US and went immediately into pre-production on All The Words. It’s been a collaborative effort with so many people. Lilly Wachowski came on board as an executive producer; I worked with an incredible cast, and the crew was phenomenal.”
What do you hope audiences take away from the story?
NM: “I hope that audiences consider that healing takes as long as it’s going to take. We don’t get to control that timeline. We don’t get to rush it; we simply have to make space for it. Also, there is some hope that people can change, but that does not have to happen. Not everybody has to be involved in everybody else’s change.”
I feel like that’s something I’ve been tangling with as I get older—I can respect and acknowledge someone’s change, but I am not required to give my energy or forgive anyone. It feels like I’m ready to turn 30; I’m learning my lessons!
NM: “Yes. This was my turning-30 film. That is exactly what it was.”
Now that you’ve been doing a ton of press after Baby Reindeer and your recently released projects, is there a question that you are tired of being asked?
NM: “Honestly, it would be nice to talk about something beyond a base-level question about trans representation in Hollywood, because the whole point of us having to fight to be able to be a part of film and television is that we can be fully formed people on screen and off. That actually means that what we’re working with, what we’re offering, and what we’re discussing is far beyond our identity as trans people. Sometimes we get stuck in this loop where we’re celebrating the milestones of trans representation but not talking about anything else, which is actually the whole point of trying to get this far.”
I saw the images from the photoshoot, and I was curious how you would describe your personal style?
NM: “My personal style is honestly the best that I can do. It’s cobbled together.”
You talked about wanting to make a comedy, and you’ve also talked about wanting to make a sci-fi film. What is your dream project?
NM: “If I could be in Dawn, I would just die. It’s a novel by Octavia Butler, and it’s my favorite book of all time. We’ll just put that out there.”
What are you obsessed with right now? That can be a movie, book, music, podcast, anything.
NM: “I have been listening to Keep It episodes every single day. I can’t get enough. I’ve been listening to ‘Spite’ by Omar Apollo on repeat. And shout out to Rachel Chinouriri—she’s a singer who is writing from the heart and making bops. I went to her concert and it was the most connective experience. I am rooting for her all day, every day, so go stream Rachel Chinouriri right now.”
What’s the last thing that made you swoon?
NM: “‘PROTECTOR’ on Cowboy Carter. ‘PROTECTOR’ knocked me down and had me weeping. I had to call my mom; it was a whole situation. I felt it so completely, and Beyoncé did it again.”
Art Director: Smiley Stevens / Editor-in-Chief (at Large): Jenna Lyons / Fashion Editor (at Large): Sarah Clary/ Managing Editor: Hilary George-Parkin / Casting Director: Yasmin Coutinho / Production Manager: Rita Damiron / Production Assistant: Alejandra Ramirez / Producer: Maria B. Fernandez