Ncuti Gatwa discusses experiencing racist and homophobic abuse since assuming ‘Doctor Who’ role

Ncuti Gatwa has disclosed that he largely ignores the racist and homophobic abuse he's faced since becoming the lead in ‘Doctor Who’.

The 32-year-old star of ‘Sex Education’ made his debut as the iconic Time Lord last year, earning widespread acclaim for his fresh approach to the character.

In a Vanity Fair Hollywood issue interview, Gatwa mentioned feeling an overwhelming amount of “warmth and love” from ‘Doctor Who’ fans, although he admitted that negative reactions from some individuals have “affected” him.

“I wouldn’t be the only Black lead in a sci-fi franchise to receive that sort of treatment. Unfortunately, those are voices that exist in sci-fi fandoms—but they’re not the only voices. I just remember feeling a lot of warmth and love, being embraced into a big nerd family.”

Gatwa also shared that he frequently encounters fans during filming, whether at 4 a.m. or in freezing conditions, and the affection from them motivates him. “I think that’s beautiful, what the show means to them,” he expressed. “So I concentrate on that more than anything.”

According to ‘Face2Face Africa’, Ncuti Gatwa highlighted that racism and homophobia do affect him, but he chooses to focus on the positives.

“I don’t act as if they don’t exist or they don’t affect me. They do. But I try to pay it no mind and look at the many, many positives that came from joining the ‘Whoniverse’.”

Gatwa will reprise his role as the Doctor in the upcoming ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special, with a second series already filmed and set to air next year on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ internationally, according to a Daily Mail report.

Beyond his role in ‘Doctor Who’, Gatwa is scheduled to appear in Jay Roach’s reimagining of ‘The War of the Roses’ alongside Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch.

When asked about Cumberbatch, Gatwa candidly admitted to having a crush on the Sherlock star.

“Oh, Cumberbatch! Benedict is… what a dream. The things I want to say about that man, I don’t think are appropriate. What a handsome and charming, lovely, lovely, lovely man. He put me to shame. This man gets up and swims in the cold sea every morning.”

The Vanity Fair Hollywood issue, photographed in September at Milk Studios in Los Angeles, featured major names in the film industry.

The photoshoot included an elaborate setup with 24 trunks, 50 boxes, 30 rails of clothing, 200 pairs of shoes, and four security personnel for the jewellery.

With rumours circulating about the future of ‘Doctor Who’, questions have arisen about Gatwa’s return for a third series.

During a ‘Comic-Con’ appearance with co-star Millie Gibson, ‘Doctor Who’ producer Russell T Davies clarified that no decisions have been made about the show’s third season.

“We’ve shot season two, but that’s only halfway through. We’ve got all those months of post-production to come. It’s a long way off, so no decisions yet,” Davies stated.

Meanwhile, Gatwa has described portraying the Doctor as “surreal” and jokingly entertained the idea of committing to the role for the next 10 seasons.

“Of course!” he responded. “I am still growing into the Doctor, but season two was lovely. It felt like the suit was fully fitted. I was finding my feet in season one and having the time of my life, but season two felt like a chance to flex the muscles properly.”

Alongside his work on Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa is also starring in a West End production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’.