Actor Ncuti Gatwa, 27-year-old, opened up on a very tough period in his life, which saw him run out of savings and have to give up his London flat as a result. Ncuti, who plays Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy, spoke to the big Issues and explained that he went a number of months without an acting job, before finally getting his big break.
“Being a 25 year old man with no money or job affected my sense of self-worth, rejection became unbearable. Auditions weren’t just acting jobs, they were lifelines.“
Rwanda-born Gatwa was given a glimmer of hope when he received an offer to live in his flat rent-free and pay in arrears, but when that did not materialise, he realised he was in big trouble. He added: “As I was standing on the street with my suitcases, one thought came into my head: ‘I’m homeless.”
As if things weren’t hard enough for him, he struggled with his mental health but kept it to himself. He recalled: “I developed depression. But I never let people know how down I was feeling. That would have been another burden for my friends to take on. My mind became my biggest enemy.”
In what was a very challenging time for the actor, he thanked his friends for helping to stay strong and turn things around.
Ncuti gushed: “I couldn’t have got through without two wonderful friends. One made me stay with her and the other wired me money for food every week. Their generosity was incredible but difficult to accept as it meant accepting what my situation had become – and it was a situation I could barely comprehend.”
Via ThescottishSun
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