'Masters of the Air' Star Ncuti Gatwa Is About to Take Off

THE APPLE TV+ series Masters of the Air, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's epic World War Two series, boasted an impressive cast. Oscar nominee Austin Butler and Saltburn star Barry Keoghan led the marquee, but the rest of the ensemble deserve their flowers too—especially rising star Ncuti Gatwa, who appeared in the period drama as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels.

The Rwandan-Scottish actor has been showing up more and more over the last few years, and 2024 looks set to be the year he is launched into the pop culture stratosphere.

His breakout role was in this hit Netflix show.

Gatwa's acting career began on the stage in 2013, with roles in The BFF and Eurpides' Hecuba. He went on to play Mercutio in a 2014 production of Romeo & Juliet, Wabash in Shakespeare in Love in 2015,and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream the following year.

His first screen role came in 2019, when Season 1 of Sex Education hit Netflix. He played Eric Effiong, the openly gay best friend of main character Otis, for all four seasons, and received critical acclaim for his nuanced portrayal of a young Black gay man who pushed against the boundaries of the stereotypes usually applied to such characters. Gatwa was nominated for three BAFTAs for his performance in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

He's Ken!

Masters of the Air executive producer Steven Spielberg isn't the only legendary director's name on Gatwa's resume. He (along with fellow Sex Education alums Emma Mackie and Connor Swindells) also had a part in Greta Gerwig's 2023 pop culture behemoth Barbie, in which he played Ken. Or rather, one of a whole cast of Kens.

Gatwa reprised the role at the 2024 Academy Awards, appearing alongside fellow Ken actors Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Scott Evans as Ryan Gosling's backing dancers in his triumphant live "I'm Just Ken" performance.

He's about to be sci-fi royalty.

Gatwa became the most recent actor to take on the mantle of the time-traveling alien The Doctor in the beloved long-running BBC show Doctor Who last year, making him the first Black actor to play the character full-time (not counting Jo Martin's guest performance as the Fugitive Doctor).

He made his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor in "The Giggle," and took the lead in Christmas episode "The Church on Ruby Road." His first full season of the show will air in May.

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