KAREN GILLAN
When were you most starstruck?
Well, being on the set of Avengers, you’re getting it from all angles. They’re all in character, too, so it’s not just the actors walking around, it’s the superheroes. But I think meeting Quentin Tarantino was when I was most like, “Oh my God, I’ve gone peculiar and I don’t know how to behave like a normal person anymore.” I was trying very hard to seem cool, because I feel like his films are the epitome of cool. He’s made so many of my favourites. I tend to be more starstruck by directors than actors. It’s like: “All these films have come from your mind!” I find that fascinating.
What is your favourite animal?
My dog, Turtle. She’s a Bull Terrier-poodle mix, but when I got her I was told she was a Schnauzer. I spent all this time looking up the traits of the Schnauzer, being like, “Oh yeah, that is so Turtle.” But then I did a DNA test — because, yes, that’s how far I went — and she’s actually no parts Schnauzer. Couldn’t believe it.
Have you ever written fan mail?
As a kid I created a scrapbook called the ‘Spice Book’, but I never thought to reach out to the Spice Girls directly. Which is a shame because a lot of effort went into it. I loved Geri, obviously, as I’m ginger. Have I ever met a Spice Girl? No. Actually, I said I was most starstruck by directors, but I think the most starstruck I could ever be is if I met the Spice Girls. Or Britney Spears. I would genuinely not be able to speak.
How much is a pint of milk?
Oh my God. Erm... A pint is the small one, right? I’m gonna say 60p. I don’t like the way dairy farms treat the animals, so I’ve boycotted dairy. Oat milk’s where it’s at, because oats are Scottish.
Do you have a nickname?
I’ve got Kaz, which originated with my father. And now I’ve got K-gill, which started as a joke — like a J-LO thing — but it’s stuck. It’s just my friends that use that. I can’t imagine my dad calling me K-gill. But because J-lo’s a real celebrity, she got given that name, whereas I gave K-gill to myself. “It’s K-gill now, guys. I’m at that level” [laughs].
Do you have a favourite joke?
Okay, this is hard because it’s audio-based. Two whales are in a bar, and one says to the other: [Karen does eight seconds of eerily impressive ‘whale song’ noises]. And the other whale says: ‘Bob... you are wasted.’ [much laughter].
Which movie have you seen most?
Either The Princess Diaries or Scream. Scream is my all-time favourite. I even had a ‘Scream shop’ as a child, where I’d sell Scream merchandise I’d made. I remember taking a picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar — who had a cameo in Scream 2 — and putting it onto a piece of cardboard with fake blood-splatters around it. God, I hope Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn’t read this [laughs]. I also once watched Scream with a friend who got up to get a sandwich halfway through and came back in full [Scream] mask and outfit. It was terrifying.
Have you ever knowingly broken the law?
You know, I don’t think I have. Maybe a Bacardi Breezer when I was underage, but that’s about it.
What one thing do you do better than anyone else?
Watching Love Island. I’m in the States right now, and they love the UK version here. It’s got such a following. They enjoy trying to wrap their heads around the different regional accents. I have to translate all the Geordie, Scottish and Essex.
What character were you in your first school play?
I played an angel with a broken wing in a Nativity play, but in terms of actual performance, when I was in primary school I wrote a monologue for an old Southern American granny. I would go from class to class doing it: [Adopts elderly Southern American accent] “I was sittin’ in the house, and I heard my darlin’ grandson playin’ his music, and I said, ‘Turn that darn thing down’”… That sort of thing. Honestly, it was social suicide.