Ncuti Gatwa was presented with the Modern Pioneer award by Ozwald Boateng at the ELLE Style Awards this evening.
The Sex Education star, who wore Ozwald Boateng for the occasion, said: 'Life is mad, I can’t quite believe I’m here now. I’m shaking. But your dreams are never silly. Just keep on. Keep on keeping on.'
The actor said: 'For representation and inclusion to work, we need people in positions of power. For Kenya Hunt to be editor of this magazine is incredible.'
Gatwa also paid tribute to Boateng in his speech, saying that it was 'a real honour' to be presented the award by someone who was an 'absolute pioneer'.
Boateng said that Gatwa had 'a way of really shining his spirit through his clothing'.
The Kigali-born actor has this year alone had a memorable role in Barbie, will feature in the final season of Sex Education as the flamboyant Eric, and is set to make his debut as the 15th Time Lord in the upcoming season of Doctor Who. The star has also been tapped by Tiffany & Co., for which he starred in an advertising campaign for its Tiffany Lock collection.
Does he ever suffer from imposter syndrome? Speaking to ELLE as part of his October 2023 cover shoot, Gatwa said: ‘Inside it’s such a mess: I have so much impostor syndrome. I have so many insecurities. I like to make other people feel happy so there’s less focus on me. I become this loud figure that’s cracking jokes all the time. It comes across as confidence but, at the heart of it, it’s not. Real confidence is something I have to work on daily.’
In fact, it was his role in Greta Gerwig’s film of the summer, Barbie, that provided a much-needed masterclass in overcoming anxiety for the star. ‘I was so nervous I hardly spoke for the first month [on set],’ he remembers. ‘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.’
Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
