Karen Gillan (born 28 November 1987), is a Scottish actress, director, and screenwriter.
Prior to her work in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, she starred in Doctor Who as a main companion, playing Amy Pond alongside Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill for approximately 3 seasons.
Karen also played the lead role in the short-lived ABC sitcom, Selfie.
Gillan is also active in Marvel movies, playing Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
She played Ruby Roundhouse, the video game version of Martha in the 2017 Jumanji film.
Filmography[]
Feature films[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Outcast | Ally | |
| 2013 | Not Another Happy Ending | Jane Lockhart | |
| Oculus | Kaylie Russell | ||
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Nebula | First live action appearance of the character |
| 2015 | The Big Short | Evie | |
| 2016 | In a Valley of Violence | Ellen | |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Nebula | |
| The Circle | Annie Allerton | ||
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Ruby Roundhouse (Martha Kaply) | ||
| 2018 | The Party's Just Beginning | Liusaidh | Also director and screenwriter |
| Avengers: Infinity War | Nebula | ||
| Alex & the List | Lily | ||
| All Creatures Here Below | Ruby | ||
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Nebula | |
| Stuber | Sara Morris | ||
| Jumanji: The Next Level | Ruby Roundhouse (Martha Kaply) | ||
| Spies in Disguise | Eyes | ||
| 2020 | The Call of the Wild | Mercedes | |
| 2021 | Gunpowder Milkshake | Eva | Post-production |
| Dual | Sara | Post-production | |
| 2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Nebula | Post-production |
Short films[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Bound for Greatness | Maeve MacDonough | |
| 2015 | Warning Labels | Mindy | |
| Coward | N/A | Director, screenwriter and executive producer | |
| Conventional | Rachel Milligan | Also director and screenwriter |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Rebus | Teri Cotter | Episode: "A Question of Blood" |
| 2008 | Stacked | Ginny Turner | Television film |
| Doctor Who | Soothsayer | Episode: "The Fires of Pompeii" | |
| 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 | 34 episodes (Series 5–7, 2013 specials) |
| 2010–2011 | Doctor Who Confidential | Herself | 26 episodes |
| 2012 | We'll Take Manhattan | Jean Shrimpton | Television film |
| In Love With... | Laura | Episode: "In Love with Coward" Performed the character from Noël Coward's play, Still Life | |
| 2013 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Daisy | Main role (9 episodes) |
| 2014 | A Touch of Cloth | Kerry Newblood | 2 episodes |
| Selfie | Eliza Dooley | Main role (13 episodes) | |
| 2015 | The Devil You Know | Jane Porter | HBO pilot episode Not picked up |
| Comedy Bang! Bang! | Herself | Episode: "Karen Gillan Wears A Black and White Striped Pullover and Coral Skirt" | |
| 7 Days in Hell | Lily Allsworth | Television film | |
| Robot Chicken | Anastasia Steele | Voice Episode: "Zero Vegetables" | |
| 2016 | Emo Dad | Jessica (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2019 | Neurotica. | Chloe | 1 episode |
| 2021 | What If...? | Nebula | 1 episode |
Video Games[]
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: City of the Daleks | Amy Pond |
| Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: Blood of the Cybermen | ||
| Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: TARDIS | ||
| Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth | ||
| Doctor Who: Return to Earth | ||
| Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: Shadows of the Vashta Nerada | ||
| 2011 | Doctor Who: The Adventure Games: The Gunpowder Plot |
Videos[]
Karen Gillan has fun with her stunt doubles on the set of JUMANJI
JUMANJI WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE - Martha - In Theatres 21 December 2017
Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle Karen Gillan "Martha Ruby Roundhouse" Interview
Jumanji Karen Gillan - "Martha Ruby Roundhouse"
Karen Gillan for JUMANJI "I was a socially awkward kid"
Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle London Premiere - Itw Karen Gillian (official video)
Jumanji Welcome To The Jungle Premiere LA - Itw Kevin Heart and Karen Gillan (official video)
Inside Avengers Star Karen Gillan's Home For A Perfect Night In - British Vogue
Trivia[]
- In January 2018, word spread of a New York Times reporter interviewing her and her co-star Madison Iseman, who played Bethany Walker, and asking, among many things, what death from the film they would least like to experience, to which they both answered Bethany's first (and only) death, being devoured by a hippo. No records have been found of said interview, however, and many believe it was simply a ruse.
External Links[]
| Jumanji Stars | ||
| 1995 | Robin Williams • Bonnie Hunt • Adam Hann-Byrd • Laura Bell Bundy • Kirsten Dunst • Bradley Pierce • Jonathan Hyde • Patricia Clarkson • David Alan Grier • Bebe Neuwirth | |
| 2017 | Dwayne Johnson • Kevin Hart • Jack Black • Karen Gillan • Nick Jonas • Alex Wolff • Ser'Darius Blain • Madison Iseman • Morgan Turner • Tim Matheson • Bobby Cannavale • Rhys Darby • Marc Evan Jackson • Missi Pyle | |
| 2019 | Dwayne Johnson • Kevin Hart • Jack Black • Karen Gillan • Nick Jonas • Awkwafina • Alex Wolff • Ser'Darius Blain • Madison Iseman • Morgan Turner • Colin Hanks • Rhys Darby • Danny DeVito • Danny Glover • Rory McCann | |
| TV | Bill Fagerbakke • Debi Derryberry • Ashley Johnson • Cam Clarke • Sherman Howard • Tim Curry • William Sanderson • Charles Napier • Richard Allen • Dabney Coleman • Alan Oppenheimer • Edward Asner • Charlie Schlatter • Cathy Moriarty • Jim Cummings • Melanie Chartoff • Tony Jay • Pamela Adlon • Eileen Brennan | |
| Crew | Chris Van Allsburg • Joe Johnston • Jake Kasdan | |