'I Literally Got Naked': Ncuti Gatwa Sets the Record Straight about Being Queer

"Sex Education" star – and the next incarnation of Dr. Who in an upcoming season that's reportedly packed with LGTBQ+ representation – Ncuti Gatwa talked about the puzzling part of being in the Pride edition of a magazine, only for fans to be "confused" about his sexuality in an interview with UK newspaper the Independent.

The newspaper noted that Gatwa "has said that he's 'never been in the closet,'" and yet, although he "rose to fame playing gay teenager and scene stealer Eric Effiong on Netflix's 'Sex Education,' the incoming 'Doctor Who' star had long avoided publicly addressing his sexuality."

The Rwandan-Scottish actor seemingly deepened public confusion when he appeared, sans clothing, in the Pride edition of British Vogue last June – still without making a verbal confirmation about his orientation.

But, the actor told the newspaper, the fact he did that feature, and its accompanying photoshoot was his "statement."

"Not to come for anyone, but I was like, you know, two plus two equals four," Gatwa told the Independent. "I couldn't be louder about this. I literally got naked."

He also wanted to "set...boundaries" and "separate the private and public... I never wanted my personal life to overshadow my work.

"I also believe that everyone is on their own journey," Gatwa added, "and it's important that no one feels an obligation to others in relation to what's happening to them internally."

But while he told British Vogue that "he didn't want to discuss his sexuality due to his 'safety and mental health,'" the actor related that it wasn't as simple as leaving the obvious unspoken.

"It sort of became a more complicated issue than I ever wanted it to be," Gatwa recalled. "It became a situation that kind of ran away from me."

The actor began publicly to embrace his sexuality in more straightforward ways, the article recounted, referencing "an interview with Elle in August where he subtly referred himself as 'queer,'" followed by comments to GQ in which the actor "described how he privately came out to his mother five years ago and was shocked by her supportive and undramatic reaction."

"The Scottish-Rwandan actor said that he used the term queer in the Elle interview because 'it felt right in the moment,'" the Independent relayed.

Said the "Barbie" actor: "I've never been in the closet, you know. I just never talked about it. The work I do is what's important."

Moreover, the 31-year-old went on to say, "What is the point of putting a label on anything? I'm not going to do that for people that I don't know... "

Gatwa underscored his point, saying: "If you think it's that easy, I'm happy for you. That's a very privileged position to be in. To think that sexuality is so easy, and talking about sexuality is so easy and existing with one's sexuality is so easy."

"I'm so glad that you think it's that easy, because the world isn't like that."

While Gatwa may be the first Black actor to portray the famous sci-fi character Dr. Who, it's not clear yet if he will be portraying an LGBTQ+ version of the globally popular character.

Check out some of the "Dr. Who" lead's Insta pics below.