Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has shared his candid thoughts on the hit show Sex Education, in which he received widespread acclaim for his breakout role as Eric. Chatting to Rolling Stone magazine, the actor revealed that the show "wasn’t always joyous".
He explained: "It was very hard; it was such a big show. When you’re telling stories that haven’t been seen before, there’s always a battle as to how to tell them. It wasn’t always joyous. I feel like we’ve outgrown it and we’ve given everything we can to it… It fast-tracked me into the downsides of this industry. I remember being told by an executive producer that white people wouldn’t understand my character, Eric, which incensed me. There’s an entire show there for white people to understand."
He continued: "The trajectory of my life changed five years ago, in 2018. And that was one thing. That was a very fast-moving train. I’m still trying to get to grips with what happened then but… now the train has gone turbo this past year… Actors pick this job to hide behind our characters. And now suddenly you’re centre stage… you just have to focus on the job. The fame side can be distracting.
Emma Mackay, who plays Maeve in the Netflix drama, also revealed that she had "said goodbye" to her character after season four, explaining: "Season 5? I’ve just finished the fourth one last week! No, I don’t think I’ll be in season 5. I’ve said goodbye to Maeve." The show has since confirmed that the fourth season will be its last.
The star also opened up about his much-anticipated role as The Doctor, where he will be taking over from Jodie Whittaker (after a three-episode special in which David Tennant will reprise this role as the time-travelling Time Lord).
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Speaking about his version of the Doctor’s personality, he explained: "My Doctor is emotionally vulnerable. He hides it with humour, but he’s lonely. I can’t say much more than that; I don’t want to spoil anything. But he’s also energetic! The poor cameramen struggled to keep up."
Ncuti also spoke about the similarities he sees between himself and the Doctor, as he fled Rwanda as a child to escape the genocide against the Tutsi minority. "This person survived a genocide," he explained. "This person fits in everywhere and nowhere. I am the Doctor. The Doctor is me. I decided that I had to get this role."