Who is Ncuti Gatwa? All About The Actor Playing The ‘Fifteenth Doctor’ in Doctor Who(Photo Credit –IMDb)
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Ncuti Gatwa is going to go down in television history as the first African American man and the first openly queer actor to essay the role of The Doctor in BBC’s long-running sci-fi series, Doctor Who. The actor’s journey has been inspiring, from being a Rwandan refugee to playing the Time Lord.
Some of you might already know him from Sex Education, but did you know that he has been in the entertainment industry for a decade? Here is all you need to know about Ncuti Gatwa, the actor who overcame multiple challenges in life and became the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
Rwandan Refugee Who Made it Big in the Industry
Born as Mizero Ncuti Gatwa on October 15, 1992, in the Kigali province of Rwanda, the actor had to leave his country along with his family when he was only two years old due to the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The family fled to Scotland and settled in Edinburgh before moving to Dunfermline.
Speaking about the time, Gatwa revealed that he felt like an alien in Scotland while growing up. “A kid like me growing up in Scotland—there’s been many times I felt like an alien, and so I feel like I get it,” the actor said in an interview with the BBC. After graduating from Dunfermline High School, Gatwa attended the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2013.
From Stage to Fan-Favorite Eric Effiong
Gatwa began his stage career with the Dundee Repertory Theatre soon after graduating and became a part of productions like David Greig’s Victoria, Kneehigh Theatres’ 946, and Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, the actor faced a tough time when he was 21 as three strangers attacked him in the street and fractured his jaw, which had to be fixed with titanium.
In 2014, Gatwa made his TV debut with a small role in the sitcom Bob Servant before playing a supporting role in the drama series Stonemouth in 2015. But life threw another challenge at the young actor as he ran out of savings over the years and faced homelessness for five months. Things took a turn for good in May 2018 when he was cast as Eric Effiong in Netflix’s Sex Education, and then there was no looking back.
Gatwa earned praise from the critics and became a fan favorite for his portrayal of a gay teen from a religious family. The actor starred in all four seasons of the show from 2019 to 2023, and meanwhile also appeared in films like The Last Letter from Your Lover, Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans, and the 2023 blockbuster Barbie as Artist Ken.
In May 2022, Gatwa’s casting as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who was announced. The actor debuted as the Time Lord in December 2023 in a special episode before getting his series in May 2024. Earlier in August 2023, Gatwa came out as queer in an interview with Elle magazine. Three months later, he was featured on the cover of the GQ magazine, where he elaborated on his sexuality and said, “I’ve never been in the closet, you know. I just never talked about it. The work I do is what’s important.”
Looking at his career graph, we can’t wait to see which project Ncuti Gatwa stars in next!
