Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan is a Scottish actor, she played the Soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii, and will play the first companion of the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, in Series 5.

Gillan's role as companinon to the doctor was announced on the 29 May 2009 by the BBC. Writer and executive producer Steven Moffat described her as being "funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy" he also stated that she won the audition hands down. She says she is "over the moon" 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 and Freema Agyeman.