THREE-time Bafta nominee and Sex Education alum Ncuti Gatwa has been named as the BBC’s new Doctor Who.
The actor shot to fame in the role of Eric Effiong but who is Ncuti Gatwa?
Who is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is a Rwandan-Scottish actor who is best known for his role in the Netflix series Sex Education.
Born in Kigali, Rwanda on October 15, 1992, he was raised in Scotland and graduated in 2013 with a BA in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The star rose to fame as Eric Effiong on Sex Education, earning three Bafta nominations and the love of fans for his talented portrayal.
Ncuti has opened up about his struggles with homelessness before making his big break.
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At this time he also had depression, Ncuti said: “I never let people know how down I was feeling.
“That would have been another burden for my friends to take on.
“My mind became my biggest enemy.”
He won the Best Actor Award at the Scottish Baftas in 2020.
Is Ncuti Gatwa the next Doctor Who?
The Doctor will take on a new face as Jodie Whittaker exits the show and Ncuti Gatwa steps into the timelord’s shoes.
Doctor Who has been running since the 1960s and Ncuti will be the 14th person to play the runaway timelord.
Following the gender-breaking casting of Jodie Whittaker as the previous Doctor, Ncuti will break new diversity boundaries by being the first black man in the role.
Since the reboot of the classic British show in 2005, there have been five – soon to be six – iterations of the Doctor, from chaotic Matt Smith to darker Peter Capaldi.
Fans will be excited to see what fresh take on this 900-year-old alien Ncuti has.
The weight of the casting was not overlooked by Ncuti, he said: “There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling.
“A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared.
“This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care.
“I will endeavour my utmost to do the same.”
Which TV shows has Ncuti Gatwa starred in?
Ncuti started his career in 2014 after graduating but got his big break in 2019.
His first role was in an episode of the British sitcom Bob Servant (2013-2015) in as an unnamed customer.
He also starred in a 2015 adaptation of Scottish author Iain Banks’ novel Stonemouth.
Sex Education was where Ncuti’s star really began to shine as Eric, best friend of main character Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield).
Eric’s story of struggling with his sexuality and facing homophobia touched the hearts of many fans of the shows, making him a firm favourite.
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Ncuti has also been cast in Greta Gerwig’s new live action Barbie movie with Sex Education costar Emma Mackey.
This will be the third film he has starred in – the first two were the Horrible Histories movie (2019) and the romantic drama The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021).
