Jessica Gunning talks magical new role and fielding Baby Reindeer questions: “I do wash a lot!”

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The clue is in the name, but what can you tell us about Dame Washalot?

Do kids change the energy on set?

Dustin Demri-Burns, who played Saucepan Man, and I would playfully improvise some flirting during filming. He had a prop where one of the saucepans on his head would spin, and I’d respond with a line like, “Hello, saucy!” But we quickly realized that kind of humor wasn’t suitable for a children’s movie, especially when the kids on set reacted with, “Ew, gross!”

How did you find going from Baby Reindeer to a big colourful film like this?

Switching from promoting ‘Baby Reindeer’ straight into this new project was a bit jarring, but also amazing. One of the first questions I got in an interview was, ‘Has playing this character changed your relationship with doing laundry?’ It really caught me off guard – talk about a thought-provoking question!

Has Baby Reindeer’s success changed you?

I don’t believe this experience has changed who I am fundamentally. However, it has led to meeting new people and receiving opportunities – like this one – that probably wouldn’t have come my way without ‘Baby Reindeer’.

A theme of this film is the impact screens have on kids. What are your thoughts?

It’s easy to say you wouldn’t let your children use screens, but I’ve definitely found myself quickly reaching for my phone when watching friends’ kids who are upset. Every child reacts differently, and sometimes a distraction is what they need.

I do a lot of laundry, and being on set really changed how I think about it. They had these old-fashioned soap flakes there, and you can actually use them at home! Now, if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll add some to my wash.

Authors

Stephen Kelly

As someone who spends a lot of time watching and writing about movies and TV, I’ve come across some interesting folks. Stephen Kelly is one of them. He’s a freelance journalist who covers culture and science, and he runs a really fun feature for BBC Science Focus called ‘Popcorn Science.’ Basically, each month he gets an expert to break down how realistic the science is in a new release. You can also find his work in places like The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Wired – he’s a pretty prolific writer! Oh, and he’s a big fan of Studio Ghibli films and, apparently, Tottenham Hotspur. It’s a little odd that he prefers writing about himself in the third person, though!

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2026-03-23 21:29