Eric's New Love Interest On 'Sex Education' Is Way Too Cool For School

Spoilers ahead for Sex Education Season 2. "Otis?!" Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) frantically tells his friend in the first episode of Sex Education Season 2. "The hottest man I have ever seen just walked past me, and you missed it because of chlamydia!" Indeed, he and his friend are deeply embroiled in a classic, whodunnit STD mystery, but Eric is understandably distracted by the magnificent new kid Rahim (who is played by Sami Outalbali) walking — nay, strutting — down the hall at Moordale.

And Eric isn't the only one under the new boy's spell. "I think I just had a very small orgasm," Lily over-shares to Ola, whom she is showing around school.

"I heard he's the son of a Middle Eastern prince," one student whispers about Rahim.

"I heard he's Kim Kardashian's secret, adopted brother," another says.

However, as luck would have it (and much to Ruby's chagrin), Rahim is gay. This would certainly explain why he keeps talking to Eric, following him around, and complimenting his outfits — which he originally assumed were cruel jokes made at his expense.

Indeed, Outalbali's character is both confident and straightforward — traits which intimidate Eric. As the two boys ride a ferris wheel in Episode 2, Rahim begins quoting poet Pablo Neruda, which leaves his fellow passenger thoroughly confused. His behavior leads Eric to the conclusion that Rahim is a "teenage Ted Bundy."

But despite their cultural barrier, there's clear chemistry between them, and Rahim soon asks Eric out on a date. This absolutely stuns the boy, who can't wrap his brain around the fact that the sexy new kid is actually into *him.*

Although American audiences may not recognize Outalbali, he's better known in France, where he's appeared in TV shows like Petits secrets entre voisins, Les Grands, and Fiertés, among others. Most recently, he was in 2019's French Netflix series Mortel, where he played a missing teenager named Reda, whose brother Sofiane (Carl Malapa) teamed up with a supernatural force to get him back.

There isn't a lot of information about Outalbali online — save for his Instagram, which is filled with glamour shots and promos for different roles. In Outalbali's bio, the French actor calls himself a comedian, and he's also done some modeling, walking in AMI's Fall Winter 2018 show. And it seems like he's been acting since he was young — posting a photo of himself in the French movie Les Tuches, which came out in 2011.

And while it doesn't seem like Outalbali has any upcoming roles, at least per IMDb, landing a role in Sex Education is sure to open doors for him.