Scottish actress and filmmaker From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karen Sheila Gillan (born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress, director, screenwriter and model. She is best known for playing the part of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series, Doctor Who.
Karen Gillan was born on 28 November 1987 in Inverness, Scotland. She learned to play the piano when she was seven.[1] She started acting when she was very young. She joined several local youth theatre groups. She also acted at her school, Charleston Academy.[1] When she was sixteen, Karen Gillan went to Edinburgh's Telford College to study acting. Later, she studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts drama school in London.[2] Karen Gillan moved to London when she was 18 to study at drama school.[3]
Her cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, played the part of the young Amy Pond in at least three episodes of Doctor Who.[4][5][6]
Before Karen Gillan started acting on television, she worked in a London pub. She had had left Italia Conti for a television programme, but was hired by a modelling agency.[7] Karen Gillan worked as a model in London Fashion Week, in 2007. She worked for designer Allegra Hicks' show.
Karen Gillan began acting on television doing small parts, on several drama series. Her first larger role was as a part of the ensemble cast of the sketch comedy series The Kevin Bishop Show. She worked for the series for two years. On the programme, she played many different characters. She also played celebrities such as Katy Perry and Angelina Jolie. She was on Channel 4's 'Stacked'. She played the part of Ginny.[8] Karen Gillan also was on TV in a main part in a horror programme The Well. It was broadcast as a series of short movies, on BBC Two. It was later shown on the internet.
Karen Gillan was cast as Amy Pond on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who in May 2009. Her first episode as Amy Pond was shown on 3 April 2010. Gillan had been in Doctor Who once before in the 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii" as a different character.[7]
Karen Gillan also acts in theatre. She first role was as Shirley in John Osborne's play Inadmissible Evidence[9] at the Donmar Warehouse on 16 October 2011.[9]
At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, Karen Gillan said she will be on Doctor Who for its seventh series.[10] On 15 December 2011, it was said that Gillan and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) would only be on the early part of seventh series, in 2012.[11]
After leaving Doctor Who, Karen Gillan has appeared in 2013 horror film Oculus and 2014 Marvel superhero science fiction film Guardians of the Galaxy. Both of films received positive reviews from critics, while Guardians of the Galaxy became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $774 million worldwide. Also in 2014, she was cast as the main character in ABC's sitcom Selfie.
In May 2015, it was announced that Karen Gillan was cast in the Adam McKay-directed drama film The Big Short alongside Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Melissa Leo.[12] She directed her first short film, Coward, which won several awards and screened at the 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival.[13][14] Later that year, in September, Karen Gillan was cast as one of the main characters, Annie, in the movie The Circle alongside Emma Watson, Tom Hanks and John Boyega. The film is directed and written by James Ponsoldt and is based on the novel written by Dave Eggers.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | New Town Killers | Girl at bus station | |
| 2010 | Outcast | Ally | |
| 2013 | Not Another Happy Ending | Jane Lockhart | |
| 2013 | Oculus | Kaylie Russell | |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Nebula | |
| 2015 | The Big Short | Evie | |
| 2016 | The Circle | Annie | Filming[15] |
| 2017 | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Ruby Roundhouse |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Rebus | Teri Cotter | Episode: "A Question of Blood" |
| 2008 | Stacked | Ginny Turner | TV movie |
| 2008 | Doctor Who | Soothsayer | Episode: "The Fires of Pompeii" |
| 2008 | Harley Street | Holly | Episode 1 |
| 2008 – 2009 | The Kevin Bishop Show | Various characters | Main role (12 episodes) |
| 2008 | Coming Up | Anna | Episode: "Thinspiration" |
| 2009 | The Well | Coll | 4 episodes |
| 2010 – 2013 | Doctor Who | Amy Pond | Series 5, 6, 7 (33 episodes) "The Time of the Doctor" (cameo) |
| 2010 – 2011 | Doctor Who Confidential | Herself | 26 episodes |
| 2012 | We'll Take Manhattan | Jean Shrimpton | TV movie |
| 2012 | In Love with Coward | Laura | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Daisy | Main role (9 episodes, season 3) |
| 2014 | A Touch of Cloth | Kerry Newblood | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Selfie | Eliza Dooley | Main role (13 episodes) |
| 2015 | Seven Days in Hell | Lily Allsworth | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Inadmissible Evidence | Play |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: City of the Daleks |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: Blood of the Cybermen |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: TARDIS |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: Shadows of the Vashta Nerada |
| 2011 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: The Gunpowder Plot |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: Return to Earth |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | TV Quick Awards | Best Actress | Doctor Who | Nominated | [16] |
| 2010 | Cosmopolitan "Woman of the Year" Awards | Best Actress | Won | [17] | |
| 2011 | SFX Awards | Best Actress | Won | [18] | |
| 2011 | TV Choice Awards | Best Actress | Won | [19] | |
| 2011 | Scream Awards | Best Sci-Fi Actress | Nominated | [20] | |
| 2012 | National Television Awards | Best Drama Performance: Female | Won | [21] | |
| 2012 | Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards | Favourite UK Actress | Herself | Nominated | [22] |
| 2012 | Scottish Fashion Awards | Scotland's Fashion Icon | Herself | Won | [23] |
| 2013 | National Television Awards | Best Drama Performance - Female | Doctor Who | Nominated | [24] |
| 2014 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Actress | Oculus | Nominated | [25] |
| 2015 | Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | Guardians of the Galaxy and Oculus | Won | [26] [27] |
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