Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan (born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress, who played the Soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii, and will play Amy Pond ,the first companion of the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, in Series 5. The series is scheduled to begin airing in the UK at Easter 2010, followed by international broadcast in mid-April.

Although her co-star, Matt Smith, has been confirmed as returning for a second series in 2011, the BBC has not yet announced whether Gillan will also be returning. If she returns, she'll be the first companion actress since Billie Piper to appear as a regular in consecutive seasons.

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. Formally known as Inverness High School. 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. On The Kevin Bishop Show, Gillan played several roles in various skits, including one in which she parodied both Angelina Jolie and Jolie's interpretation of video game heroine Lara Croft. She has also lampooned Julia Roberts' role in Pretty Woman and pop singer Katy Perry.

Standing 5'11, Gillan is the tallest actress to be cast in the companion role, and when not acting, she has taken advantage of her height to take on occasional modeling roles, including 2007 London Fashion Week for designer Allegra Hicks' autumn/winter catwalk show.

The Well
Gillan also stars in the BBC's upcoming interactive digital thriller The Well.

Doctor Who
In 2008, Gillan had her first direct involvement with the Doctor Who franchise when she portrayed the Soothsayer in the fourth season episode The Fires of Pompeii.

Following the departure of Catherine Tate from the series and the announcement that David Tennant was leaving the programme in 2009, speculation ran rampant as to who might play the Eleventh Doctor's companion. This speculation increased when young actor Matt Smith was cast as the Doctor.

Gillan's casting as companion Amy Pond 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, and in fact for several weeks only a first name was known, until the BBC later indicated the character's last name.

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 in an ongoing role after having previously appeared in a different role. Others have included Colin Baker, Peter Purves, Jean Marsh, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter, Lalla Ward, and Freema Agyeman (plus Eve Myles and Naoko Mori, who were both cast in major roles in Torchwood after guesting on Doctor Who, Myles as a unrelated character, who it is later suggested is one of her ancestors, and Mori as a Doctor sent to confirm the identity of a "space pig"). In addition, David Tennant recorded vocal performances as different characters in several Big Finish audio dramas and a BBC Webcast before his casting as the Doctor. And Bernard Cribbins took on the recurring role of Wilfred Mott after appearing in the 1960s film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD and also recording vocal work for Big Finish.

Gillan shares some similarities with her predecessor, Catherine Tate. Aside from both being redheads, Gillan is also known for her comedy impersonations and had appeared on comedy TV series before joining the cast of Doctor Who.

Gillan is not the only member of her family appearing on Doctor Who as it's been announced that her nine-year-old cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, has also filmed an appearance in a Season 5 episode. She will be playing Amy's younger self.