Nava Mau’s family relocated to San Antonio when she was a child. Photo by April Maxey. Credit: Courtesy / Nava Mau

Actress Nava Mau, who was born in Mexico City but grew up in San Antonio, has become the first trans Latina to be nominated for an Emmy, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Mau, 32, was nominated last week for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work on the British black comedy Baby Reindeer, which streams on Netflix.

Baby Reindeer follows the story of Donny Dunn — played by series creator Richard Gadd — a struggling comedian who ends up the target of a serial stalker. Mau portrays Dunn’s transgender girlfriend Teri on the seven-episode show, which picked up 11 Primetime Emmy nominations.

In 2021 interview with the Current, Mau said she’s seen an improvement in the portrayal of racial minorities within the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade. In older movies and TV shows, such characters were frequently objects of ridicule or a source of tragedy, she explained.

“I sometimes feel like I still have to pinch myself, because I can’t quite believe we have seen so much change happen in such a short amount of time,” said Mau, who made her breakthrough on the HBO Max series Genera+ion, where she played a main character’s transgender aunt. “I do feel a pretty heavy sense of responsibility to make sure we’re all doing our best to make those representations feel like they are doing a service, as opposed to doing a disservice.”

The 76th Emmys will broadcast live Sept. 15 on ABC, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The awards program will stream the following day on Hulu.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

This article appears in Best of San Antonio 2024.

Best of San Antonio Nominations are Now Live

San Antonio-raised Nava Mau is first trans Latina to earn Emmy nomination

Sanford Nowlin

Related Stories