Why Karen is happy to be drunk on stardom in Hollywood
SHE has already become a household name here thanks to her role as Dr Who’s glamorous sidekick.
Now America has fallen for the undoubted charms of Karen Gillan, meaning her gamble to up sticks and move to Hollywood has quickly paid off.
Yet the stunning Scot still remains bemused by her career choice, admitting: ‘This is going to sound weird but acting to me feels like being drunk – your inhibitions are taken away and you have the licence to do anything.’
Despite being a shrinking violet during her school days, Miss Gillan set her sights on a showbiz career, initially craving life as a successful singer.
She was inspired by her father Raymond, who used to sing all the time around the house. His dream came true recently when he recorded a blues album funded by his daughter.
Her desire to tread the boards prompted Miss Gillan to move from the family home in Inverness to Edinburgh before transferring to London, where she supplemented her drama course fees through modelling.
Of course, the big break came when the 25-year-old landed the role of Amy Pond, the Time Lord’s companion in the BBC’s hit sci-fi series.
The chemistry between the statuesque Scot and Matt Smith fuelled stories of an off- screen romance, although both firmly denied this.
Miss Gillan is now dating an unnamed actor, and even her decision to shave her famous flame-coloured mane has failed to dampen their romance.
The actress, who had her hair cut off for her role in forthcoming
‘It’s been totally liberating’
film Guardians of the Galaxy, said: ‘On the day it was lopped off, the crew were warned to expect “tears and tantrums” only t o be l eft t horoughly disappointed.
‘It’s been totally liberating. It’s an interesting experiment to take away the one thing that people would use to describe you. You have to take risks.’
Referring to her boyfriend, she said: ‘That’s the ultimate test I’ve put him through, so at least, I know he’ll stick around.’
The actress, who recently played model Jean Shrimpton in BBC drama We’ll Take Manhattan, is hoping that her hair will grow back in time for Christmas.
Miss Gillan also has another new film on the way. Romcom Not Another Happy Ending will be released tomorrow.
In the movie, much of it shot in Glasgow, she plays an aspiring misery-lit author who falls for her French editor.
The actress explained: ‘ We wanted to show it (Glasgow) in a whole new light that’s not about drug-taking or crime – that’s new.
‘I don’t know it that well, even though my mum’s from there, but afterwards, I decided i t was where I was going to live for the rest of my life.
‘I feel Scottish. I was raised in a really Scottish place. Inverness is cut off from everything else and in the town you always hear bagpipes.’
For the time being, however, West Hollywood is her current address.
‘LA has its ups and downs but right now it feels like it’s a good place for me to be,’ she said. ‘And the weather’s quite nice.’