Biography
Who is Ncuti Gatwa?
Early life and education
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa was born in the Nyarugenge District of Kigali, Rwanda. His parents are Josephine and Tharcisse Gatwa. His father is a journalist from the Karongi District. Ncuti has two older siblings.
His family left Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. They moved to Scotland and lived in Edinburgh's Oxgangs area. He relocated to Dunfermline at age 15.
Rise to fame with Sex Education
Ncuti started his professional work at the Dundee Repertory Theatre. He acted in several plays, including one called Victoria. In 2014, he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at the HOME arts centre. This role earned him a Commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards.
He appeared in the 2014 sitcom Bob Servant and the 2015 miniseries Stonemouth. In 2015, he was in a Kneehigh Theatre play about Adolphus Tips. He also played Demetrius at Shakespeare's Globe in 2016.
Doctor Who and other films
In 2022, he was cast as the lead in Doctor Who. Ncuti became the first black actor in the Doctor role. He was also the first actor born outside the UK in this role. He played the Fifteenth Doctor from 2023 to 2025.
His time in the series lasted 18 episodes. He left the show in May 2025 after the episode The Reality War. For this work, he won the 2024 BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actor. His performance earned praise from critics at Variety and Time magazine.
Stage work and personal life
Ncuti returned to the stage in 2024 as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest. This production took place at the National Theatre opposite Hugh Skinner and Sharon D. Clarke. In 2025, he played Christopher Marlowe in the play Born with Teeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He was briefly the UK spokesperson for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest but withdrew due to his schedule. He hosted the finale of Saturday Night Live UK on May 16, 2026.
Birthday and age
Ncuti Gatwa was born on October 15, 1992, which makes Ncuti 34 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Ncuti shares the date with 40 other famous people.
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