Jessica Gunning had a remarkable night at the 2025 Golden Globes, and winning a trophy was just the beginning of her success.
Gunning won the award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Television Series for her role as the stalker Martha in the popular Netflix show Baby Reindeer. She triumphed over several strong nominees. What made the win even more special was that veteran actress Kathy Bates, known for her role in Matlock, presented the award to Gunning. Bates has been a big influence on Gunning, and the younger actress has spoken about how Bates inspired her portrayal of Martha.
Kathy Bates is famous for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1991), based on Stephen King’s novel. Bates won an Oscar for playing Annie, a fan who holds an author hostage. Gunning has mentioned that she drew inspiration from Bates’ performance when playing Martha, a woman whose chance meeting with bartender Donny Dunn (played by Richard Gadd) turns into a dangerous obsession.
Gunning had already won an Emmy for her role in Baby Reindeer earlier in the year, and Bates was also the one to present her with that award. Gunning shared that she was deeply influenced by Bates’ performance in Misery and other films about obsession. She said, “I read all seven episodes of Baby Reindeer in one go and instantly fell in love with the story and Martha’s character.”
At the Golden Globes, Gunning shared that she felt proud of the work she and her co-stars had done. She said they thought the show would be a “slow-burning hit” when they were filming it.
Gunning was thrilled by her Golden Globe win and expressed her hope that she wouldn’t have to wait 17 years for another role like this one. “I don’t take it for granted at all,” she said, adding, “I pinch myself every day that I got the chance to do it.”
Other nominees in her 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 win marks Gunning’s first Golden Globe award.
