Twenty-six-year-old Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal of a gay black teen, on the British dramedy Sex Education, stands out, even though the show boasts other popular actors. In fact, his performance has been described as “scene stealing in the midst of brilliant actors such as Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson.” The Netflix show, created by Laurie Nunn has had considerable success on the platform, leading to producers announcing a second season just last month.
Sex Education focuses on a socially awkward teenager Otis (Asa Butterfield of The Boy in Striped Pyjamas and Hugo fame) who is ambivalent about sex — ironic, since his mother, played by X-Files fame Gillian Anderson is a sex therapist. On Sex Education, Gatwa plays Eric Effiong, Otis’ gay best friend, who faces his own struggles of coming out to his religious parents, dealing with bullying in school and finding real love.
A star is born
Born to Rwandan parents, Gatwa was raised in Edinburgh and even holds a degree in acting from Glasgow’s prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. One of the reasons the show enjoys a certain following is because it not only addresses common issues that teenagers face when it comes to sex, but also talks a lot about sexuality, especially when it comes to Gatwa’s character, Eric.
“He is openly gay and of Ghanaian and Nigerian descent. He is very loyal to Otis and has a huge heart. He gets bullied a lot, but he’s lovable and an eternal optimist,” begins Gatwa, adding that he relates to Eric in some ways. “My parents are Rwandan, and I also grew up in a religious household. So when I was reading the script, I had quite a clear idea of who Eric was. I wouldn’t say we’re too similar though. Eric cares what other people think of him too much but I guess that’s his age. I’m 10 years older than him (in real life) and less vulnerable than Eric, I think. We’re both pretty loud though,” he adds.
Stage to screen
It certainly was not easy for Gatwa to play an openly gay character, considering that this was his debut, a fact that the young actor acknowledges. “This was my first big proper filming job, and so my biggest challenge was learning to act and be comfortable and natural in front of the camera. I trained classically and have worked in theatre mostly, and so it’s a slightly different skill set you’re using in front of the camera — one which I wasn’t entirely familiar with and took me a little while to adapt to,” he offers.
Was there any awkwardness between the cast members, considering that the subject of the show addresses sensitive issues, we wonder. Gatwa assures us that there was no awkwardness whatsoever, only friendship. “I made a really good bunch of friends and everybody got on really well. I’ve heard a few people say that you can see that when you’re watching the show — our chemistry is very strong. I enjoyed filming every day and actually, there weren’t that many awkward bits, because we were all so comfortable with each other,” says the star, who is looking forward to filming Season Two soon.
Let’s talk about love baby
Gatwa feels that while conversations about sex are opening up now, there still is a long way to go, when it comes to actually destigmatising the act, let alone imparting sex education in schools. “Hopefully, the show encourages people to talk more about sex. I hope the show continues to open up discussions about sex and sexuality, and continues to remove the taboo surrounding them. We’re all here because of sex, so why not talk about it and empower people at the same time?” he asks. Up next, Gatwa will be seen in Horrible Histories, directed by Dominic Brigstocke. Now streaming on Netflix.