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Doctor Who Star Ncuti Gatwa Addresses Speculation About His Sexuality
The actor opens up about the pressure to publicly share his sexuality.
Ncuti Gatwa is about to become a household name. Following his breakout role as Eric Effiong in Netflix’s wonderful and hilarious Sex Education, he is about to assume the iconic role of The Doctor in Doctor Who, and as Ken in the highly anticipated Barbie film. And while fans will get to know the actor better through his work, there’s one topic that Gatwa wants to remain off limits: his sexuality.
Speaking with British Vogue as part of its July Pride issue, Gatwa discussed how following his portrayal of Eric, who is gay, and exploring his sexuality on the series, fans assumed that he too was a member of the LGBTQ+ family. While Ncuti doesn’t refute that, he also refuses to confirm his identity, instead saying the reason he has never publicly addressed is “a safety and mental health thing,” he told the publication.
“After Sex Education, we all became public property, to an extent. You have to fight for your right to privacy after that, but you also do feel like you owe people something. In setting my boundaries, I knew I wanted to separate the private and public, and that I never wanted my personal life to overshadow my work,” the actor explained.
“I also believe that everyone is on their own journey, and it’s important that no one feels an obligation to others in relation to what’s happening to them internally. And that’s what Sex Education is about – taking things at your own pace,” continued Gatwa.
That all being said Gatwa takes a strong stance on Pride itself, which he says“shouldn’t be a privilege. We shouldn’t have to fight for it. It should be our God-given right.”
While the actor might not be ready to bare it all identity-wise, he did strip down for the magazine — and he gushed about his upcoming projects including taking over the role of the world’s favorite Time Lord and how sometimes it was hard to believe he landed the role. “I felt numb and keeping it a secret was very difficult. Sometimes I’d get tipsy, tell someone, then run off,” Gatwa admitted. “Thankfully, it never got out.”
Barbie arrives in theaters July 21 and Doctor Who returns later this year.
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Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
