Ncuti Gatwa explains why he won't publicly discuss his sexuality
14 June 2023, 15:47
Ncuti Gatwa and Russell T Davies react to Doctor Who casting announcement
The Sex Education and Doctor Who star has never publicly put a label on his sexuality.
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Ncuti Gatwa has opened up about the reason why he has decided to never publicly discuss his sexuality in a new interview.
As soon as Sex Education debuted on Netflix back in 2019, people all around the world fell in love with Ncuti and his portrayal of gay teenager Eric Effiong. LGBTQ+ viewers connected to Eric's story and praised Ncuti for bringing it to life so beautifully. However, Ncuti also faced pressure from fans to discuss his sexuality because of the role he plays on screen.
Now, Ncuti has addressed the criticisms he's faced for keeping his sexuality private and explained why he won't discuss it.
READ MORE: Ncuti Gatwa is leaving Sex Education after season 4
In British Vogue's new Pride issue, Ncuti speaks in depth about why he refuses to publicly label his sexuality. He said: "It’s a safety and mental health thing. 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."
Ncuti continued: "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. I also believe everyone is on their own journey. It’s important that no one feels an obligation to others in relation to what’s happening to them internally."
Ncuti added: "And that’s what Sex Education is about – taking things at your own pace."
Discussing his sense of pride, Ncuti also said: "It shouldn’t be a privilege. We shouldn’t have to fight for it. It should be our God-given right."
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