2013–2022: Early stage work and breakthrough with Sex Education After graduating, Gatwa was granted a position in the
Dundee Repertory Theatre acting graduation scheme where he performed in several productions including
David Greig's
Victoria. Around this time, Gatwa was attacked by three strangers in the street who fractured his jaw; it is now made with titanium. In 2015, he appeared in the
miniseries Stonemouth, an adaptation of
Iain Banks's
2012 novel of the same name. That same year, he performed in the
Kneehigh Theatre's production of
946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, which was adapted from
Michael Morpurgo's
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, about a
large-scale rehearsal for the
D-Day landings in 1944 that resulted in numerous fatalities. Gatwa played
Demetrius in the 2016 production of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at
Shakespeare's Globe directed by
Emma Rice. For five months prior to this casting, he had been
homeless after running out of savings, and had
couch surfed among friends whilst whilst working as a
temporary employee at
Harrods. Gatwa received praise for his portrayal of Eric from critics, particularly for how his character was not relegated to the cliché of "gay or Black best friend slash sidekick stock character". He earned numerous accolades for the role, including a
BAFTA Scotland Award for
Best Actor in Television in 2020, and three
BAFTA Television Award nominations for
Best Male Comedy Performance in 2020, 2021 and 2022 consecutively. In April 2022, Gatwa was cast in
Greta Gerwig's
Barbie as Artist Ken. Gatwa performed an excerpt of
Romeo and Juliet with
Mei Mac at the 2023
Coronation Concert, and topped the
''Radio Times's'' TV 100 power list the same year.
2023–2025: Doctor Who In May 2022, it was announced that Gatwa had been cast in
Doctor Who as a new incarnation of the show's protagonist,
the Doctor, succeeding
Jodie Whittaker in the role. Gatwa, who was cast in February, was the first black actor to lead the series, the fourth Scottish actor, and the first actor born outside the United Kingdom to do so. He was expected to take over the role in the third and final of the
2022 specials in October 2022, but the final
Thirteenth Doctor story "
The Power of the Doctor" revealed that Gatwa would play the
Fifteenth Doctor, with
David Tennant (who had previously played the
Tenth Doctor) returning to play the
Fourteenth Doctor. Gatwa debuted in "
The Giggle", the third of the
60th anniversary specials, on 9 December 2023, and starred in his first full episode, "
The Church on Ruby Road" on Christmas Day 2023, which was followed by the show's
fourteenth series. His performance in
Doctor Who earned praise from critics.
The Independent praised his "interstellar lead performance" and "megawatt charm".
Variety wrote that his acting elevated the season, referencing his "refreshing dynamism that makes the season a uniquely mesmerizing watch". Naina Bajekal of
Time magazine believed that Gatwa was "bringing
Doctor Who into a new era."
Mary McNamara of
Los Angeles Times called Gatwa "an absolute delight" and wrote that his "unbridled exuberance makes this an easy sell and serves as a data bridge between new viewers and old." For his performance, Gatwa received the 2024
BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actor, He was nearly cast in
Jesse Eisenberg's film
A Real Pain as Rwandan genocide survivor Eloge, but scheduling conflicts with
Doctor Who led to
Kurt Egyiawan being cast in the role instead. In May 2025, following the broadcast of "
The Reality War", Gatwa left his role as the Doctor. Gatwa starred in a total of 18 episodes across two seasons, which made his tenure in the main role the second shortest to date since 2005, behind
Christopher Eccleston's
one season tenure as the
Ninth Doctor.
2025–present: Stage and film work In November 2024, Gatwa appeared as Algernon Moncrieff in Max Webster's production of
Oscar Wilde's play
The Importance of Being Earnest in the Lyttleton Theatre at the
National Theatre, opposite
Hugh Skinner and
Sharon D. Clarke, running until January 2025. A filmed version of the play was screened in cinemas worldwide through
National Theatre Live. In April 2025, it was announced that Gatwa would star as
Christopher Marlowe in the European premiere of
Liz Duffy Adams's play
Born with Teeth. The
Royal Shakespeare Company production opened in London's
West End from August 2025. On 2 May 2025, Gatwa was initially announced as the United Kingdom's spokesperson for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2025, however two weeks later it was announced that he had withdrawn from the role due to "unforeseen circumstances"; he was replaced by
Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Gatwa later stated that "it all panned out very interestingly. I pulled out of it a long time before it was announced. And it was announced when it was announced. I don't know why. But I was just very busy." Gatwa played Jeffrey in the 2025 film
The Roses, a remake of
The War of the Roses (1989). Gatwa will portray British fashion journalist
Michael Roberts in
The Queen of Fashion, an upcoming biographical film starring
Andrea Riseborough as
Isabella Blow. == Personal life ==