‘The Outlaws’ Star Jessica Gunning on Branching Out With ‘Baby Reindeer’
Preview
The Outlaws is almost back for Season 3 and a lot has changed for one of the show’s key players as star Jessica Gunning receives ongoing acclaim for her role in Baby Reindeer.
Gunning is still great in her role as Diane, a Community Payback Officer who keeps the titular low-brow criminals in line, or so she thinks. As the group, including Greg (Stephen Merchant), Rani (Rhianne Barreto), Ben (Gamba Cole), John (Darren Boyd), Myrna (Clare Perkins), and Lady Gabby (Eleanor Tomlinson), gets into more trouble with drug kingpin The Dean (Claes Bang), Diane may or may not find herself swept up in crime chaos.
While fans await Season 3’s arrival, Gunning teases what’s to come for Diane and more about her breakout role as Martha in Baby Reindeer.
ALISTAIR HEAP
What is new for Diane in The Outlaws Season 3?
Jessica Gunning: Well, it’s six months on from where we left off in Season 2 and the gang are all back. Diane is still a Community Payback Officer, and I have a new assistant that I’m training up, Stan — played by the fantastic Harry Trevaldwyn. Alongside that, Diane is also now a fully qualified PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) and attends Criminology night classes run by her idol, DS Lucy Haines (Grace Calder).
Speaking of Lucy, Diane is still trying to follow in her footsteps. Will Diane make a breakthrough in their friendship?
Oh, she hopes so. Daily. [Laughs] Well, she’s getting that bit closer now that she attends her night classes, let’s just say.
After seeing Baby Reindeer, I can’t help but notice some similarities between Martha and Diane’s obsessiveness over Lucy – do you see the characters in a similar way at all? If so, how?
Oh gosh, I hadn’t noticed those parallels. [Laughs] Maybe I’ve found my niche! I don’t see many similarities, I have to say, apart from maybe my laugh is sometimes the same.
Has playing Diane made moving to a show like Baby Reindeer a fun transition?
It’s been so fun, yes. I feel so incredibly lucky to have had a chance to play such brilliant characters in really contrasting stories. I went straight from Baby Reindeer into filming for Season 3 of The Outlaws so it was a really big contrast, as you can imagine, but a lovely one, too. Really proud to be part of both of them.
The Outlaws, Season 3 Premiere, Friday, May 31, Prime Video
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