Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan born (1987/1988) is a Scottish actress, who 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 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", and said she won the audition hands down. She says 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 and Freema Agyeman. No further details of her character have been released so far.