Richard Gadd will star in Half Man alongside Jamie Bell. 

Richard Gadd felt the glare of the media spotlight earlier this year when his semi-autobiographical show Baby Reindeer became a breakout hit for Netflix.

The story of an obsessive fan stalking him led to audience acclaim, but also intense online scrutiny about the alleged real-life characters involved and the level of due diligence taken by the production. We believe legal exchanges are still ongoing, but the show walked away with six Emmy awards, from eleven nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor gongs for Gadd and his co-star Jessica Gunning.

How, the BBC have dropped details of Gadd’s next project, an original six-episode drama series titled Half Man. Gadd will again star, this time alongside Jamie Bell (Rocketman).

Here’s the synopsis:

Half Man follows estranged ‘brothers’ Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben (Richard Gadd). When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers’ relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way. Half Man will capture the wild energy of a changing city – a changing world, even – and try to get to the bottom of the difficult question… What does it mean to be a man?

Richard Gadd, creator, writer and executive producer, says:

“I am delighted to confirm I will be playing Ruben in the newly crowned Half Man for the BBC / HBO alongside the incomparable Jamie Bell. When I wrote the show, I did it with him in mind, never thinking for a second we would manage to land him. So I could not be happier for everything that has come to pass in getting him on board. He is one of the greatest actors of his generation and I am so looking forward to seeing what he does with the role. Thanks to all the staff at the BBC, HBO, and Mam Tor Productions for making it all happen. I cannot wait to work with you all in the months ahead.”

The series comes from Mam Tor Productions (a Banijay UK company) for the BBC and BBC Scotland in a co-production with HBO, which will air the series in the US.

Half Man is set to film in Scotland in 2025.