The Moordale kids will be experiencing a huge transformation with their transfer to Cavendish College as Moordale shuts down in season four of ‘Sex Education.’ The last season will see the departure of some old cast members and the arrival of some new ones, and we have to bid adieu to some cast members like Patricia Allison, who played Ola, Jakob’s daughter, and Ottis’ love interest. However, Ncuti Gatwa’s Eric will be ubiquitous in the last season as well!
Ncuti Gatwa plays Eric Effiong, a migrant black gay kid from Nigeria who hails from a conservative Christian family. The family accepted him, but there were still some concerns related to the way he dressed. He is Ottis’, played by Asa Butterfield, best friend. Unlike the usual sidekicks, Eric’s story has mettle. He navigates through his sexuality, bullying, and expressing his gender identity on his terms. However, the actor has found shooting the series difficult due to the heavy subject matter that they deal with.
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Ncuti Gatwa Was Incensed By The Executive Producers’ White Washing Of His Character In ‘Sex Education’
During the cover interview for Rolling Stone UK, Ncuti Gatwa got candid about his experience filming ‘Sex Education.’ The series is a novel concept where the creators explore the inquisitiveness of teen kids about sex and the different shades of desire. Along with that, the series also explored narratives about belongingness, empathy, and the complexities of a relationship.
Due to the novelty of the subject, Ncuti Gatwa said that he found shooting it hard. He admitted, “It was very hard; it was such a big show. When you’re telling stories that haven’t been seen before, there’s always a battle as to how to tell them.”
Ncuti continued, “It wasn’t always joyous. I feel like we’ve outgrown it and we’ve given everything we can to it. Being on it fast-tracked me into the downsides of this industry.”
The ‘Doctor Who’ actor chronicled a story about how the executive producers tried to whitewash his character by asking him not to use certain ad-libs. He said, “I remember being told by an executive producer that white people wouldn’t understand my character, Eric, which incensed me. There’s an entire show there for white people to understand.”
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The Actor Was Healed From Internalized Hate After Playing The Character
The fourth and final season of ‘Sex Education’ is due to be released in September 2023. In the last episode of the third season, we see Maeve going to America for the study program, leaving Ottis behind. Adam and Eric break up after the latter confesses not to be with him anymore after he kisses Oba in Nigeria. The students of Moordale also get the shocking news of investors pulling out and the school shutting down.
As the fourth season approaches, Ncuti appeared on the cover of ‘Elle,’ where he talked about how playing Eric healed the internalized hate he had. He said, “I’ve 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.” The series helped him get rid of a lot of internalized hate.
Ncuti Gatwa added, “It makes you think everyone has that opinion and you’ll constantly have to fight through life – then you learn that you don’t: ‘you can find a tribe, you can find your people.’ “
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