Ncuti Gatwa, ‘Barbie’ Actor and Soon-to-Be ‘Doctor’ In ‘Dr. Who’ Comes Out As Queer

September 6, 2023
TOMMY

Ncuti Gatwa is one hell of a star on the rise. He first blew up as one of the breakouts of Netflix's hugely popular Sex Education, starring fellow Queer fam Gillian Anderson. After that, it was announced he would be the next "Doctor" on the iconic British SciFi series Dr. Who (the first Black actor to portray the coveted role), followed by his being cast as one of the main 'Kens' in Greta Gerwig's billion-dollar box office smash hit Barbie. On Sex Education, he played a gay HS student named Eric who has a crush on one of the most popular guys in school. Fans everywhere fell in love with him in no small part to how brilliantly he played the gay character. Well, it appears it wasn't too bit of a stretch, as Gatwa has confirmed he's Queer. (*feigns shock*)

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In an interview with Elle Magazine, Gatwa confirmed what many had already suspected. In the interview, Gatwa recounted a formative experience he had at Manchester Pride in England. He met a Queer Rwandan woman, decidedly a "first" for the young actor. "I can feel myself getting emotional just thinking about it," he admitted. "We were holding hands, and she said to me, 'I don’t really know why I’m here. I’m just here.' I told her, 'Honey, you don’t need to know. You absolutely. Do not. Need. To. Know. You’re here. Be proud of who you are.' I had never met another queer Rwandan person before," he said. "I thought I was the only one in the world."

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Throughout this early part of his career, Gatwa has kept his sexuality close to his chest... his very chiseled chest. Not to say he's been "closeted" per se, but he never publicly stated one way or the other. But playing Eric on Sex Education gave him a lesson in "the importance of representation: it’s so powerful and necessary."

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He also noted that there are critics who have said that roles like Eric and a now-Queer Dr. Who are simply woke boxes to check off on one's list. "You people with your tiny mindsets," Gatwa said. "Open a book, look out the window, and then fuck off." Gatwa also isn't the only Queer part about the new Dr. Who! The upcoming season is also going to co-star Neil Patrick Harris, Jinkx Monsoon, and Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper).

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Congrats to Ncuti on officially embracing his sexuality so publicly. He's right that representation at his level is incredibly important, and even has the potential to save lives. I can't wait to see what he does next.