Ncuti Gatwa was homeless before Sex Education
In an interview with The Big Issue this week, Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa reveals he was homeless before the show.
He plays the bright and bubbly Eric in the Netflix teen comedy.
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The 27-year-old Scottish actor moved to London when he was just 21.
'I was working constantly – and at some good places – I spent a year at the Globe Theatre, I did a lot of work at Kneehigh, who are a physical theatre company.'
Ncuti explains, 'But you have to feed yourself, you have to get to work, with rent, bills, travel, days off from temping to go to an audition, I couldn’t seem to handle it all financially.'
'I was supposed to move into a new place and it fell through.'
'So for five months before Sex Education, I was couch-surfing among all my friends.'
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Homelessness
Ncuti emphasises, 'I didn’t have a home. I was homeless.'
'The only thing stopping me from being on the streets was the fact I had friends.'
'But you can use up that goodwill. Or you feel scared to ask people for help. Your pride kicks in.'
Ncuti points out, 'My life before Sex Education was SO different.'
'To go to my audition, I had to get my friend to transfer me 10 quid so I could top up my Oyster card.'
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At this time Ncuti worked for Harrods selling perfume but it wasn't enough to keep him going.
'I was thinking it was so mad, because if someone was to see me on the street on my way to temping at Harrods in my trenchcoat and brogues – because you have to be so well-polished and look the part – they would never believe I was about to spend two hours on the phone trying to find where I could sleep that night…'
'I couldn’t believe I was homeless and working in Harrods. How many people must be going through this in London?'
Sarina Bellissimo from SPIN 1038's Plan B caught up with the cast of Sex Education ahead of the season two premiere.
Read the full interview here.
