In a new interview, the 'Barbie' actor explains why he 'fell out of love' with the church and recalls how he had no roof over his head following a really terrible break-up.
- July 16, 2023
AceShowbiz - Ncuti Gatwa appreciates astrology after he "fell out of love" with the church. The "Barbie" actor has considered the divination practice to be very helpful in understanding his life and other people's behaviour, and was able to "forgive" a former partner following a "very bad" break-up after understanding their respective star signs meant they weren't compatible.
"It probably filled a gap that religion left in me. I couldn't put my faith in an old book that had been used for so much evil. I found astrology so accepting. It helped me accept my own darkness, and other people's darkness, too," he told Rolling Stone UK magazine. "I had a very… bad break-up. I ended up becoming homeless after it."
"People will probably think this sounds so silly but once the grieving was done, once I'd found a safe home again, typing in our respective star signs and seeing all this writing that described so accurately what the problem was between us, it led me to be able to forgive them. I understand their motives now. I don't forget their actions, but I can forgive their motives."
The 30-year-old actor still regards his religious upbringing as a "big part" of his identity and insisted he hasn't given up his Christian faith entirely. He said, "I have faith… I was raised in church. Both my parents are traditional Rwandan Christians."
"I loved my upbringing in church - it's a big part of my identity. However, a long time ago I fell out of love with it all. I still feel a connection to something greater than us, though. I can't live my life without it. I have to believe something will save us from AI."
And Ncuti found a sense of community in church when his family came to Scotland from Rwanda, particularly because there were so few other Black families living nearby. He said, "That was isolating. I had to discover myself in a deeper way."
"Not that there's a disconnect between me and the Black British community, because I am Black and I am British, but there aren't any Rwandans. Certainly, there weren't any in Scotland. Church was how we found a community. Church people can be the kindest people and they can be shockingly cruel."
