Ncuti Gatwa

“Representation goes a long, long, long way.”

“I'd been warned that acting was an unstable profession and knew my parents couldn't support me financially. I had assured them I was going to work as hard as possible to make this career happen so their hard work, as immigrants who fled Rwanda and sacrificed everything for me, wouldn't be in vain. But I was falling short on my promise.”

“Whatever journey you're on is fine. Take the pressure off yourself.”

“I think it's quite natural as an actor to compare yourself to how well other people are doing and how other people might've played that role you auditioned for. There's a lot of comparison you can do as an actor, which is natural, because it's a competitive industry. However, we're all individuals, so you can only ever be yourself.”

“I'm most proud of my heritage; being able to shape people's perception of Rwanda or Rwandans.”

“I was born in Nyarugenge, a district in Kigali, Rwanda.”

“If I can encourage people to stand up and take space and make noise, then I'm very happy to do so.”

“When people talk about diversity and inclusion, sometimes there's a bit of an eye-rolling mentality or ticking boxes. But I feel like that's kind of necessary at times, because the playing fields are not level in the first place.”

“I grew up with a single mum, an immigrant mum who couldn't speak the language, no money, three kids on her back, coming from Rwanda, and she's done a sterling job with all three of us.”

“I was temping at Harrods. I'd wake from the double bed I shared with my best friend, leave the house in a slick-looking trench coat and polished brogues without a hair out of place. I was complimented for looking so presentable.”

“I think I have got quite a posh Scottish accent. It's funny because I grew up in Oxgangs and Fife.”

“In a small way, I'm driven by proving people wrong: because of the background I come from, I think a lot of people have doubted that I would get this far.”

“Buying my pain aux raisins and someone wanting a selfie was so confusing.”

“I love that I get to play a black character who's not a stereotype, who is not afraid to be vulnerable, who comes from a loving home situation. I know it sounds stupid, but for me, these tiny, little glimpses into people's lives matter.”

“When we have gay characters on TV, they're just, kind of, gay for the sake of being gay. That's their personality. That's their whole backstory, that's their future story, that's their present story - it's just gay. Nobody's just gay.”

“When I moved to Dunfermline, it was the first time I realised how different I looked to everyone else who grew up around me. That is where I learned about ignorance and hate. I think, for them, they had probably never seen a black person in their life.”

“You don't need to bow down to peer pressure or be comparing yourself.”

“Hair in the black community is such a big thing culturally. The barbershop is a place for black men to socialise, catch up and bond. It's the same for black women in the salon. Going there is my favourite thing to do in the week. You catch up with people, someone comes around with food, someone else is selling something.”

“My mom put me in this extracurricular dance class when I was a kid. And so I think that just started the creative part of my brain. That's what activated that.”

“High school, as much as it's 'not the real world,' is the real world for your child.”