- Ncuti Gatwa has been cast as the 15th Doctor in the British series ‘Doctor Who’.
- He’s known for his role as Eric Effiong in the Netflix show ‘Sex Education’.
- Ncuti will star in the live-action ‘Barbie’ movie.
Ncuti Gatwa is the new leading man in the Doctor Who franchise. The 30-year-old actor has been cast as the 15th Doctor in the British sci-fi series that’s been airing for six decades. Ncuti will step into the role in 2023 after David Tennent returns as the 14th Doctor for a 60th anniversary special, following Jodie Whittaker‘s exit from the franchise. The BBC announced Ncuti was joining the series back in May 2022.
“Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars,” showrunner Russell T. Davies said about Ncuti playing the regenerating Time Lord. “Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds.”
Find out all about the actor who will be playing Doctor Who on the quintessential British sci-fi show, below.
1. Ncuti is from Rwanda
Ncuti, which is pronounced ‘SHOO-tee,’ was born on October 15, 1992 in Rwanda and raised in Scotland. In 2013, he graduated with a Bachelors in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.
2. He’s the first Black lead in the ‘Doctor Who’ franchise
Ncuti will be the first Black actor to lead the British sci-fi show, but he is technically not the first non-white person to play the doctor. During Jodie’s run on the show, Jo Martin played “Fugitive Doctor” in several episodes. Jodie, who became the first woman to play the Time Lord, took over from Peter Capaldi. Since the program came back on the air in 2005, the extraterrestrial character has also been played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith.
3. Ncuti is “a little bit scared” to take on the iconic role
In a statement posted on the official Dr. Who website, Ncuti shared a statement about the big news. “There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same.”
4. He is best known for ‘Sex Education’
Ncuti currently stars in Netflix’s highly rated high school dramedy Sex Education. Playing the loveable Eric Effiong, who is openly gay but from a highly religious family, the star was awarded Best Actor Award at the Scottish BAFTA’s in 2020 as well as a nomination for Best Male Performance in a comedy show at the 2022 BAFTA’s.
5. He’s starring in the ‘Barbie’ movie.
Ncuti has another big project that comes out in 2023. He’s in Greta Gerwig‘s live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Ncuti is playing another version of Ken. His Barbie co-star Simu Liu revealed that Ncuti never told the cast that he was joining Doctor Who. “[He] didn’t tell anyone a thing,” Simu said in May 2022. “And then all of a sudden over the weekend he was announced. We came to work on Monday we were like ‘Dude, how long have you been holding this in for?’ And he’s like, ‘Two months.’ “