In this consumer-based industry, it can be easy to forget the years of hard work that the people in the business put in. Behind every panel, it takes a skilled writer, artist, inker and colorist to make the product complete. Behind each scene goes hours of preparation. Hush Comics’ “Respect My Craft” articles will dive into the history of these comic book and pop culture greats that will hopefully give a new perspective on how the men and women behind the pen (or stylus) contribute to the collective awesome-ness of the nerd world, or at least give you a reason to invest in their work.
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Name: Karen Gillan
Profession: Actress
Notable Work: Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy, Oculus
“Oh, sci-fi’s been the best to me. I want to continue working in genre stuff because I think it has amazing female roles, and we get to do a range of emotions, comedy and drama.” – Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan came to fame in the US as the ever feisty and amazing Amelia (Amy) Pond, companion to the 11th Doctor. Her part in Doctor Who helped launch her career and now she is a strong actress we can all rejoice to see a lot more of.
Karen Gillan was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1987. She knew from a very young age that she wanted to act so she performed in plays at school and joined youth theatre groups, as well as attending the Performing Arts Studio in Scotland and eventually The Italia Conti Academy. In her late teens and early twenties, she began to land roles on British TV shows, including the variety sketch comedy show The Kevin Bishop Show where she was a regular cast member. At age 21, she was cast as The Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond which made her the youngest companion of all time. Gillan spent two years on Doctor Who as Amy Pond and quickly became a fan favorite. She was spunky, smart and strong, and showed that a woman is capable of being a lover and an ass kicker. After she left the show there was no shortage of roles for her. She quickly popped up as a cast member on the Adult Swim show NTSF: SD: SUV, starred in the horror film Oculus, and had her very own prime time sitcom, Selfie. The show was cancelled after a few episodes, but I watched it and trust me, she was the best part. It’s not her fault that yet another incarnation of My Fair Lady was not a success.
Gillan also co-starred in Guardians of the Galaxy as Nebula, which means that we will continue to see her as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is yet to be revealed how big a part she will play through Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Infinity War 1 & 2 but Nebula does play a significant role in the comics.
One of my favorite things about Gillan is that while she is breathtakingly beautiful, she has proven for years that she is so much more than a pretty face. She successfully demonstrates what a dynamic range she has in every project she works on. She made me laugh, cheer for her, and cry my eyes out as Amy Pond. She has also been described as an extremely friendly ball of energy that is a pleasure to be on set with. Seriously, what’s not to like? Don’t believe me? Well check out this video of her and her Doctor Who costars doing their own horrible rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Karen Gillan has made a name for herself in Hollywood as a spirited and dedicated young actress who is extremely gifted and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.
None of the media in this article belongs to Hush Comics; it all belongs to their respective properties.
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