
HALF MAN
UK, USA, 2026, HBO, ep.1, 54′
Richard Gadd presents Half Man and meets the audience for a conversation dedicated to contemporary television storytelling and autobiographical narrative.
The creator of Baby Reindeer, he will receive the Maximo Breakthrough Storyteller Award at the festival.
Moderator Carlo Chatrian
Biography – Richard Gadd
Three-time Emmy winning actor, writer and producer, Richard Gadd most recently starred in, wrote, and executively produced HBO and BBC One’s original six-part drama series, HALF MAN which premiered this April. Set in Glasgow, the drama follows the relationship between two estranged stepbrothers, Niall and Ruben, over the course of thirty years. Richard stars as Ruben Pallister in the series opposite Stuart Campbell as his young counterpart, Jamie Bell (BILLY ELLIOT) as Niall Kennedy and Mitchell Robertson as young Niall. HALF MAN, produced by Mam Tor Productions, was directed by Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck and has been critically acclaimed for its exploration of masculinity and repression.
It has recently been announced that Richard will star in the Apple TV comedy-drama series THE HUSBANDS alongside Juno Temple, Daniel Ings, Joel Kinnaman, Joe Alwyn, and Tom Basden. The series, produced by A24, is based on the acclaimed book of the same name by Holly Gramazio and follows Lauren (Temple) whose attic seems to be creating an endless supply of husbands. Richard gained widespread acclaim for his writing and performance as Donny Dunn in the critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation of his Olivier award-winning stage play, BABY REINDEER. The series was based on the true story of his relationship with his real-life stalker, “Martha”, played by Jessica Gunning. Making its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, the play then had a sold-out London debut at the Bush Theatre later that year with a transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre announced but subsequently postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. BABY REINDEER sat at number one on Netflix globally for several weeks after release, receiving 60 million views in just a month.
Consequently, BABY REINDEER spent a period on Netflix’s top 10 most watched shows of all time. The series was a significant awards contender, winning a total of 6 Emmy awards including ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie’, ‘Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series’ and ‘Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie’. Richard also notably won in the ‘Writer, Drama’ category at the BAFTA TV Awards where BABY REINDEER received a total of 8 nominations. BABY REINDEER and Richard celebrated further success at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, BAFTA Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, Film Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, PGA Awards, Gold Derby Awards, Astra Awards and TCA Awards. The series also received several BAFTA Scotland nominations.
Since 2014, Richard’s writing and performing has seen him garner critical acclaim and an established following. His comedy shows have included 2014’s CHEESE AND CRACK WHORES and BREAKING GADD, as well as 2015’s Edinburgh debut of WAITING FOR GADDOTT. In 2016, Richard’s play MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, transferring to a sell-out run at Soho Theatre. The multi-award-winning play, including an Edinburgh Comedy Award, follows Richard’s crazed inner monologue of his state of mind as he jogs on a treadmill, relaying the anxiety that has taken over his mind as a result of a sexual assault. The play was subsequently broadcast on Comedy Central.
Richard’s previous acting credits include BBC Two’s BAFTA nominated AGAINST THE LAW, CLIQUE, ONE NORMAL NIGHT, CODE 404 and TRIPPED. He is also known for his writing for Netflix’s SEX EDUCATION, Dave’s ULTIMATE WORRIER and THE LAST LEG