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Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa has been announced as the new star of Doctor Who, taking over from Jodie Whittaker, as per the BBC.
The 29-year-old star will become the popular science fiction show's 14th Time Lord and the first person of color to portray the major role.
Gatwa rose to fame by playing the character Eric Effiong in Netflix's sitcom Sex Education.
Speaking about his selection, he told BBC News:
"It feels really amazing. It's a true honor. This role is an institution and it's so iconic."
Speaking before May 8's Bafta TV Awards, where he received a nomination for his work in Sex Education, Gatwa revealed that the role of the Doctor "means a lot to so many people, including myself."
"I feel very grateful to have had the baton handed over and I'm going to try to do my best."
Reportedly, Gatwa will make his debut as the Time Lord in 2023.
How to pronounce Ncuti Gatwa and all you need to know about him
Born on October 15, 1992, Ncuti Gatwa is a native of Nyarugenge, Kigali, Rwanda.
He was raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, and his parents are Rwandans. Ncuti told The Guardian that he was a toddler when he and his family fled Rwanda as refugees, escaping the genocide. Ncuti grew up in Oxgangs and Fife, both in Scotland.
His name, Ncuti Gatwa, is pronounced as SHOO-ti GAT-wa. The "Nc" in his name is enunciated like a soft "sh."
The full name of the 29-year-old actor is Mizero Ncuti Gatwa, but he dropped "Mizero." Gatwa was born in Rwanda and reared in Scotland. His name, "Ncuti," means "friend" in Kinyarwanda, one of Rwanda's four official languages.
Ncuti studied acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before moving on to specialize in theater. He has been in several notable plays, including a role as Demetrius in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe in London.
Ncuti Gatwa has appeared in two mini-series in addition to Sex Education. In Stonemouth, he portrayed Dougie, and in Bob Servant, he was an extra. In 2019, he portrayed Timidius in Horrible Histories: The Movie. He also appeared in The Last Letter From Your Lover in 2021, alongside Joe Alwyn and Felicity Jones.
As for his upcoming role in Doctor Who, television producer Russell T Davies said that Gatwa was impressive in his "blazing" audition.
"It was our last audition. It was our very last one. We thought we had someone, and then in he came and stole it. I'm properly, properly thrilled. It's going to be a blazing future."
The creator of Queer As Folk and It's A Sin, returning to Doctor Who after leaving in 2009, shared a selfie with Gatwa on the red carpet at the Baftas.
For the third year in a row, the actor was nominated for a Bafta for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Series for his role as Eric in Sex Education and has previously received a Scottish Bafta as well as a Rose d'Or Award for the said show.
