Emmys 2026: Richard Gadd On Creating ‘Half Man,’ Overnight ‘Reindeer’ Success, & Complexities of Sexuality [VIDEO]

Richard Gadd has written and starred in two of the most challenging, game changing limited series to bow in the last two years, making him an unmistakable maverick in the industry. Sure, his latest investigation into toxic masculinity and destructive internalized homophobia, has proved somewhat divisive with critics (majority positive reviews but those who dislike it are vociferous), but most audiences are wildly appreciative of this mesmerizing piece of psychologically intense television.

The Scottish actor/writer began his career performing stand-up comedy and musical comedy as a student at Glasgow University in 2008 and began writing one-man shows for the Edinburgh Fringe, where he gained popularity. Simultaneously, he snagged a few acting roles on BBC television and wrote episodes of acclaimed shows like Sex Education.

But Baby Reindeer changed his life forever. What began as a 2019 darkly comedic, painfully personal Edinburgh Fringe show snowballed into one of Netflix’s top global series. Gadd found himself showered with praise, awards (including three Primetime Emmys) and some controversy involving the alleged real stalker depicted in the extraordinary series.

This season he’s teamed with the BBC and HBO for an even more severe and provocative series, Half Man, which he wrote and co-stars in. The show chronicles the complex, often-toxic relationship between two non-blood brothers, Niall and Ruben, played as teens by Mitchell Robertson & Stuart Campbell and as adults by Jamie Bell and Gadd.

The bold, daring series deals with male rage, sexual repression, self-doubt, denial, shame, sexual repression and trauma.

The show is designed to make the audience squirm in their seats and occasionally look away, but, also, to enlist them to reflect on their own thoughts and behaviors when it comes to those themes.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the series is how the show examines male-male attraction, sexual and otherwise. There is a palpable intensity between Niall and Ruben, both as teens and, even more so as adults, all messily intertwined with these ingrained societal notions of how men are supposed to act and feel towards one another. Their early horseplay interaction reminded me of the opening scene in Leviticus with the two protagonists rough housing, which then turns intimate. But that is now. For Niall and Ruben, their rough housing as teens couldn’t lead to anything romantic because of how they were brought up. And decades later, as fucked up adults, they still carry all that repressed baggage, unable to unleash what might be their true feelings for one another.

In a perfect world, Half Man would sweep the Emmys this year. The searing series is currently streaming on HBO MAX.

Gadd is working on something new and will soon be seen acting (only) on the Apple TV comedy series The Husbands, opposite Juno Temple.

The Contending had the absolute pleasure of a VIDEO chat with Gadd.