Mum’s resilience was inspiring for young Scots actor Ncuti Gatwa

The antics of the students in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education might have seemed aimed at teenagers with too many hormones.

But the first series was a surprise hit, thanks to its raucous, yet sensitive, look at relationships.

Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa played Eric Effiong, the exuberant gay best friend of the main character, and he’s returning for the second series, released on Friday.

Ncuti’s parents hail from Rwanda – but has to constantly remind people of his Scottishness.

“The amount of times I’ve almost been beaten up for saying I’m Scottish,” he said. “It’s given me an identity crisis.

“People really cannot understand the concept of a black boy in a tracksuit in London being from Scotland.

“I’m like, ‘Stop taking my Scottishness away. You don’t define me.’”

Being resilient is all in a day’s work for Ncuti, though.

“Resilience has always been something I’ve seen and admired,” he said.

“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 saw her struggle, I saw her fight all the time.

“Every day was another fight, and she always fought tooth and nail for all three of us.

“She just seemed to get through whatever hardship came her way. I think that’s made me quite a resilient person. I look at my mum and I’m like, ‘If my mum can get through that, I can get through this.’”

Ncuti admitted he was targeted by bullies in school, who made a racist Facebook group about him.

“I was actually quite confused! I was like, ‘What?’” he said. “These people don’t like me? That’s never happened before.

“So I was like, OK, fine. I’m just going to carry on being myself and they’re going to fall in love with me sooner or later. And they did.

“I was quite an easy target in a state Scottish high school.

“I grew up in a working-class area, and I stood out – for my voice, my appearance, I did dance and things like that. But I always had faith in my charm.

“I was like, ‘If I can go around each group and befriend them all, then I’m all powerful. Divide and conquer.

“It was really a good lesson to me about the difference between hate and ignorance.

“Obviously their behaviour was inexcusable. But at the same time, I was the first black person that they probably saw in real life.”