British Actors You Should Know: Ncuti Gatwa
Ncuti Gatwa is one of those rare and spectacular actors living every other young actor’s dream: a much-deserved meteoric rise to stardom. Though he may seem like an overnight success, his breakout role in Sex Education only came after years of hard-won minor roles in theater and bit parts in sitcoms and limited series. Gatwa has also spoken candidly about his brush with homelessness for several months before landing his role in Sex Education.
The actor has been open about how his personal experience as a Black gay man and survivor of the Rwandan genocide has impacted his career and influenced the characters he plays. As a lover of astrology and Beyoncé (he’s a Libra if you were wondering), a strong voice on social issues, and an all-around style icon, everything about Gatwa speaks to today’s Gen Z and millennial audiences. He may be young and early in his career, but he’s here to stay, and his star is only rising higher.
He will have a role in the forthcoming (and highly star-studded) satirical drama film The Roses, which is currently in production, and Gatwa’s second season of Doctor Who is set to air in early 2025. For U.S. fans of Gatwa’s work on screen wondering how his talents transfer to the stage, he is about to star in the National Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest, which will get a cinema screening in the U.S. in February 2025. While we wait for the next wave of Gatwa goodness, here are some of the most notable roles of his career so far.
