'Barbie' and 'Doctor Who' star Ncuti Gatwa says he has to 'fight' to protect his mental and physical health

Ncuti Gatwa's star is rising after starting out in Netflix's "Sex Education." But he told Business Insider he can't let his ambition burn him out.

• Ncuti Gatwa started out as Eric Effiong in Netflix's teen drama "Sex Education." 
• His career rose to new heights after he starred in "Barbie" and "Doctor Who."
• The actor told Business Insider that he has to 'fight' to prioritize his health.

Ncuti Gatwa has had a busy year between starring in "Barbie" and taking on the lead role in "Doctor Who." But with success comes pressure, and the actor told Business Insider he has to "fight" to protect his physical and mental health as his star continues to rise.

Like David Harbour, Jonathan Bailey, and Jenna Ortega before him, Gatwa has used Netflix as a launchpad to secure even bigger roles off the streaming platform.

Gatwa played the charming and charismatic Eric Effiong in Netflix's teen drama "Sex Education," which ended last year, before being cast as a Ken alongside Ryan Gosling in "Barbie," 2023's highest-grossing movie. Last winter, Gatwa took the reigns as the new lead of "Doctor Who," the longest-running sci-fi series of all time.

Over the last year, Gatwa has also appeared in a season of "Masters of the Air," and lent his voice to a "David Copperfield" audiobook.

"One thing that I've had to watch out for is burnout. I love to work, and I often have to wrestle with my own ambition," Gatwa said. "I won't realize that I've got a year booked up, and I'm like, 'Oh, when will I sleep?'"

Gatwa added that he's learned to leave space in his schedule to rest.

"You got to fight for it. Because other people won't do it for you, so you need to make sure that you are prioritizing your physical and your mental health," Gatwa said. "Make sure that there's time carved out for that in your day. But yeah, I'm very blessed to have a team that will listen to that."

But Gatwa is also able to savor the special moments.

In March, he and the other Kens joined Gosling onstage to perform the Oscar-nominated song, "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie."

Gatwa said the rest of the "Barbie" cast didn't know he would appear in the performance, but the director, Greta Gerwig, might have figured it out.

"I think maybe Greta did. I saw Greta the night before our agent's party, and she was like, 'Are you here for the performance?'" Gatwa said, laughing.

Gatwa said he was surprised that Gosling decided to share his big Oscars moment with the other Kens.

"I was shooting that week, and I had to fly out mid-production. I think I had two rehearsals, but the madness was all part of the joy of it all," Gatwa said. "I was dancing in front of Greta and Margaret, so it felt like my own personal tribute to them."

"Doctor Who" season 14/season 1 is available to stream on Disney+.