Karen Gillan is best known for her role as Nebula in the box-office hits Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame, part of the Cinematic Marvel Universe. A stunning, long-haired redhead, she famously shaved her head for the role. Two more films in the franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, are expected in 2022 and 2023. Gillan also played Amy Pond, companion to the 11^th doctor in Doctor Who. In 2018, she released her first feature film as writer and director, a comedy-drama titled The Party's Just Beginning.

Gillan was born and raised in Inverness, Scotland as an only child. Her father was a professional singer, and she took a shining to the stage at a young age, joining youth theatre troupes and performing in school plays. At 17 she moved to London and attended the prestigious Italia Conti Academy, landing a role in Rebus in her first year there. Her career took off, and a series of roles led to a two-year run on Doctor Who in the role of Amy Pond at the age of 21. Her mother, a huge fan of the original show, was thrilled.

When Gillan isn’t acting, she likes vintage shopping (but has also been known to wear Louis Vuitton dresses) and loves to play her vintage Steinway piano. Her Instagram profile says that she is a fan of fish fingers and custard, and she told British Vogue she likes to drink whiskey and listen to records with friends. She collects Spice Girls and horror film memorabilia and writes horror film scripts, but not too late into the night in case she can’t sleep. Instead, she watches Love Island UK, her favourite reality TV show.