# Jessica Gunning

Jessica Faye Gunning (born 1 January 1986) is an English actress. She has appeared in the TV series White Heat (2012), What Remains (2013), Back (2017–2021), and The Outlaws (2021–2024). She received widespread critical acclaim for her breakout role in the miniseries Baby Reindeer (2024) and won several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Award.

## Early life

Gunning was born on 1 January 1986 in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. Her parents are Paul and Val Gunning. Her father works for Kirklees council, while her mother was a drama teacher at the school Gunning attended, Holmfirth High School. She has two siblings, Harriet and Josh.
She was educated at Holmfirth High School near Huddersfield, then Greenhead College, Huddersfield before attending Rose Bruford College, graduating in 2007.

## Career

Gunning began her stage career at the National Theatre in productions including Much Ado About Nothing and Major Barbara in 2007/2008.
On television, she guest-starred in the 2008 Doctor Who episode "Partners in Crime". She also appeared in Mutual Friends before taking a recurring role as Angela in Law & Order: UK in 2009.
In 2012, she played the character of Orla in the BBC television series White Heat. This was followed by a lead role as Melissa Young in BBC drama What Remains. In 2013, Gunning also played the part of Summer in an episode of Great Night Out for ITV and the following year starred as Siân James in the Golden Globe- and BAFTA-nominated film Pride.
In other television work, Gunning was also seen in The Scandalous Lady W on BBC Two and played Shirley Allerdyce in Sky Atlantic's series Fortitude. She played the character of WPC Kath Morgan in Prime Suspect 1973, DC Sophie Carson in In the Dark and Umm Walid in the Channel 4 drama The State (2017).
In 2019, Gunning performed on stage alongside Cate Blanchett at the National Theatre in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, written by Martin Crimp and directed by Katie Mitchell.
Gunning played Jan in the Channel 4 comedy Back, and in 2021 starred as Diane Pemberley in BBC One's The Outlaws, created by Stephen Merchant. Gunning reprised her Outlaws role for series 2 and 3 in 2022 and 2024 respectively, joining the writing team of the show for one episode of the third series.
In 2024, Gunning played Martha Scott in the Netflix drama-thriller Baby Reindeer, which earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film .

## Personal life

Gunning is a lesbian, having come out to her family and friends in November 2022. She confirmed her sexuality in a June 2024 interview, describing herself as a "big old gay". Discussing her coming out experience, Gunning said that it was a "mega, mega thing for [her] [...] adding that although she was "surrounded by gays" and that "all [her] friends are gay" so she "wasn't repressing anything", it was just that she didn’t think that she could be gay.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | It's Adam and Shelley | Scarlet | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Doctor Who | Stacy Campbell | Episode: "Partners in Crime" |
| 2008 | Mutual Friends | Maryka | 1 episode |
| 2009–2010 | Life of Riley | Annie the babysitter | 3 episodes |
| 2009–2014 | Law & Order: UK | Angela | 29 episodes |
| 2010 | Lizzie and Sarah | Branita | TV film |
| 2010 | Doctors | Ann Turnbull | Episode: "Daddy's Home" |
| 2011 | Holby City | Gwen Bishop | Episode: "Blue Valentine" |
| 2012 | White Heat | Orla | 6 episodes |
| 2012 | Little Crackers | Matron | Episode: "Caroline Quentin's Little Cracker: Nutcracker" |
| 2013 | Great Night Out | Summer | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Common Ground: Adventure Venture | Emma | Episode: "Fergus & Crispin" |
| 2013 | Quick Cuts | Annie | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | What Remains | Melissa Young | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | That Day We Sang | Pauline | TV film |
| 2015 | The Scandalous Lady W | Mary Sotheby | TV film |
| 2015 | Top Coppers | Romero | Episode: "The Twist of the French Nicker" |
| 2015, 2018 | Fortitude | Shirley Allerdyce | 10 episodes |
| 2015, 2024 | Inside No. 9 | Shona / Party Guest | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Jericho | Mabel | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Urban Myths | Border Officer | Episode: "Bob Dylan: Knocking on Dave's Door" |
| 2017 | Prime Suspect 1973 | WPC Kath Morgan | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | In the Dark | DC Sophia Carson | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | The State | Umm Walid | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | What About Barb? | Barb | TV film |
| 2017–2021 | Back | Jan | 12 episodes |
| 2018 | Trollied | Donna Calabrese | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Strike: Career of Evil | Holly Brockbank | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Tourist Trap | Maxine | 1 episode |
| 2019 | MotherFatherSon | Pam | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Isolation Stories | Stranger | Episode: "Mel" |
| 2021–present | The Outlaws | Diane Pemberley | 17 episodes; also writer of 1 episode |
| 2024 | Baby Reindeer | Martha Scott | 7 episodes |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | Ghost in the Machine | Noreen | Short |
| 2014 | Pride | Siân James | |
| 2016 | Love is Thicker than Water | Emily | |
| 2019 | The Mermaid of Mevagissey | Nessa | Short |
| 2020 | Summerland | Mrs Bassett | |
| TBA | The Magic Faraway Tree | Dame Washalot | Post-production |
| TBA | The Christophers | | Filming |

## Other credits
### Audio

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | The Mysterious Affair at Styles | Evelyn Howard | Audible original |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 15 September 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Baby Reindeer (for "Episode 1") | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 23 February 2025 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | 5 January 2025 | Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | 7 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Satellite Awards | 26 January 2025 | Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| Film Independent Spirit Awards | 22 February 2025 | Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Baby Reindeer | Nominated (2nd place) |
| International Online Cinema Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Women in Film & TV Awards (UK) | 2024 | The Argonon Best Performance Award | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Gold Derby Awards | 2024 | Limited/Movie Supporting Actress | Baby Reindeer | Won |
| Dorian Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting TV Performance – Drama | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| I Talk Telly Awards | 2024 | Best Dramatic Performance | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| Awards Daily Cooler Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| "An Irish Person" TV Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| Astra Television Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |
| TV Scholar Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Acting in a Limited Series | Baby Reindeer | Nominated |