‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Nava Mau on Becoming a Trans Advocate

“Baby Reindeer” star Nava Mau may be becoming a trans role model following the success of the Netflix drama and her Emmy nomination for her work on the show, but the actor isn’t ready to call herself an “activist.”

“I really shy away from that word because I think that people who are activists are often times involved with organizing and I deeply respect that work,” Mau told me Friday at the Television Academy’s Performer Nominee Celebration at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. “I tend to call myself an advocate.”

Mau’s nod for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie makes her the first transgender woman nominated in that category.

She becomes emotional when talking about hearing from trans youth who thank her for her visibility. “It makes me cry a little bit,” Mau said.

She recalls being honored at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month with the CMF Barrier Breaker Award. “It made me reflect on what the reality is for trans people, which is that we do have to come up against and break through so many barriers just to survive,” Mau said. “For us to get to pursue our dreams, it is remarkable and groundbreaking.”

MORE: Michaela Jaé Rodriguez on Why an Emmy Win For ‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Nava Mau Would Send an Important Message For Trans Acceptance

Asked to name some of her trans influences and inspirations, Mau lists the cast of “Pose,” Jamie Clayton on “Sense 8,” indie filmmaker and actor Rain Valdez and “Her Story,” a 2016 web series starring Angelica Ross and Jen Richards. “All of those pieces are pieces of me,” Mau explained.

Mau also said her dream role is to play a witch.

A good witch or bad witch? Mau smiled, “They’re never all good or all bad, are they?”

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