‘Ahhh, I've got such a big mouth!’ cackles Ncuti Gatwa. A publicist has just gently interrupted the interview to stop him from inadvertently leaking Barbie spoilers. ‘OK, look’ he says. ‘Ken has a great day, every single day, because he is around Barbie…that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.’
We’re speaking over Zoom while the 30-year-old actor travels back from Cardiff. He’s been shooting Doctor Who, although that’s another topic he has to be extremely tight-lipped about. Gatwa was announced as the fifteenth doctor–the first played by a black actor–last May. ‘Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those Tardis keys in seconds,’ director Russel T Davies said of his audition. Gatwa’s highly anticipated turn starts this November.
Of course, he is no stranger to landmark roles. This autumn also marks Gatwa’s final season on Netflix’s zeitgeist-defining Sex Education. He spent five years playing Eric, a charismatic and ebullient teenager, but one imbued with a real sense of vulnerability. Like his classroom-mates, the series saw him discover his sexuality on a journey that's been both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Landing the breakout role was career-defining for Gatwa, who says the fan response to Eric taught him the true value of diversity on screen. Passionate about championing underrepresented voices in the industry, today he announced his role as a judge on BMW’s Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the BFI. Five teams have been shortlisted from hundreds of applicants, and provided with finances, equipment and mentoring from Michaela Coel to bring their short film to life. The judging will take place in September, with the winning shorts premiering at the 67th BFI London Film Festival before the Closing Night.
In an exclusive interview with ELLE UK, Gatwa tells us what he’ll be looking for, shares his summer culture tips and talks graduation from Sex Education…
Barbie is set to be the film of the summer, what can you tell us about becoming Ken?
'Ken means everything to me! Honestly, every day was so much fun. Pink and fun and colourful and joyful and I had a great wardrobe. It felt like we were making a play, we literally called ourselves the Barbie theatre troupe because it felt so creative. We'd warm up in the morning, we’d have dance classes; it was like rehearsing for a stage show.
'Greta Gerwig is an incredible director, she has such a deep understanding of every component that goes into filmmaking. Because she's so smart and knew exactly what she wanted, it allowed for her to be really playful in her directing - she came at it from such a different angle to anything I’ve experienced before.'
Your Sex Education cast mates Connor Swindells and Emma Mackey also star in the film, how did it feel to be working with them again?
'We had just had such an intense five years together where we all became so close. We love each other so much and it's incredibly exciting seeing everyone go off and do their own things, but to be able to come back together?! That's a magical experience.
'Emma got cast as Barbie before I got cast as Ken, but she knew I was going to be in the film because my name was in the script already. She kept it a secret for a month! When I found out I got the part I called her singing the Aqua 'Barbie' song.'
Season 4 of Sex Education is your last one! What’s been your fondest memory on set over the years?
'Any scene that I was in with Asa, those were my favourite days, any of our bike scenes and the assembly scenes as well - we'd all be there and it was just chaos, actual pandemonium. I don't know if the crew had a good time, but those days were so special.'
How does it feel to be saying goodbye to such a landmark show?
'Oh, gosh, it’s so bittersweet. It was an incredible show that I was so blessed to be a part of. I made amazing, amazing friends and was part of a series that really challenged perspectives. It was part of a conversation about the voices that we hear and the people who we see on our screens. But also, I'm 30 and I'm ready to graduate High School!
'It will always be really cool being part of that show and knowing what it did. The way that Sex Education resonated, the way that people were drawn to it: you can really tell how much of a hunger there is for diverse stories. Certainly, going into it I thought that I was going to receive a lot of racism. And it was quite the opposite: the way that Eric was celebrated was so touching. I thought to myself, "Oh my God, there's hope in this world!" The sort of messages that I would receive, you think, flipping hell, representation is such a crucial thing within our media. We must always challenge ourselves to tell different stories and give everyone a voice and a platform, because the effects that it has are so powerful and positive.'
Is that what inspired you to get involved with the BMW Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the BFI?
'Yes, I want to see emerging talent and I want to find stories that connect and inspire. I think short films are a lot more accessible as a medium, anyone can get into making short films so it’s going to inspire diverse talent. We're going to see a really wide range of stories.
'The i7 car has a huge screen in the back; 32 by 9 aspect ratio; and so I thought, how are they going to fill that screen up? I was very intrigued by the concept. I think we’re going to see new ways of creating film, and that's really cool and exciting. On top of the diversity of applicants, we'll see a diversity of techniques.
'This industry is in constant search and in constant need of new voices and perspectives that challenge things. Whenever you get that, it pushes everyone forward and it makes space for people to come in. This initiative is asking for that shift, opportunities like this are really important. The finalists get to be mentored by Michaela Coel... that’s amazing! It’s about evolving perspectives and challenging oneself to think outside the box; she is someone that does that incredibly.'
Tell us what you’re excited for this summer?
'I can’t wait to see Dune, I’m really excited about Oppenheimer. Obviously Barbie. I haven’t been watching a lot of TV; The White Lotus is the last thing I watched and that was incredible, but we all know that. As a series, it’s so cleverly done and Jennifer Coolidge? So flippin' brilliant.
'I've just started watching this documentary on Netflix called Ancient Apocalypse. It's about the possibility of civilisation being a lot older than we think it is and the idea that we've had advanced civilisations for a lot longer than we think. People are finding pyramids within pyramids that predate the Ice Age. I’ve only just started but it's very interesting to think about our history as a human race.'
You have a playful approach to fashion; what’s been influencing your summer style?
'I just discovered this London menswear brand, Labrum. He’s a British Sierra Leonean designer who is just incredible. His clothes feel like a mix between English Heritage and West African design - it’s really cool.
'When it comes to my own style, I guess I just tend to just wing it. I dress how I feel. Whatever my body is doing at any given moment in time, I try to dress to that. I think my summer wardrobe this year is going to be very Ken-inspired! A lot of colourful shirts with very short shorts.'
Ncuti Gatwa, Terri White, and Asif Kapadia have been announced as judges for the BMW Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the BFI. In addition to supporting aspiring filmmakers, the challenge will provide a platform for fresh perspectives in the film industry. Learn more at bmw.co.uk/bmwfilmchallenge.
