Karen was born and raised in Inverness, Scotland, the daughter of Marie (Paterson) and John Gillan, who is a singer and recording artist. She developed a love for acting very early on, attending several youth theatre groups and taking part in a wide range of productions at her school, Charleston Academy. At age 16, Karen decided she wanted to pursue her acting career further and, studied under the renowned theatre director Scott Johnston at the Performing Arts Studio Scotlond. She later attended the prestigious Italia Conti academy in London. During her first year, she landed a role in Rebus (2000) and soon appeared in a variety of programs including Channel 4's Stacked (2008) and The Kevin Bishop Show (2008), as well as a two-year stint in the long-running series Doctor Who (2005). Karen also stars in the film Outcast (2010), starring James Nesbitt. Her most recent starring role is as Eliza Dooley in "Selfie" (2014), When she's not acting, Karen likes to play the piano and loves rummaging through vintage clothes shops.
Karen is part of the youngest pairing of "The Doctor" and companion on Doctor Who (2005). In 2009, the new Doctor, Matt Smith, is 26, and she is just 21. Their combined age will be younger than that of Jon Pertwee, when he was playing the "Time Lord" in the 1970s. "The Daleks" on the series had to be redesigned to match her height, as she is half a foot taller than Billie Piper, who was the first companion on the revival. [discussing Amy's relationship with the Doctor] She (Amy Pond) doesn't take his (the Doctor's) word as gospel and she's always happy to challenge him. If he tells her to do something then she won't necessarily do it, she might go off and do her own thing which can sometimes create a rift between the two of them! They are best pals though and it's a very up and down relationship because they are both very passionate people.
Karen Gillan
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