Jessica Faye Gunning (born 1 January 1986) is an English actress. She has appeared in the TV series White Heat (2012), What Remains (2013), Back (2017–2021), and The Outlaws (2021–2024). Gunning received widespread critical acclaim for her breakthrough role in the miniseries Baby Reindeer (2024) and won several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Actor Award, a Critics' Choice Award and a British Academy Television Award.
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Early life
Jessica Faye Gunning was born on 1 January 1986 in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. Her parents are Paul and Val Gunning. Her father works for Kirklees council, while her mother was a drama teacher at the school Gunning attended, Holmfirth High School. She has two siblings, Harriet and Josh.
She was educated at Holmfirth High School near Huddersfield, then Greenhead College, Huddersfield before attending Rose Bruford College, graduating in 2007.
Career
Gunning began her stage career at the National Theatre in productions including Much Ado About Nothing and Major Barbara in 2007/2008.
On television, she guest-starred in the 2008 Doctor Who episode "Partners in Crime". She also appeared in Mutual Friends before taking a recurring role as Angela in Law & Order: UK in 2009.
In 2012, she played the character of Orla in the BBC television series White Heat. This was followed by a lead role as Melissa Young in BBC drama What Remains. In 2013, Gunning also played the part of Summer in an episode of Great Night Out for ITV and the following year starred as Siân James in the Golden Globe- and BAFTA-nominated film Pride.
In other television work, Gunning was also seen in The Scandalous Lady W on BBC Two and played Shirley Allerdyce in Sky Atlantic's series Fortitude. She played the character of WPC Kath Morgan in Prime Suspect 1973, DC Sophie Carson in In the Dark and Umm Walid in the Channel 4 drama The State (2017).
In 2019, Gunning performed on stage alongside Cate Blanchett at the National Theatre in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, written by Martin Crimp and directed by Katie Mitchell.
Gunning played Jan in the Channel 4 comedy Back, and in 2021 starred as Diane Pemberley in BBC One's The Outlaws, created by Stephen Merchant. Gunning reprised her Outlaws role for series 2 and 3 in 2022 and 2024 respectively, joining the writing team of the show for one episode of the third series.
In 2024, Gunning played Martha Scott in the Netflix drama-thriller Baby Reindeer, which earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film .
In 2025, Gunning appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s comedy-drama The Christophers, playing one of the estranged children of artist Julian Sklar (portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen), opposite Michaela Coel and James Corden.
In 2026, Gunning starred as the hot-tempered laundress Dame Washalot in the Enid Blyton fantasy adventure film The Magic Faraway Tree, alongside Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy and Nicola Coughlan.
Gunning is set to star alongside Angelina Jolie in the comedy film Anxious People, directed by Marc Forster, and has joined the cast of Frank and Percy, which also stars Sir Ian McKellen as Percy and Roger Allam as Frank. She will also appear as singer Cass Elliot of the 1960s folk-rock group The Mamas & the Papas in the biographical drama My Mama Cass.
Personal life
Gunning is a lesbian, having first come out to her family and friends in November 2022. She publicly came out in June 2024, describing herself as a "big old gay". Discussing her coming out experience, Gunning said that it was a "mega, mega thing for [her]", adding that although she was "surrounded by gays" and that "all [her] friends are gay" so she "wasn't repressing anything", it was just that she did not think that she could be gay.
