Ncuti Gatwa has been announced as Jodie Whitaker's replacement for the new season of Doctor Who.
The Scottish-Rwandan actor shot to fame after appearing on hit Netflix show Sex Education, where he plays fan-favourite teen Eric Effiong.
The TV star is set to take over as the Time Lord on the BBC sci-fi show, a role which has been held previously held by David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Christopher Eccleston.
He is making history as the first ever black actor to take on the leading role of the Doctor, after Broadchurch actress Jodie became the first ever woman timelord in 2017.
The Rwanda-born actor was virtually unknown before landing his breakout role on Netflix, but has since been nominated for three BAFTAs, won a Best Actor award at the Scottish BAFTAs, the Breakthrough Award at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the Rose d’Or Emerging 2020 Performance of the Year Award.
Ncuti will be the fourth Scottish actor to take on the career defining role, but who exactly is the soon-to-be 14th Doctor? Let's find out..
From Rwanda to Scotland
Ncuti was born in Rwanda and his family escaped from the Rwandan genocide in 1994 before settling in Scotland.
“I definitely felt growing up that I wasn’t seen as the same as anyone around me because no one around me looked like me," he told the BBC.
"I think when you see another black person you're kind of like... *gasps*... there's another one!
He laughs, "I must find them and I must be friends with them!
“We came to UK because of the genocide that happened in Rwanda in 94.
“Landscape wise it [Rwanda] looks really similar to Scotland.”
He continued: “We were refugees, we were refugees coming to the UK and I definitely now view myself as a Rwandan Scotsman – yes there’s such a term and I’m giving it a name today!
"It's a thing...I'm making it a thing", he laughed.
"I've always been a bit like scared to say that I was Scottish because it was almost as if people wouldn't believe me or people wouldn't buy that from me or people wouldn't accept it."
"Now, I think nobody's got the right to tell you who you are. You just are who you are."
His family lived in Edinburgh and Dunfermline, with Gatwa going to Boroughmuir High School and Dunfermline High before studying acting at Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire.
Early career
The aspiring actor left his course with a BA in Acting, Gatwa got a position on Dundee Repertory Theatre’s graduation scheme.
He then went onto kick off his TV career as an extra on the 2014 sitcom Bob Servant.
In 2016, he played Demetrius in a production of A Midsummer’s Nights Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe.
However, he became a household name when he was cast in Sex Education as Eric Effiong, a young gay British-Nigerian who is best friends with Otis, played by Asa Butterfield, the show’s lead character.
Ncuti became a fan favourite for his portrayal of Eric, who faced hardships early on in the show from hate crimes to homophobic bullying but later seasons showed his character's personal growth as his family accepted his sexuality while embracing his Nigerian heritage.
Mental health
Writing in The Big Issue in May 2020, Ncuti opened up about his financial struggles before landing his break-out role in Sex Education.
“Being a 25-year-old man with no money or job affected my sense of self-worth,” he wrote.
“Rejection became unbearable. Auditions weren’t just acting jobs, they were lifelines.”
He continued: “One friend gave me money towards paying off the prior month’s rent and offered to let me move into their spare room rent free for a while.
“Great, I thought. An opportunity to get back on my feet and start paying people back.
“On moving-in day, he changed his mind. As I was standing on the street with my suitcases, one thought came into my head: ‘I’m homeless.’”
Doctor Who
The 29-year-old is set to take over as the Time Lord after Jodie Whitakker steps down from the role later this year.
Iconic Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies will also be returning, after he initially helmed the revival of the show from 2005-2009.
He said: “The future is here and it’s Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars.
"Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those Tardis keys in seconds. It’s an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started.”
"It was our last audition. It was our very last one," the writer and producer said. "We thought we had someone, and then in he came and stole it.
"I'm properly, properly thrilled. It's going to be a blazing future."
Speaking to BBC News, Ncuti gushed over his new role: "It feels really amazing. It's a true honour. This role is an institution and it's so iconic."
Speaking on the red carpet before Sunday's Bafta TV Awards, where he was nominated for Sex Education, Gatwa said the role of the Doctor "means a lot to so many people, including myself".
He added: "I feel very grateful to have had the baton handed over and I'm going to try to do my best."
Ncuti's father, Tharcisse Gatwa told Mailonline: "We are very proud. We have congratulated him. That’s all we can do. We are just so pleased. That is all we can say.
"There is nothing else we can add. We are not allowed. He has his profession and we have ours.
"So we do not do any comments regarding this but we are, of course, very proud of him. As parents we are, of course, proud of Ncuti, of our children."
Gatwa will make his debut as the Time Lord in 2023.
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