Karen named best newcomer... after ten years of acting
SHE first started acting nearly ten years ago, before going on to find global fame in Doctor Who.
But at the Jameson Empire Film Awards in London last night, Karen Gillan was named ‘best newcomer.’
The Scots actress was thrilled to scoop the title at the movie ceremony where, in spite of her star status, she was nominated for the category on the grounds that she has not previously been known for film work.
The 27-year-old, who hails from Inverness, had to shave her trademark long red hair for her portrayal of blue-skinned ‘space pirate’ Nebula in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy.
It was one of her first roles after leaving
‘I would like to thank everyone’
Doctor Who, in which made her name playing the Time Lord’s assistant, Amy Pond.
The Guardians movie earned her the win, along with her work in Oculus, in which she played a young woman convinced an antique mirror is responsible for her family’s misfortunes.
Sporting a glittering 60s-style retro dress and black gogo boots, a delighted Gillan said: ‘I would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote; I can’t believe you spent actual time of your actual day.’
Since working on the two films, Miss Gillan has been making a name for herself in the States thanks to her ABC sitcom Selfie, a modern-day take on Pygmalion.
However, she suffered a setback when the network opted not to order any additional episodes after the first 13.
The actress will next appear alongside John Travolta and Ethan Hawke in the western In A Valley Of Violence.
Fellow Scot James McAvoy accepted the award for best sci-fi film for X-Men: Days of Future Past, in which he played young Professor Charles Xavier. He is set to reprise the role in a sequel titled X-Men: Apocalypse.
He said: ‘If we weren’t fans of X-Men when we started, we are now, and I just hope that when we do Apocalypse this summer, we do the fans as proud as we did this time. Thank you Empire! We do hugely appreciate it.’
The Empire legend award was presented to Ralph Fiennes, while other winners included Paddington for Best Comedy and The Imitation Game for Best Thriller.