Nava Mau Movies and TV Shows – Complete Filmography 2024

Nava Mau is an American actress and filmmaker born May 14, 1992, in Mexico City. She garnered international recognition for her portrayal of Teri in the Netflix limited series Baby Reindeer (2024), a performance that earned her both Emmy and BAFTA nominations and made her the first openly transgender woman nominated in the supporting actress category for a limited series.

Prior to her screen career, Mau spent eight years working in healing justice and advocacy for LGBTQ survivors of violence in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her transition from community organizing to filmmaking represents a distinctive trajectory in contemporary entertainment, bringing lived experience to narratives of intimacy and identity.

What Movies and TV Shows Has Nava Mau Starred In?

Key Career Insights

1. Mau’s breakthrough followed seven years of independent short film production and behind-the-camera work.
2. She became the first openly transgender woman nominated for an Emmy in the supporting actress limited series category.
3. Her filmography emphasizes dual roles as performer and creator (writer/director/producer).
4. She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Performance in a New Series.
5. Her production credits include the Sundance-premiering short Work and the documentary Disclosure.
6. Mau consistently selects projects exploring safety, intimacy, and transgender lived experience.

Essential Facts

What Role Did Nava Mau Play in Baby Reindeer?

In the seven-episode Netflix limited series, Mau portrayed Teri, the girlfriend of protagonist Donny Dunn. The character functions as a stabilizing romantic presence within the show’s dark exploration of stalking and trauma. The series originated as a stage play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before its television adaptation.

The performance earned Mau a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, making her the first openly transgender woman to receive recognition in that specific category. She additionally received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Performance in a New Series.

Critical Reception

Critics highlighted Mau’s ability to convey emotional depth and romantic agency, countering historical tendencies to marginalize transgender characters. Her portrayal emphasized Teri’s interior life and relationship dynamics rather than reducing the character to symbolic representation.

Who Is Nava Mau and What Are Her Early Career Roles?

Background and Education

Born in Mexico City to a counselor mother and accountant father, Mau was raised between Mexico City and San Antonio, Texas, before relocating to Oakland, California as a young adult. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and cognitive science from Pomona College, studying in Paris and conducting research in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Advocacy Work

Before entering entertainment, Mau spent eight years in healing justice and culture change work. She served as a legal assistant with immigrant survivors of violence and worked as a peer counselor and advocate for LGBTQ survivors of violence in the San Francisco Bay Area. This background informs her artistic focus on safety and intimacy narratives.

Early Filmmaking

Mau’s 2019 short film Waking Hour marked her debut as a writer, producer, director, and actor. She portrayed Sofia, a young transgender woman navigating intimacy and personal safety with a cisgender man. In 2020, she served as a production fellow for the Netflix documentary Disclosure and produced the short film Work, which premiered at Sundance in 2022. She additionally produced the short films Sam’s Town and Lovebites.

Television Beginnings

Mau appeared as a series regular in the HBO Max comedy series Generation (2021), playing Ana, the aunt of one of the main teenage characters. She also appeared in the series Hidden Canyons.

Does Nava Mau Have Upcoming Movies or TV Shows?

In 2024, Mau wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the short film All the Words but the One, which screened at the Iris Prize festival. This project continues her pattern of generating independent work while pursuing mainstream acting opportunities.

Specific details regarding future feature film or television series projects beyond her 2024 festival appearances remain unconfirmed in available sources. Mau maintains active practice as both a performer and filmmaker, suggesting continued output across both independent and commercial platforms.

For context on ensemble casting in recent television productions, see the Cast of Malpractice (TV Series) – Actors, Characters and Guide.

Nava Mau Career Timeline

1. 2019
   Waking Hour – Writer, producer, director, and star of short film exploring transgender intimacy and safety.
2. 2020
   Disclosure – Selected as production fellow for Netflix documentary examining Hollywood’s depiction of transgender people.
3. 2021
   Generation – Series regular on HBO Max comedy as Ana, aunt to main teenage characters.
4. 2022
   Work – Producer on short film premiering at Sundance Film Festival.
5. 2024
   Baby Reindeer – Breakout role as Teri in Netflix limited series; earns Emmy and BAFTA nominations. View on Netflix
6. 2024
   All the Words but the One – Writer, director, producer, and star of short film screening at Iris Prize.

What Is Confirmed About Nava Mau’s Filmography?

How Does Nava Mau’s Work Fit Into Industry Context?

Mau represents a generation of transgender performers transitioning from independent cinema to mainstream streaming platforms. Her trajectory differs from traditional acting paths, incorporating eight years of advocacy work into artistic practice. This background informs her selection of roles emphasizing authentic intimacy and complex character psychology.

The critical success of Baby Reindeer demonstrates the viability of nuanced transgender characters in prestige television formats. Unlike earlier eras of typecasting, Mau’s portrayals emphasize romantic agency and emotional depth. Her dual practice as filmmaker and performer positions her within a movement of artists controlling their own narratives, particularly regarding transgender identity and experience.

What Have Critics and Nava Mau Said About Her Work?

“It seemed really important to show people that trans women exist in real life and in relationships with real people.”

— Nava Mau, regarding her role in Baby Reindeer

Mau’s statement reflects her commitment to authentic representation. Sources including Wikipedia and her official biography document her emphasis on portraying transgender characters with full humanity and relational complexity.

What’s Next for Nava Mau?

Mau currently occupies a unique position between independent filmmaking and mainstream recognition following her Emmy and BAFTA-nominated performance in Baby Reindeer. With recent festival appearances for All the Words but the One and a demonstrated capacity for generating her own material, her trajectory suggests continued creative output across both media. For audiences interested in similarly intense dramatic performances, the Joe Cole (Actor) Movies And Tv Shows – Career In Focus offers comparable explorations of complex psychological roles.

Frequently Asked Questions