Massaro Ncuti Gatwa better known as Ncuti Gatwa (/ˈʃuːti ˈɡætwɑː/; born 15 October 1992) is a Scottish-Rwandan actor, who is known for his role as Eric Effiong in the Netflix original series Sex Education (2019–present) for which he received critical acclaim, earning a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme.
Early life
Gatwa was born in Nyarugenge, Kigali, Rwanda, on 15 October 1992 His father, Dr. Tharcisse Gatwa, who hails from the Karongi District, is a journalist with a PhD in theology. Gatwa was raised in Scotland, primarily in Edinburgh and Dunfermline. He attended Boroughmuir High School and Dunfermline High School and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a BA in Acting in 2013.
Career
In May 2018, it was announced that Gatwa would star alongside Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education as Eric. The series was released on 11 January 2019, to critical acclaim.
Gatwa’s portrayal of Eric Effiong in Sex Education has received praise from critics and cultural commentators, who noted his character was not relegated to the cliché of “gay or black best friend slash sidekick stock character.”
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans | Timidius | |
| TBA | The Last Letter from Your Lover | Nick | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Bob Servant | Male Customer | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Stonemouth | Dougie | 2 episodes |
| 2019–present | Sex Education | Eric Effiong | Main role; 16 episodes |
| 2020 | The Today Show | Self | Guest star; 1 episode |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | Sex Education | Nominated | |
| Best Kiss (with Connor Swindells) | Nominated | ||||
| BAFTA Scotland | Best Actor in Television | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Newport Beach Film Festival | Breakthrough Honouree | Won | ||
| Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Breakthrough | Won | |||
| Royal Television Society Awards | Comedy Performance (Male) | Won | |||
| Young Scot Awards | Entertainment | Won | |||
| BAFTA Television Awards | Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme | Nominated | |||
| BAFTA Scotland | Best Actor in Television | Won |