From the New York Times, this is the interview.

I'm David Markezi.

In 2024, the relatively unknown writer and actor Richard Gadd had the strange experience

of seeing the lowest moments of his life become viral entertainment.

His unsettling Netflix show, Baby Rindeer, which was based on his experiences as a victim of both sexual assault and stalking,

unexpectedly became one of that year's biggest critical hits and one of the streamers' most popular shows ever.

It catapulted Gad, who's 36, into a heightened and uncomfortable

level of personal and professional attention. His response to that discomfort has been to go deeper.

His new show, Half Man, which will air on HBO, is about the decades-long mutually destructive

friendship between two Scottish men, the slight and thoughtful Nile, played by Jamie Bell,

and the brutish and violent Rubin, played by Gad.

Unlike baby reindeer, the show is not based, in fact.

But what Halfman shares with its predecessor

is a brutally unflinching exploration of sexual confusion,

tortured masculinity, emotional abuse,

and the impact of trauma, all of which Gadd himself is still trying to understand, both in his

art and in his life. Here's my conversation with Richard Gadd.

Richard, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

Thanks very much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

I want to start with a question that maybe doesn't have any simple or straightforward answer.

You know, you were someone who, for years, working as a performer, you know, you did

stand-up comedy, but the work itself was often intentionally alienating. You know, you did a lot

...