Performer of the Month – September 2023

Below you will find the Top 3 finishers in placement order.

RESULTS

It was a close fought battle this month for the coveted top spot. Hayden Christensen made an early break away run for it from the off, but with Steve Martin, Ncuti Gatwa, Paulina Alexis, and Zoe Saldana all making spirited attempts to thwart his leadership of the board. Then, around halfway through the voting, Gatwa had a second wind and sailed swiftly up the board from third place to tying with Christensen, and then overtaking him in the dying hours to take the lead and become this month’s winner.

Torn between two worlds, Eric Effiong’s (Gatwa) journey through this last season on Netflix’s Sex Education has seen him attempt to balance his sexuality and his religion, with Gatwa digging deep to bring out all the raw emotions and turbulence this inevitably causes. In what is undeniably the standout scene of this final episode of the series, Gatwa’s character faces a crisis as he is about to be baptised, questioning if he can really denounce all he is as easily as his past lover, who has just done so minutes before him during his own baptism. It’s moments like these that can make or break a person; show ourselves the inner strength we are not fully aware of, or crush us forever more and defeat us. Thankfully, in this case, Eric has his faith to rely on, regardless of what a church says, and a mother who loves him for who he is. So he comes through this moment stronger than before, determined that being gay will not hold him back and to make religion work with his way of life.

There’s no question that Eric’s life throughout the series has had its impassioned highs and lows; he has been the heart and soul of the show thanks to Gatwa’s stellar, scene stealing performance. Gatwa brings an energy and passion to the character, alongside strong comedic timing and depth of heartache which have helped make Eric a fan favourite. He has been a tour-de-force since the very beginning of the show, and it’s sad to think that there will be no more of the character in the future, although there will be just as many Doctor Who fans eager to see how he will be tackling his new role later this year. In fact, I am sure that he will continue to delight generations of fans no matter what role he takes on in the years ahead.

Ncuti Gatwa is Spoiler TV’s September Readers’ Choice Performer of the Month.

Please join us in the comments and on social media in celebrating winner Ncuti Gatwa as well as the incredible runner-ups. The winner has secured a place in the 2023 Performer of the Year competition that will take place in January 2024.

Come back to Spoiler TV on Wednesday, 1st November at 12 pm ET for the start of the November round.