Ncuti Gatwa Says Playing Eric on ‘Sex Education’ Was ‘Healing’ for Him: ‘It Undid a Lot of the Internalized Hate I Had’

Ncuti Gatwa is reflecting on the impact of Sex Education on his life, particularly how playing Eric Effiong undid a lot of the internalized hate I had.

Ive experienced racism my whole life, and while I always believed in myself, always knew [racists] were stupid and uneducated, I guess it did misinform my view of how the world works, Gatwa said in an interview with Elle before the SAG-AFTRA strike. It makes you think everyone has that opinion and youll constantly have to fight through life then you learn that you dont: you can find a tribe, you can find your people.

Sex Education is ending after four seasons on Netflix, with the final season premiering on the streamer Sept. 21. Along with Gatwa, the British teen sex comedy series stars Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Aimee Lou Wood and more.

In the interview, Gatwa also acknowledged creator Laurie Nunn for giving nuance to this gay, Black character and gifting him to the world.

Hes so fierce and unashamed, Gatwa continued. It was healing for me, and great for people to see themselves represented. It taught me the importance of representation: its so powerful and necessary.

Gatwa recently played one of the Kens in Greta Gerwigs hot-pink comedy Barbie, featuring an ensemble cast including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Simu Liu and Gatwas Sex Education co-stars Mackey and Swindells.

Gatwa revealed to Elle how anxious he initially was on the Barbie set, saying, I was so nervous I hardly spoke for the first month. There was a time when I was talking to Greta and I turned around and Ryan Gosling was looking at me, and his eyes were so blue that I just fell over. I just drowned in his eyes.