Karen Gillan is a Scottish actress, voice actress, director, screenwriter and model. She played the role of Amy Pond, companion to the Eleventh Doctor, in the BBC One science fiction series Doctor Who. She has received wide recognition for portraying Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and also for playing Martha in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Birth Name
Karen Sheila Gillan
Nickname
Karen, Sheila, Kaz
Profession
Actress, Filmmaker
Nationality
Scottish, British
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Karen Gillan was born on November 28, 1987, in Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Age
She’s currently 31 years old.
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Ethnicity
White
Education
Karen Gillan attended Telford College in Edinburgh where she did her HNC Acting and Performance course. She later moved to London where she enrolled at the drama school, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts to study acting.
Family Details
- Father – John Gillan (Recording Artist)
- Mother – Marie Gillan (Singer)
- Siblings – Unknown
Marital Status
Single
Boyfriend / Spouse
Karen Gillan dated –
- Patrick Green (2006-2012) – Karen was in a 6-year long relationship with the British photographer Patrick Green.
- Andrew Brooke (2012) – In 2012, Karen had an encounter with the British actor Andrew Brooke.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 10 inches
- In centimeters – 178 cm
- In meters – 1.78 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 58 kg
- In Pounds – 128 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 34-26-34
- Bust – 34 inches
- Waist – 26 inches
- Hip – 34 inches
- Bra Size – 32B
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Light Brown
Hair Color
Red
Shoe Size
She wears a size 9 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 6 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Her appearance in the TV series Doctor Who (2010 – 2012). She played the character of Amy Pond who is a companion of the protagonist Matt Smith (the Doctor).
Film Debut
Gillan first showed up in 2008 in the TV movie Stacked, playing the character of Ginny Turner.
Television Debut
In 2006, Karen Gillan made her television debut appearing in an episode of the TV show Rebus. She played the role of Teri Cotter in an episode titled ‘A Question of Blood’.
Theatre Debut
In 2011, Gillan made her off-Broadway debut in John Osborne’s play Inadmissible Evidence along with Douglas Hodge, playing the role of Shirley. She made her Broadway debut in a play called Time to Act in November 2013.
Brand Endorsements
She has voiced the TV commercials for Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Warburtons, eHarmony and others.
Awards & Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Constellation Awards | Best Female Performance | Doctor Who: “Amy’s Choice” | Nominated | |
| TV Quick Awards | Best Actress | Doctor Who | Nominated | ||
| Cosmopolitan‘s Ultimate Women of the Year Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Young Scot Awards | Entertainment | Won | |||
| 2011 | SFX Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| TV Choice Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Scream Awards | Best Sci-Fi Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | National Television Awards | Best Drama Performance: Female | Won | ||
| SFX Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Nickelodeon UK Kids’ Choice Awards | Favourite UK Actress | N/A | Nominated | ||
| Scottish Fashion Awards | Scotland’s Fashion Icon | N/A | Won | ||
| 2013 | National Television Awards | Best Drama Performance – Female | Doctor Who | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Actress | Oculus | Nominated | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble | Guardians of the Galaxy | Won | ||
| Nevada Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Cast | Won | |||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Cast | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||
| Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | Guardians of the Galaxy and Oculus | Won | ||
| Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Actress (long-list) | Oculus | Nominated | ||
| Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short Film (Long) | Bound for Greatness | Nominated | ||
| IFS Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short Film | Won | |||
| Best Independent Short | Coward | Won | |||
| Edinburgh International Film Festival | Best Short Film | Nominated | |||
| Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards | Best Short Film | Conventional | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | London IFF Film Festival | Best Lead Actress in a Short Film | Bound for Greatness | Won | |
| FirstGlance Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short Film | Won | |||
| 2017 | Maui Film Festival | Rising Star | N/A | Won | |
| 2018 | Glasgow Film Festival | Audience Award | The Party’s Just Beginning | Nominated | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best On-Screen Team | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Comedy Movie Actress | Nominated | |||
| DTLA Film Festival | Best Female Actor in a Leading Role | All Creatures Here Below | Won | ||
| Philadelphia Film Festival | Artistic Achievement in Independent Film | The Party’s Just Beginning | Won | ||
| British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Feature Film | Nominated | |||
| British Independent Film Awards | Best Debut Screenwriter | Nominated |
Karen Gillan Favorites
- Favorite Place – New York
- Favorite Candy – Cadbury Cream Eggs
- Favorite Color – Teal
- Favorite Candy Bar – Hazelnut Dairy Milk
- Favorite Spice Girl Song – Who do You Think You Are
- Favorite Sandwich – Consists of Bread with Seeds, Avocado, Chicken and Pepper
- Favorite Animal – Meerkat
Karen Gillan Net worth
Karen has an estimated net worth of $2 million dollars.
Social Media Profiles
- Instagram – karengillanofficial
- Twitter – Karen Gillan
Some Lesser Known Facts About Karen Gillan
- Karen learned to play the piano when she was 7.
- At a young age, she showed the passion for acting and joined a few local theater groups.
- She was initially cast for guest roles on television drama series before landing a main role on sketch comedy series The Kevin Bishop Show.
- She is a good friend of Katee Sackhoff.
- In 2010, she won the Young Scot Awards in Entertainment category for her appearance as Amy Pond in the TV series, Doctor Who.She also won several other awards for her role in the series.
- In 2011, Gillan promoted the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.
- She was ranked at #42 and #36 on FHM magazine’s “100 Sexiest Women’ list.
- In February 2014, Gillan was cast as the lead in Selfie, an American single camera sitcom for ABC produced by Warner Bros.
- Gillan wrote and directed her first short film, Coward, which screened at the 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival, and nominated for several awards.
- In 2018, She was cast as Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, starring alongside Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Nick Jonas.
- In 2018, she released her first featured film as a writer and director, titled The Party’s Just Beginning.
- In 2018, she visited the Mikeysline crisis support centre in Inverness after presenting her film The Party’s Just Beginning. The film is about the high suicide rate in the Scottish Highlands, and Gillan made a public pledge to support the mental health charity.
