The star of Sex Education Ncuti Gatwa, has revealed how his role in the Netflix drama has changed his life, undoing “a lot of the internalized hate I had”.
His reflection on his experience came in an interview with Elle, where he stated: “I’ve experienced racism my whole life, and while I always believed in myself, always knew [racists] were stupid and uneducated, I guess it did misinform my view of how the world works…It makes you think everyone has that opinion and you’ll constantly have to fight through life – then you learn that you don’t: you can find a tribe, you can find your people”.
Coming to a close after four seasons on the streaming service, the final series of the show will land on September 21st, with Gatwa starring alongside long-serving cast members Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson and many more.
Playing the character Eric Effiong, Gatwa has attracted fans across the world for his iconic performance.
Commending the show’s creator Laurie Nunn, he thanks her for “giving nuance to this gay, Black character and gifting him to the world,” adding, “He’s so fierce and unashamed…It was healing for me, and great for people to see themselves represented. It taught me the importance of representation: it’s so powerful and necessary”.
Whilst Gatwa is best known for his role in Sex Education, he recently thrived in the Greta Gerwig hit Barbie, and will soon be playing the ‘Time Lord’ himself in Doctor Who.
Take a look at the very best of Gatwa as Eric below.
