Ncuti Gatwa is fast becoming a huge name in the entertainment world. Before skyrocketing to fame as Eric Effiong in Netflix's Sex Education, most of his acting roles were on stage.
But as Eric, he quickly gathered a huge following, and his career has gone from strength to strength. His Sex Education performance earned him plenty of awards interest, including BAFTA TV, BAFTA Scotland and Rose d'Or awards.
In 2023, he played a prominent role in Barbie, one of the biggest movies of the year; the year before, he was confirmed to be the 15th Doctor and helming Doctor Who starting with the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special.
Since he's bound to become an even bigger presence from here, we've looked at his life so far, and found some interesting facts that you may not have known about Ncuti Gatwa...
Ncuti was couch-surfing before he booked Sex Education
As part of his Vogue interview earlier in the year, Ncuti discussed the period between his early stage work and starring in Sex Education where he wasn't getting many acting opportunities, to the point that he was forced to couch-surf and rely on money from his friends for food.
"My self-worth felt very drained", Ncuti said. "I was like, 'If I'm not working, what am I doing with my life?". He went on to admit that landing the role of Eric Effiong came at "just. The. Right. Time".
He kept accidentally leaking his Doctor Who casting news
A regeneration in Doctor Who is always such a big deal; it's amazing to think that Ncuti's casting was kept a secret for so long... especially as he apparently kept leaking it himself!
Speaking to British Vogue, he let slip that he struggled to keep his casting a secret. "Keeping it a secret until the announcement was very difficult", he said. "I'd often get a little tipsy in Soho House, make a new best friend in the bathroom, tell them and run off. Thankfully, it never got out."
Ncuti would love to play a villain
The closest Ncuti has come to being a villain so far is being one of the Kens who've taken over Barbieland, but he's keen to take on some very different roles.
While speaking to Rolling Stone UK, he talked about wanting to play a villain, because he loves the "transformative" element of acting, and wanted to play something (or someone) completely different to himself.
In particular, he teased that he'd be interested in playing a Bond villain; he also said he'd be open to playing "The Shadow Man" — aka Dr. Facilier — if and when Disney gets around to the live-action version of The Princess and the Frog!
Russell T. Davies says he 'stole' the role of the Doctor
On the red carpet of the 2022 BAFTA TV Awards (shortly after Ncuti had been confirmed as Jodie Whittaker's replacement), returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies explained that the team thought they already had someone lined up for the role... until Ncuti walked through the door!
"It was the most blazing audition", Davies said. "It was our last audition. It was our very last one. We thought we had someone and then in he came and stole it."
Ncuti's first name means 'hope'
In an interview with The Big Issue, Ncuti talked about how he's always embraced the sense of hope and joy that he feels Davies brings to Doctor Who. And that's probably no surprise since Ncuti's first name, Mizero [his full name is Mizero Ncuti Gatwa] means hope.
As he explained: "You know, the way he [Davies] writes – he’s dealing with such existential crises and huge issues channelled in a really artistic, creative sci-fi way. But hope is certainly something he has put into these scripts. He told me the other day that you have to have hope in life... Hope is what saves us.
"My mum says the same thing. And that's what my name means. Mizero means hope. So I must remember to have hope. Because what else is there? And this show always reminds me of that."
He has an honorary doctorate from the RCS
In 2013, Ncuti Gatwa graduated from the BA Acting programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; in 2022, the same institution awarded him an honorary doctorate. Outlander star Sam Heughan was also awarded an honorary doctorate in the same ceremony.
During his speech, he paid tribute to the 300+ students who had completed their studies that year; he labelled them "artistic superheroes" for completing their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studying at the RCS also offers him another Whoniverse connection, as this was the same place David Tennant studied acting!
Ncuti Gatwa fact file...
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Ncuti Gatwa...
How old is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is 31; he was born on October 15, 1992.
Is Ncuti Gatwa married?
Ncuti Gatwa has not publicly spoken about his dating life, so we don't know if he has a partner at the moment!
Does Ncuti Gatwa have any children?
Ncuti Gatw does not have any children.
Where was Ncuti Gatwa born?
Ncuti was born in Nyarugenge, Kigali in Rwanda. His family moved to Scotland when he was just two years old.
How tall is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is around five foot eight inches tall.
Instagram: @ncutigatwa
We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.
