Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan born (1987/1988) is a Scottish actress, who played the Soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii, the first companion of the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, in Series 5.



Early Life
Gillan was born and raised in Inverness, Scotland. Her father, Raymond John, a Day Centre Manager, and mother, Marie, live in Kinmylies. She attended school at Charleston Academy. Aged 16, she decided to pursue her acting career further, studying acting at Edinburgh's Telford College. Later, she secured a place at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts drama school in London on the BA (Hons) Acting degree course

Before Doctor Who
Gillan gained her first television role in Rebus while still studying at Italia Conti, and has since had parts in The Kevin Bishop Show, Channel 4's Stacked and James Nesbitt's forthcoming film Outcast. While not acting, she has taken on occasional modelling roles, including 2007 London Fashion Week for designer Allegra Hicks' autumn/winter catwalk show.

Doctor Who
In 2008, she portrayed the Soothsayer in The Fires Of Pompeii. Gillan's role as companion to the Doctor was announced on 29 May 2009 by the BBC. Writer and executive producer Steven Moffat described her as being "funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy". No further details of her character have been released so far. Gillan said she won the audition hands down. She said she is thrilled to have been cast for the part.

She is one of only a handful of actors to return to the series as a companion after having previously appeared in a different role. Others have included
 * Peter Purves
 * Jean Marsh
 * Nicholas Courtney
 * Ian Marter
 * Freema Agyeman